Pod populations in planted tanks...

[mr. bojangsjang]

Correct me if I am wrong, but in essence aren't planted marine tanks just large refugiums? Does this mean pod populations are very large in planted tanks? Would a mandarin goby survive in one provided you have lots of macros?

 

[graveyardworm]

It wouldnt be a refugium if there was a mandarin present, and it would likely need to be a large tank to keep the mandarin fat and happy.

 

[Samala]

David beat me to it! Refugium is any area that doesnt have predators.. presence of plants or no. I would think the usual space considerations for a captive mandarin still apply. There is more surface area and hiding spots in a well-planted macro tank than say the typical reef.. but better to err on the large side than small and have your dragonet starve.

>Sarah

 

[mr. bojangsjang]

thanks again david and sarah! Looking for some type of small colorful fish, no mandarins for me though =(

 

[Samala]

Bo I really wanted you to see this thread, regardless of what David and I feel about most tanks:

'Wild' juvies in my tank

Fred has this incredible macro-stuffed macroalgae tank and has had juveniles grow up without intervention in the milieu. So, perhaps it can happen that even with substantial predators the system can balance and feed.

>Sarah

 

[mr. bojangsjang]

links not working?

 

[graveyardworm]

Working fine for me. I didnt intend to imply that it couldnt be done, just pointing out that that if the purpose of the refugium was for pod/food production that placing a mandarin in there would almost surely reduce its ability to do so. You'd be better off to keep the mandarin in an attached display so that it could recieve a constant sustainable supply of food from the refugium, and better yet ween the mandarin off live food and onto some sort of prepared food this would insure that it always gets enough food.

 

[jmanrow]

Randy Reed, of Reed Mariculture just gave a presentation on Reef Tank Nutrition at our aquarium society http:www.pnwmas.org/ last month. He recommended "Tigger Podsâ"žÂ¢" Tigriopus californicus. Very easy to culture.
http://www.reed-mariculture.com/copepod/

He also recommended "Arcti-Podsâ"žÂ¢"
http://www.reed-mariculture.com/Copepod/ArctiPods/
Randy said with this preserved copepod concentrate, it is now possible to keep mandarins in a nano-reef.

Many LFS in our area are now carrying these products, also some of our members are now putting it to the test! So far, reports are coming back that corals are fully expanding to feed as soon as the stuff hits the water!


*By the way.. this is not another "too-good-to-be- true" "snake-oils" like we have seen so many times in the hobby. Reed Mariculture supplies Oregon Coast Aquarium http://www.aquarium.org/ and many other public aquariums.

 

[mr. bojangsjang]

Link seems to be working now Sarah. I don't think I will risk it with thr mandarin, I don't want anything to happen to the poor little guy. I will just get some small colorful fish that eat frozen.

 

[graveyardworm]

I've got a couple firefish in QT now which should be fun to watch in the lagoon.

 

[Ryanqk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8170579#post8170579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by graveyardworm
Working fine for me. I didnt intend to imply that it couldnt be done, just pointing out that that if the purpose of the refugium was for pod/food production that placing a mandarin in there would almost surely reduce its ability to do so. You'd be better off to keep the mandarin in an attached display so that it could recieve a constant sustainable supply of food from the refugium, and better yet ween the mandarin off live food and onto some sort of prepared food this would insure that it always gets enough food.

How exactly would you go about weaning a mandarin?

 

[graveyardworm]

I suppose that you would introduce it to various foods,( I prefer frozen ) find one or more that it would eat, if it doesnt initially take the food keep trying until eventually it readily eats what you are presenting to it ( this may never happen ). Once you have it eating prepared food I would consider it weened and could possibly be moved to a tank without alot of natural prey and still remain well fed and healthy.