Mandarin Question

[DannyUFKC]

Just got a spotted mandarin as a gift and don't really know if I should keep it. I have a 72 gallon bowfront with about 80 lbs. of live sand and 100 lbs of live rock.
I've read that they can eat all your copepods or ampiphods as that is their natural food. I don't have my refugium set up to house these little citters so they can keep reproducing without predators.

This fish is a fatty too. I feel bad returning it because it was a gift but I don't want him to eat all my pods. The last one I had did, but he was a green mandarin. The guy at the LFS told me that the spotted mandarins are different and won't eat your pods. Is that true?

Thanks, Danny.

 

[IanInDC]

Try and do some searches here and at saltwaterfish.com's board about general dragonet care. But I would say you have more than enough room. You can invest relatively inexpensively in a 'fuge setup, and in the meantime, as long as your 72 gal. is established, you should be good.

There are even some real possibilities you can train the guy to eat frozen mysis (try P.E. in particular).

 

[sunfishh]

If you do keep it and you don't get a refugium then I would plan on buying aquapods on a regular basis.