Mandrin and copepods

[Dingo Dog]

Right after I bought my first and only Mandrin I dumped 4 bottles, each containing up to 2500 microns, of Tigger pods into my 46 gal. tank. That was about 6 months ago and my Mandrin is still looking wonderful. I've heard some people say you can see the copepods swimming around the LR but mine must be invisible.

So my questions is this. Do copepods reproduce and remain pretty much constant within the tank or should I give it a booster shot occasionally?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/55092Green_Mandrin3.jpg

[kuoka]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7931564#post7931564 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dingo Dog
Right after I bought my first and only Mandrin I dumped 4 bottles, each containing up to 2500 microns, of Tigger pods into my 46 gal. tank. That was about 6 months ago and my Mandrin is still looking wonderful. I've heard some people say you can see the copepods swimming around the LR but mine must be invisible.

So my questions is this. Do copepods reproduce and remain pretty much constant within the tank or should I give it a booster shot occasionally?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/55092Green_Mandrin3.jpg

I just got a Mandarin for my 72 Gal and he seems happy swimming around looking for Copepods but I haven't bought any. Should I buy some for the little guy? Where can I get them?

[Sk8r]

I give them every couple of months---my little female has goby help disposing of them.

I get them from www.reefnutrition.com If you want them to reproduce, get the tiggerpods. The arctipods are preserved food.

Also feed phyto to the tank every evening after the lights are out. The pods learn dark is a safe time to feed. They don't seem to sleep, but the mandarin does.

reefnutrition's phytofeast is excellent.

[josh holt]

i have had a mandrin in my 125 for just over a year. i have pods growing in my fuge and tank and have never had to add any. he has always been fat and happy.

[Ryanqk]

Ok, i've posted several times about this feeding issue with mandarines, i've owned three, and thanks to unf i was able to experiment around a bit. I keep a Refugium, seperated entirely from the other tank, i mean on the other side of the room. I added a supplement of 3 species of copepods that i got from i think seattle, if you really wanna know pvt me. I dumped 2/3 of it into this 10gl refuge, the rest went in the 30gl where my mandarine lives. they did good in both tanks but the pop exploded in my refugium, i feed them phytoplankton (reefblend) in both tanks and they multiply. A booster is naturally a good choice every few months but with the refugium ive made a long term supply, i have a fat mandarine in a 30gl tank, and no i do not use a skimmer, that inhibits them i'm pretty sure since i tested it.

Ill subscribe to this forum so i can keep an eye on it...

Happy reefing
Ryan

PS some live in substrate, some in the water column, some in rock and other places, it depends on species

[Dingo Dog]

Thanks for all your response. I don't have a refugium, just a gutted canister for extra water flow, 3 1200 maxijets and a Ramora C skimmer. So what I think I'm hearing is that I probably need to add a bottle twice a year.

[Ryanqk]

yeah maybe every 3-4 months even. and adding them to the slowest moving part of your tank, maybe in the rockwork via a tube....
Just my word.
Ryan

[seafarm]

A couple of aquarium stores have shared with me a new idea they are trying - Mandarin's in nanno tanks. They are taking Mandarin's that they have tested and KNOW feed well on Arcti-Pods, putting them in the nannos and making sure the customers know they MUST feed daily with the pod concentrate. So far it seems to be working pretty well. Maybe we can call them "Mandarin Mini's" :)

[Ryanqk]

Damn ok that would be awesome to keep one in a nano, they look best in them, but i'd be just plain scared to do it unless i KNEW it would take the food. Mine has to eat live copepods and nothin else. I imagine they would have to be tank raised to accept frozen foods or cyclopeeze or whatever they are feeding.
Ryan