Copepods for mandarin

[rleepremier]

So I decided I would like to add some copepods for my blue mandarin, but which do mandarins like? I have read that mandarins don't eat trigger pods. So what have you added to your refugium or dt with great success? I have a 46 bowfront with 130lbs of LR and a 5 gallon refugium if that helps.

 

[C0rp]

A tank should be at minimum 6 months old before you add a mandarin. The idea is too have pods established in the tank, and an established refugium supplying the tank with more pods. Also, a tank under 75G is too small for a mandarin. If I was you, I would return the fish so it doesn't slowly starve.

 

[Rockys_Pride]

Go to ebay, search chalice food, buy a few of those. Remember to acclimate the pods.

But I agree that you probably added the fish too soon. If you manage to get him out, put him in QT and train him to eat prepared foods. I started mine with Ova, never seen a fish turn that down. Then I added some garlic soaked frozen cyclops. After that I garlic soaked a variety of frozen foods: Reef Plankton, bloodworms. After a few weeks I got him to eat PE mysis. Now he eats frozen to supplement the pods. Some guys get them to eat BBS, but I don't really see the nutritional value in them (unless you gut load, but that was too much work for me)

 

[NYCBOB]

Wait six months before adding a mandarin i suggest. I have a 72 with one for the past two years with less rocks.

 

[llewoh05]

I have read that mandarins don't eat tigger pods.

where did you hear that? anyone have personal experience in mandrians not eating these?

 

[denash24]

In my experience even 6 months may not be enough but since you already have it you can buy some cheato from someone with an established tank (this will provide your sump with pods that will reproduce quickly) and supplement with copepods weekly. Good luck....

 

[ColaAddict]

Do Amphipods (Gammarus shrimp) eat copepods. I want to seed my tank with copepods, but not sure if the amphipods will just eat them up when I add them.

 

[sanchoy]

my mandarin eats blackworms. eats it like spaghetti

 

[Lynnmw1208]

you just have to find pods that sit on rocks and glass rather than swimming in the water column which is what I think tigger pods do. check out the variations on liveaquaria... http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=2190+3058&pcatid=3058

for supplemental feeding, i'd get some live brine and feed them selcon or phytoplan before feeding to the fish. my mandarin LOVES this as well as her pods. it really helps to fatten them up btw I added my mandarin at 2 months and she's doing great, just depends on how much time you want to put into them, good luck!