Mandarin Dragonet in Sump to feast?

[Aquaman101]

Just curious...has anyone ever put their Madarin Dragonet in their sump to gorge on pods?

My mandarin is happy in my DT but just thought about putting in my sump that is full of pods for a good feast.

I'm always hesitant to shake out my cheato in the DT as some fragments always break off.

[EllieSuz]

I think you can transfer pods from the sump to the DT by just giving the Chaeto a good shake. The pods easily make it through the return pump. I shake and turn the Chaeto once a week or so and I have a very fat, one eyed Mandarin.

[Angel*Fish]

I agree.
Ellieen, do you know what happened to your mandarin's eye?

[Palting]

If you put the mandarin in your fuge, he might decimate the pod population! No harm in chaeto fragments going into the DT. Easy enough to pick out, and they don't spread like caulerpa.

Yes, I, too, am curious as to what happened to the one-eyed mandarin.

[sanchoy]

If there is pods in the sump.. there is pods in the display..

[EllieSuz]

Yes, here's the story of Hoover, the one eyed Green Mandarin. Perhaps a year or so ago, he showed some signs of popeye. I did some research and decided to let it go and hope he could fight it on his own. He seemed to heal nicely and as far as I could tell, his sight in the "bad" eye was intact. Fast forward maybe three or four months and Hoover wedged himself between a rock and the back glass and didn't move for four or five days. I checked on him often, but decided not to disturb him until he died, which I fully expected. After that prolonged period of inactivity, he sprang back to life, but his eyeball was gone. The big orb that holds their eyeball was gone and just a closed slit remained where his eye had been. He hunts all day as usual and slurps up enriched brine shrimp every evening, again, as usual. He's perfectly content half blind and he stays fat and healthy. Can you imagine why he's my favorite fish?

[Angel*Fish]

Aaaaw, poor baby :(. Glad to hear he recovered form all of that. He sounds pretty tough and your tank sounds very healthy. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have a 6-line wrasse in there as they are notorious for picking at mandarin eyes.

[eweinig]

Can you imagine why he's my favorite fish?

Pirate Mandarin?

[davocean]

I also see no need unless he's skinny and you are concerned, and even then it would be just temporary because like previously stated he will decimate pods in there.
Probably fine, but also agree chaeto is no big deal in display if pieces fall off, very easy to pull.
And yes, they make it through returns.

[Aaarrrggg]

Maybe shake the chaeto out in a white tupperware full of tank water. Then you can easily pick out the bits of chaeto and just pour the water + pods back into the DT.

[dannytom99]

Maybe shake the chaeto out in a white tupperware full of tank water. Then you can easily pick out the bits of chaeto and just pour the water + pods back into the DT.

very good idea.