Mandarin, copepod question

[Gravy days]

Hey everyone, I've started a new 125 gallon tank after being out of the hobby for about a decade (been waiting to be able to do it right). I have about 150 pounds of live rock (pukani and fiji mix). My question is this, I want a mandarin dragonet really bad. I've been researching and it seems that I have a large enough tank and lr to sustain copepods for the mandarin, but I can't find anything definitive on this. I currently only have a cuc (snails, blue/red legged hermits, cleaner clams) in the tank, and was thinking this would be a good time to add copepods and let them start multiplying and getting established without getting eaten. Once they got built up (several months at least right?), then I would buy the mandarin. Does this sound like a good plan, and is my set up capable of sustaining a large enough population of pods to be the sole source of food for a single mandarin (or more)?

Also, what other fish (like wrasses) would be good to avoid that would actively eat the pods?

 

[lmforbis]

You should be fine with a 125. If you have a sump with a refugium it would be even better.

 

[Gravy days]

I knew there was something I forgot. I don't have a refugium. My sump is Berlin style. So keeping them down there not really feasible.

 

[jay0705]

Give the tank time and the pods will populate on there own. Do u want a green or spotted mandy?

 

[bang guy]

How much live rock do you have?

For Ostracods (best food for Dragonets) some sand and what I call a pod pile can produce a whole lot of food. In a back corner pile some sand and surround it with reef rubble, small pieces of live rock, to help keep it in place.

 

[Gravy days]

To jay0705: I want a green mandarin

To bang guy: I've got 125 gallons plus Berlin style sump, with approximately 150 pounds total of pukani (lots of small crevices and hiding spots) and Fiji rock. I've not seen Ostracods, but was going to go with Tisbe after I did some research.

 

[jay0705]

Green mandys are the most popular. I have a pair. They mix well, unlike spotted mandys. Those guys do not like eachother lol

 

[deejeff0442]

I always had good luck breeding pods in a sump with alot of rock rubble and no light

 

[Gravy days]

Thanks for the input everyone. I decided to go with the Algagen tisbe copepods. I will just wait a while and take things slow and let those things reproduce. Hopefully they'll be able to sustain themselves in all my rock work for the mandarin, not sure how I'll know though, they are to small to see!