small crustaceans (pods)

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Kodiak

Lovin it
Aug 13, 2007
516
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Columbus, OH
I just got a Green Mandarin, and i did some research before hand saying they require a 30g tank, with non aggressive to moderately aggressive tank mates. they also need at least 40lb of LR, and they will also eat brine shrimp, other than their diet of pods. the tank should also be over 6months old.

I meet all those requirements, however i don't know how much pods i have in my tank. the dude at the LFS said they look like fleas. i don't see any **** fleas on my LR.

30g tank
40 lbs of LR
Fluval 205
power head, (205gph i think)
****ty 10w lighting system
30 lb of sand
----
1 Purple stripe [FONT=arial,sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Pseudochromis
3 nass snails
1-2 turbo snails (had 4, found 2 dead, 1 is MIA)
1 Green Mandarin


.......

My question is i hear the Mandarin is hard to raise, but how should i do? do i have enough food for it to eat?

How can i get more pods, if possible?

Off topic, my 4 turbo snails were doing fine, then 2 died, the water readings were ok today, i have .25 ammonia, probably from them. and 40-50 nitrates... after a water change it should be ok... anyone know why they can die? and jesus they stink!!!
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journey0820

AC Members
Jan 31, 2008
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Oh how I love those mandarins. Can't wait to hear how you succeed. I want one bad.
 

Kodiak

Lovin it
Aug 13, 2007
516
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Columbus, OH
did some more research and found i could make my own cultures of tiger pods to feed the green devil...

i cant find a site to order any off of...

anyone know where i can order these tiger pods from?
 

clown-lover

AC Members
May 26, 2007
2,448
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Fargo, ND
Do you have small things crawling on your glass?? If you don't its going to be expensive to get the pods into your system to a volume that can support a mandarin. Most mandarins will not touch anything frozen. This is to include scooter blennies etc. My scooter won't touch any food I put in the system, he only hunts for pods. Period.

The best site I have found on recommendation from JoJo on this site was oceanpods.com but pods aren't cheap and you'll need a refugium or someplace where they can grow out/multiply in an amount that can support your fish. And a mandarin will literally eat thousands of pods a day. I personally wouldn't put a mandarin in that small of a tank. But you should really talk to CPD she had one of the fattest mandarins I have ever seen and I consider her my expert on that subject.
 

snailrider

AC Members
Oct 30, 2007
470
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davesbmw.com
I bought a scooter blenny on impulse, and was told it was eating prepared foods. It wasn't. It was over Christmas and I couldn't get pods at all. I fed cyclopeze and it wouldn't eat that either. I have a 29 gal. Recomended minimum size for the scooter is 60 (found out later) and I thought the mandarin was even more finicky.

Eventually the scooter did eat a little cyclopeze, but I took him to my fav fish store for an abundant supply of pods.
 

phreakkn0t

AC Members
Aug 29, 2006
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Johnstown, PA
I think I saw various pods for sale on saltwaterfish.com when I was browsing and dreaming of one day having a saltwater tank.
 

Kodiak

Lovin it
Aug 13, 2007
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Columbus, OH
wonder if i got in over my head, but yes i do see little white things floating around, on my LR, and on the glass...

they are attracted to light, so tonight after the tank light has been out for about an hour, im going to get a light and shine it on the class, a big group of pods is suppose to be seen next to the light if you do it.
 

Kodiak

Lovin it
Aug 13, 2007
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Columbus, OH
ive been reading on pods alot last night and today, im ordering a bottle of them. I will add half the bottle to the tank, then attempt to "culture" the other half as a steady supply for the fat fish.
 

Grins

Girl Reefer...we do exist
May 1, 2007
10,449
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Charlotte, NC
Oh boy you already bought the dragonette? While it is true that some will eat prepared foods it isn't typically the case. Additionally I disagree that 30g is enough for them especially if an attached refugium with an extremely healthy supply of pods isn't already in place for a few months. They'll eat one pod every 5 seconds or so..do the math and then decide if you can keep one healthy. Unfortunately most in stores aren't healthy to begin with (typically in a state of starvation) and are sold cheap to get rid of them quickly.
 
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