scooter dragonettes

[treesprite]

When they are picking at stuff I can't see, do they only do it when picking up an actual pod or food bit, or do they just randomly pick in hopes of finding food? I want to know if the picking they do immediately after I put Rods and mysis in the tank is actual eating... they definitely react when I put food in.

I know I have enough pods now, but I want to put some different sand in my tank and am afraid doing it would cause a problem with the scooters eating... I'd worry less about the sand if I knew the scooters were eating prepared food. (I have 1/2" of very fine sand right now, and intend to stay at 1/2", but want to take out some of the fine stuff and swap for a larger grain size. The fine stuff gets blown to leave bare spots and is too compacted. I also have it in my mind that a more typical grain size will be a better habitat for pods than this compacted fine stuff).

The tank is a 75g. My refugium is a 40 hex which is half full (20g water) and has liverock (mostly rubble) and macros in it. My sump is a separate 29g tank. Tank mates are a pair of firefish, a pair of ocellaris, a yellow tang, a cleaner shrimp, some snails, and 3 hermit crabs.

Thanks in advance for info.

 

[small alien]

I believe they are eating. Scooters tend to be pretty easy to get onto prepared foods. Changing your sand bed could be disruptive to them as they're bottom dwellers and bury at night.

 

[sanchoy]

My scooters love sinking pellets/mysis/ and especially black worms (they will swim up in the current to eat the worms because they love them that much).

They also dine on pods all day.. when the pick at something.. they assume it was food.. kind of like chickens, when you watch them they pick on things all day.

 

[treesprite]

Thanks for the answers. I forgot to say I just got them a week ago, a pair that appears to be exhibiting mating behavior.

 

[snorvich]

they mate at sunset. If you can simulate that, it will encourage.