copepods question

[highland135]

I have a 35 gal. that has been running for about 5 weeks and has cycled. I have 25-30 lbs LR, 3.5"-4" SB, HOB skimmer, HOB Aquaclear filter, 2 powerheads 200gph @, 130w PC for lighting. I cycled the tank with a blue damsel and have added a clown this week. I have a couple of mushrooms that are doing well and a couple of small zoo frags also doing well. I would like to add a couple more fish one possibly being a Mandarin, maybe near the end of the year after the tank has been up for awhile.

I know Mandarins can be finicky and need live food like the copepods. I found a site that sells 4 oz bottles of copepods. My question is if I add this to the tank will enough survive to begin a colony without a refugium so I could add a mandarin later?

Thanks for any advice

 

[egdevilboy]

No Sir.

Mandarines Need MINIMUM 100 gallons. They will eat all your copepods then starve to death. A 35 is way to small. The refugium wont beable to hold enough to support the mandarines constant feeding lifestyle.

 

[nemo g]

wow, this is my first sighting of a "madarine cop"

nemo g
<img src="http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/116775nemog_av.jpg" />

 

[nemo g]

swim away, swim away

 

[philagothos]

I've read of several people on here who have successfully kept them nice and fat in aquariums as small as 30 gallons. Their tricks seem to include having lots of rock (closer to 2#/gallon) and nothing else to compete for the copepods. Having said that, I've never had one so I can only speak of what others on here have said in the past.

In response to the pods in a bottle... I would think the best way would be to allow a natural population to develop in your aquarium. If you really want to help kick start your pod population I would recommend getting some macro algae from established tanks.

If a mandarin is on your must have list then I think you can pull it off, as long as you plan properly and give the pods plenty of time. Read a lot over the next year. Plenty of people have nice fat mandarins in aquariums much smaller than the "MINIMUM 100 gallons".

PS: LiveAquaria (http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=551) recommends at least 30 gallons.

 

[Teremei]

If you can personally witness the mandarin eat frozen food before you buy him, you will increase his chance of survival. Feed him frozen food soaked in selco in a little jar that only he can get in once a day, and make sure to have tons of pods in your fuge, and feed the pods some finely pinched flake 2 times a week.