Mandarin question
 

Getting a green mandarin.
I have plenty of copepods for now in the tank. Tank 75 gal and is 20 years old plenty of live rock, full reef
This is my first mandarin and realize food source is the primary concern. I’m going to supplement mysis.
I’ve done research on live food trise copepods, are these the best and where is the best place to buy them. Trying to do a search on RC but having a hard time locating a current post with this information.
I have mysis and bloodworms on hand in case.
Question
1. Were to buy live copepods? What brand
2. Are there any frozen copepods? What brand and where?
3. Any other suggestions
Thanks

Algaebarn.com podmyreef.com

I have bought pods from them to supplement my normal population for my mandarin.

Unless your mandy was tank raised, or use to eating other things besides pods, it will only eat pods and lots of them.

Yes it will probably only eat pods mine wont touch enything else

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O yes i mean live pods not frozen

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Paul B baby brine shrimp feeder

If your tank is 20yrs old n plenty of live rocks. you probably dont need to replenish the pods, it should support one mandarin. I have a mandarin n a ruby red scooter blenny in my 110g for a few years now n they are fat. I never seeded my tank with pods before.

Good to know
I just ordered some copepods from algaebarn
Figure it couldn’t hurt. Want to make sure there’s enough food for my Mandy.

My mandy is wild caught, was eating Nutramar before production stopped. Now he takes a mix of Oyster Feast and PE Calanus, which is a frozen product the packaging describes as a "decapod zooplankton". Anyway, he eats a little of it. If you have a 75 gal well established tank (30 years? WOW) and no other competitors like wrasses or sand sifters you should be fine.

I understand though, I seem to have plenty of pods but I still add pods occasionally and target feed "just in case".

Enjoy, they are such beautiful fish!

As stated above, 20 YO live rock can easily support I mandarin. Once a week I make some freshly hatched brine nauplii, let them swim in phytoplankton, for 3 hours, then toss them in after lights out so they can hide in the rock. Also, feeding phyto 1 per week help the foods maintain their levels....Your tank should be a fine place....

Thanks everyone

At night after several hours of darkness, look around for visible pods with a torch light. Established tank should have a lot of pods crawling all over rock surface and glass panels. Usually they will congregate on algae film covered surfaces. If you have tons, no issue having a mandy.