Red Dragonets on Frozen Foods

[skyrne_isk]

I have had these dragonets for about 10 weeks in my grow-out/refugium/quarantine system. I had thought that one (the male) was lost after a couple of weeks only to find it later in the 40B display. Previously, both were kept in an upstream low-flow refugium and target fed cyclopeeze. At this point, I am little stuck on what to do.

Initially, before the male made it to the display, he would respond to the cyclopeeze when all the pumps were turned off but I don't think he had it completely figured out. I am unsure how much of his diet was coming from the target feedings, but the female's behavior would always result in him "hunting" alongside her. He had withered away some (though skinny to begin with) before making it over to the display, where he has filled out quite a bit since then. I would attribute this to the greater volume to graze on and that there are no other micro-fauna eaters in the 40B display he is now in.

On the other hand, the female is still in a small partition (about 5 gallons) in the fuge and eats like a pig when the pipette hits the water with the cyclopeeze. She is decidedly fat and I would consider 100% converted to frozen food.

So here's where I am stuck:

The dislay has a couple wrasses and clowns in it while the fuge has nothing in it but the female dragonet - it makes it fairly nice to get the density of the food way up before flipping the pumps back on. There is a particular spot the female is now trained to go to at feeding time - I have no idea how moving her might impact this. I don't like keeping them seperate and I don't like that the male isn't able to be target fed.

Do I move the male back into the smaller confines of the refugium so he can continue to take feeding cues from the female or do I move the female into the display and attempt to target feed in there?

Here is the setup, yes it's dirty (that's the point):
<a href="http://s692.photobucket.com/user/skyrne_isk/media/Snapbucket/EB5DF63B_zpsb49b1658.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img width="600" height="461" src="http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv283/skyrne_isk/Snapbucket/EB5DF63B_zpsb49b1658.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo EB5DF63B_zpsb49b1658.jpg"/></a>


Just the fuge (where the female lives):
<a href="http://s692.photobucket.com/user/skyrne_isk/media/Snapbucket/F0D3530C_zps15905584.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img width="600" height="461" src="http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv283/skyrne_isk/Snapbucket/F0D3530C_zps15905584.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo F0D3530C_zps15905584.jpg"/></a>


I am pretty sure this guy is a male (his dorsal spike/fin is getting lines on it):
<a href="http://s692.photobucket.com/user/skyrne_isk/media/Snapbucket/5A9A657C_zpsfff38dce.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img width="600" height="461" src="http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv283/skyrne_isk/Snapbucket/5A9A657C_zpsfff38dce.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 5A9A657C_zpsfff38dce.jpg"/></a>

And the female:
<a href="http://s692.photobucket.com/user/skyrne_isk/media/Snapbucket/8DC7BC4E_zps4e845c85.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img width="600" height="461" src="http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv283/skyrne_isk/Snapbucket/8DC7BC4E_zps4e845c85.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo 8DC7BC4E_zps4e845c85.jpg"/></a>

 

[skyrne_isk]

Any ideas?

 

[rayjay]

You would probably get more help if you post in the Marine Fish forum rather than the seahorse forum.

 

[btreyes]

I would add more liverock and grow out the macros more to support the two dragonets with more pods and then do daily feedings of frozen mysis along with the cyclopeeze until they start eating it. I've had multiple dragonets eat frozen mysis after living in my seahorse tanks for a couple of months. A few of them got super big and fat living off the mysis.

 

[wowkingjames]

Go to STARS local club in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, NM. There is a gentlemen that has a thread with one male with three females he also has a video. He could give you some more suggestions. "Ruby Dragonet species only tank" mrcyrus keep reefing!!