Do Mandarins eat worms?

tormented

Member
Just got a mandarin and hes awsum. Built up my pod population to get him, but im not sure if the fireworms and peanut worms are on his menu. Ive got alot of them.
Also does anyone have tips to keep the pods breeding so he has plenty? Ive got chaeto and a fuge full of them atm. Main tank is a 90g reef, have some rubbble in the 20g fuge with a DSB.
 

poniegirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tormented
Just got a mandarin and hes awsum. Built up my pod population to get him, but im not sure if the fireworms and peanut worms are on his menu. Ive got alot of them.
Also does anyone have tips to keep the pods breeding so he has plenty? Ive got chaeto and a fuge full of them atm. Main tank is a 90g reef, have some rubbble in the 20g fuge with a DSB.
For pod population, it helps to have a pod-plex of live rock. That is to say a pile of rock that they can live and breed in that the fish that feed on them cannot get to. The fuge is great for this, if there are no pod eaters living in it. You could add a podplex to the 20 gal, easily.
If you are overrun by bristleworms and have room for another fish, this is a great cure. He is a wrasse, but I've only been told "Cigar" wrasse. I can't find him on a search. What I DO know, is that he cleans up a tank! Also eats mysis shrimp.
 

chipmaker

Active Member
Mandarins love flat worms. However if your looking for a jam up fish to get rid of bristle worms try a Springeri Dottybacks. They eat flat worms and bristle worms. I have two that have basically eliminated most of my bristle worms. They cxan be as bad as a blue damsel but so far they have been just fine. Makes no matter how large thwe bristle worm is either. They jump thw worm and drag it out and massacre it and then chow down. Amazing how a little fish as such can eat such big worms ;-)
 
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