worms, not pods, for mandarin?

[stgla]

I took Ron Shimek seriously and set up a 6" sandbed in my display (75g) AND sump (30g) and now after 8 months I have zillions of worms -- bristleworms and featherdusters. It's crazy how many worms I have on the rocks and in the sand. But I sneak up at night w/flashlight and don't see many or hardly any pods. What's up with that? I was hoping to get hte tank ready for a mandarin dragonet but I'm not sure whether it's a good idea yet.

My current fish population is just an ocellaris pair and a royal gramma (all addicted to flake food) so I don't think anybody else is preying on the pods. I have some aggressive hermits, but I doubt they'd deplete the pod population.

Do mandarins eat worms? If so, it would be a smorgasbord. Otherwise, I'd starve it. Or are the pods just hidng themselves really well.

 

[dc]

I've never seen them eat one. I would suggest setting up pod piles, which is nothing more than a pile of small rubble. Then order pods, it's been forever since I ordered them, so not sure where the best place is to get them. Check the sponsors page. Then wait awhile. Patience is a good thing. Then while picking one out, try to find one that will eat prepared foods. Mine eat almost anything, one came eating and I set up themandarin diner for the other one. Now I just drop a few pellets in during the day, and feed frozen food daily. They are thriving.

 

[Sk8r]

I've got spiorbids, bristleworms, peanuts, and if there's a variety of microworm, I've got it, but the mandarins still eat pods. Pod piles. Refugium.

 

[stgla]

I have a refugium. I have piles of rubble that are inaccessible to fish. What's going on?