How many pods are enough for a Mandarin?

[schlong33]

I say a mandarin at my LFS for a good price, but I am wondering....How many pods should I consider enough food for him?
My setup is a DAS 100 gallon with 100lbs of LR. My pod count is about 30+ pods even as we speak. I have nothing else in which is a predator for pods, so they would all be for the Mandarin. I also know that I have some worms in my LS.
I have seen where many people have said that Mandarins are hard to keep, much less next to impossible. I would still try to suppliment pods with mysis shrimp, but I would just like other people's experience on this one.
Thanks in advance!

 

[daniel411]

Thats roughly the minimum tank size, live rock, that people suggest for a mandarin. I'm curious how you came up with 30+ pods? How on earth could you count them?
I'd be hesitant, if thirty is a realistic number of pods. I'd try and let the population grow some more so it will have a chance of being a self sustaining food source.

 

[schlong33]

Hate to say it, just way to much free time! I am sure that we have all spaced out watching our tanks!
The thirty that I counted we all the ones that I could see straight out. I am sure that there is more, but my live plants cover about 40% of my LR. I know that some pods are underneath my plants.
My urchin seems to munch at the rate of growth from the plants, but he seems to leave the pods alone.
Curious, what can I do to increase my population of pods? I can assume that most people are trying to limit the amount of pods, but obviously I would like to increase.
Thanks!

 

[nas19320]

A refuge or pod piles.

 

[helen ranieri]

I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 Green Mandarines. I got them when my tank was only a month and 1/2 young. They are doing absolutely great. They also eat brine shrimp, clams , and oysters ! It appears my female is getting ready to lay eggs. I have had salt water tanks since 1975. I do have some experience but never had Mandarines. I knew nothing about them before my first one then I purchased my 2cd one a week later. I read about sexing them so luckily it worked out. I was told they would not survive in a tank unless it has been established for atleast 6 months. My tank is now 3 months young and they are doing great ~ and growing. I have many fish in my tank and have not lost any yet..... So much for the norm !!

 

[daniel411]

Best of luck Helen Ranieri, and welcome to the board
-I wouldn't risk it though... Also, mandarin are one of the species that can slowly starve over time... but if they're gaining weight??? Might be able to luck out and they're gettin enough nutrition from the other foods you're feeding.
I believe Bang guy mentioned a great idea once. Take a piece of filter pad and dose it with dt's phytoplankton (or similar) and place it partly under a rock in a pod area. They're eat, breed, and be merry!

 

[harlequin]

Do not take Helens post as a reason to rush out and grab a mandarin or chances are you will be disappointed. She beat the odds greatly by having one that eats non-pods, unbeleivable that she has two without checking beforehand. If so she needs to be in Vegas and racking up fish money. I had to check each mandarin my LFS got in for 6 months before they had one that they could actually feed. They are not had to keep but do yourself a favor, have patience and check the fish out before you buy. Mandarins will easily eat 30+ pods in a day. I feed mine Cyclopseze which is frozen copepods. Ask your store to try that when you check them out.

 

[schlong33]

Thanks everybody for the info!
I didn't realize that a mandarin will eat that many pods a day!
What is your feeding rate with the frozen pods?
That's a good idea Daniel, any way to get them growing!

 

[harlequin]

I have a refugium so the cyclopseze is more of a suppliment, one of the reasons I still can find pods in some areas in the tank. About twice a week I shave off a couple chunks from the frozen bar I have. A little goes a long way with cyclopseeze. I have had the bar for almost 6 months and is only about a quarter of the way gone. It also works good for feeding some of the corals I have like yellow polyps.

 

[texag04]

Arent pods those flea looking creatures that run and hop all over the place (if they are not laugh at me). Because I have had my tank up only for 2 weeks now and they are everywhere, I mean literally thousands of them. My roommate makes fun of me saying I need to stop dumping my head lice in there. I only have 50 lbs. of LR but am considering on getting a refuge if I must in order to get a mandarian.

 

[bdhough]

Yes they are the flea looking things and they WILL breed on their own. Give them time. I'd say a month and you'll see more of them and bigger too..... Ideally you want to wait 6 months. It took a long time for me to see any in my 12 which is over a year and my 20 barely has any which is 7 months....
EDIT: the purpose of the refuge is to provide a predator free place for diserable things to grow I.E. pods or caulerpa, sometimes snails will breed in their if you get the right ones. I have ceriths that lay eggs in my 20 all the time, free food , and mini strombus in both tanks that lay eggs....

 

[texag04]

So why am I seeing so many, is it because I'm lucky? Everywhere you look in my tank you see them hopping and running around like there is no water to swim in. Is it normal to be seeing thousands when the tank has only been cycling for 2 weeks?