Just wondering, I bought one today and totally forgot that they survive off pods. I have an abundance of pods from 2 20 gallon refugiums. I've read about people training seahorses to feed from a container or certain location in the tank. Does anyone know if I could train my dragonet to feed from a container with harvested pods or some sort of similar idea?
Is it possible for me to train my dragonet to eat harvested pods from a container?
- Thread starter jcurella
- Start date
coralreefdoc
New member
You "forgot" they need copepods as their main food source, or you didnt research thoroughly before purchasing one and then came across the info as you were looking up what to feed them ...
Either way, its good to see you are now taking the necessary steps towards creating an environment/diet that will help enable your Synchiropus splendidus thrive.
Harvest pods from your refugium, as well as supplement with a commercially available bottle/container of live copepods every few weeks, in order to increase density levels in the main display enough to properly support this species ! Keep a close eye on body weight, if your specimen thins out put it in the refugium to gain weight. HTH
Research. Research. Research
Either way, its good to see you are now taking the necessary steps towards creating an environment/diet that will help enable your Synchiropus splendidus thrive.
Harvest pods from your refugium, as well as supplement with a commercially available bottle/container of live copepods every few weeks, in order to increase density levels in the main display enough to properly support this species ! Keep a close eye on body weight, if your specimen thins out put it in the refugium to gain weight. HTH
Research. Research. Research
incognitus
New member
You can train your dragonet with a slender anchovy glass jar so that it has a small rim. Dragonets don´t have fear to get in but other fishes can´t. It´s better you feed freeze food because it will get much more food, blood worm and eggs are good. This way mine eats pellets nowadays.
Thanks for all the help everyone! incognitus Anchovy jar is something I was thinking about. Was wondering if I could harvest live pods and keep them in something like that so he will go to it for food. You mentioned frozen food. I would like to start with live pods and ween him to frozen food. What about zooplex? is that an option too? I just want to train him to go to a certain spot for feeding so he knows where to eat. thanks again for all the help everyone!
Fishbulb2
New member
I also used newly hatched brine shrimp to acclimate mine to his new home. He's been eating them for several weeks now. I've noticed that now he even eats frozen mysis shrimp. I think it's important to use all of the live foods you can everyday for the first few months until they get acclimated. Eventually, I do believe a lot will convert to frozen foods if they've made it that long. My goal is to very slowly decrease the frequency that I feed mine pods and brine shrimp and monitor him to see if he continues to grow on the frozen mysis.
Good luck.
FB
Good luck.
FB
MandarinFan
New member
My little female mandarin loves to eat. We had been using a small baby food jar for her diner location but the flame angel gets in it, even with rubber bands over the opening trying to deter him... What is an anchovy jar? TIA!
incognitus
New member
Here you are
MandarinFan
New member
Great, thank you! I will try that.
SushiGirl
Premium Member
You can google mandarin diner and find lots of examples.
Please remember that they won't live long if they don't have actual pods, so you cannot rely on weaning them off of pods & onto prepared foods altogether. As said, they hunt & eat pods all day long to remain healthy.
Please remember that they won't live long if they don't have actual pods, so you cannot rely on weaning them off of pods & onto prepared foods altogether. As said, they hunt & eat pods all day long to remain healthy.
