Copepods

[CoralReeferGal]

I tried searching, and didn't really find the answer I was looking for. we just acquired a blue Mandarin dragonet, and thought I know he eats copepods, and I know we have tons of them, I want to make sure if anything else in the tank will be going after them too. So, what all eats copepods?

[Wet Sleeve]

Dragonets, blenny's, wrasses.

[hkgar]

Dragonets, blenny's, wrasses.

And those things eat other things, but will out compete the Mandarin for the available copepods, wrasse in particular.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Most fish that can fit a copepod in it's mouth will eat them from time to time, especially if they're hungry, even many so-called herbivores like tangs. The trick is having enough for everyone, and keeping all the other generalists well fed enough that they don't have to spend their time hunting.

[CoralReeferGal]

Perfect thank you guys!! So ive got a big competition in my tank... We have 2 clowns, a fire fish goby, blue streak Wrasse and lawnmower blenny... Now the Dragonet. Everything else seems to go crazy over mysis and brine but I would assume if copepods are easier (and they don't have to wait to me) they'll be eating them up, huh.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

The species of fish you've noted can, for the most part, eat enough in a short period of time (when you feed) that they're fine and won't be hungry enough to actively hunt. If you're talking about the established 120g in your sig, I don't think you'll have a problem if you've already got a lot of pods visible in the tank.

[ericarenee]

in my tank our file-fish .. CBB Copper band butter fly both love the pods..

they will also eat Bristle worms .. of course our tangs will grab them off the glass as the lights start to dim of the evening..

so i would say almost any fish that sees them in a place they can snatch up the snack.

[CoralReeferGal]

The species of fish you've noted can, for the most part, eat enough in a short period of time (when you feed) that they're fine and won't be hungry enough to actively hunt. If you're talking about the established 120g in your sig, I don't think you'll have a problem if you've already got a lot of pods visible in the tank.

Yes, what is in my Sig, plus a fire fish goby and a purple reef lobster. I havent noticed pods in the actual tank, but they are all over the place in the fuge. I assume they cycle through with the water that goes through the refugium, correct.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Yes they will cycle through. When I have a system like that I like to occasionally take some rock or algae from the 'fuge and shake it in the display. It's amazing how many pods and other micro-life will shake off.

[skimjim]

First question is. How old is the tank?

Takes 1yr to get a good ecosystem inside a manmade glass box

Even after a yr stupid things like AlkSpike, salinity-crashes can wipe out 90% of copepods. But yr old systems rebound much quicker. Under a yr. You just gonna kill things bc we all. Including myself. Rush things. Saltwater corals and fish is like making Bourbon. It takes tiiiiiiiiiime. ;)

[CoralReeferGal]

First question is. How old is the tank?

Takes 1yr to get a good ecosystem inside a manmade glass box

Even after a yr stupid things like AlkSpike, salinity-crashes can wipe out 90% of copepods. But yr old systems rebound much quicker. Under a yr. You just gonna kill things bc we all. Including myself. Rush things. Saltwater corals and fish is like making Bourbon. It takes tiiiiiiiiiime. ;)

Most everything is over 15 years old. We upgraded from a 55 to a 120 3 years ago, so the newest rocks, etc is 3 years old. We had about 80lbs of rock in the 55, and about 125 now, so well over half of everything is solidly 10+ years old. Aside from fish, which we only recently started adding, even our newest coral is probably over 5 years old lol we haven't done much with it for quite awhile other than admire what we had and watch how quickly things grow.

I think I'm going to get a big ol tub of pods to dump in just in case, just to make sure theres plenty. Found some online for like $35 for 6,000 pods... Sounded like a fair deal to me. So far...