Mandarin Dragonet
- Thread starter lradlbeck
- Start date
airforceb2
Active Member
How big is the tank? My LFS sells pods every now and then.
jmick
Active Member
If you really want a Mandarin I recommend a creating a fuge (bigger the better). In the long run, it will offer many benefits and it will probably end up costing less then if you were to buy Pods every few weeks for the fish (my 30 gallon fuge with return pump cost less then $100). Also, brine has no nutritional value and is not a good food choice unless you soak it in Selecon or similar product.
airforceb2
Active Member
I would say 100lbs in a 55 should provide enough pods for a mandarin. The fuge isn't a bad idea at all as it will also serve as a filter but not required IMO.
airforceb2
Active Member
You can also get some LR rubble and put it in the HOB filter. It will act as a mini fuge.
E
essop3
Guest
Buying pods is not an option for feeding a mandarin. They eat hundreds every day. When you buy them you only get 50 or so. Most mandarins won't eat/compete for prepared foods. And like said above brine isn't a good staple diet.
That being said, your tank is really close. You could go ahead and get it, then build a fuge. A fuge that is 20-30g will be the best thing you could do for your tank.
That being said, your tank is really close. You could go ahead and get it, then build a fuge. A fuge that is 20-30g will be the best thing you could do for your tank.
jmick
Active Member
I also have a 55gal that’s undrilled. What I did was make an overflow box out of acrylic and ¾ inch bulk head which I have draining into a sump and my fuge (60% flow to sump and 40% to fuge). If you don’t have room for a sump you could partition (or baffle) your fuge into 3 sections. The first will be water in from overflow box. This will lead into your main fuge area. Then main fuge area will lead into return (compartment for you return pump). This will also allow you to T off your flow from the overflow so you can run water into section 1 and 3 so you can control flow rate over section 2. You don’t want really high flow rate over the fuge and the ability to control the rate is desired. You can do a Google search for DIY refugium and get more detailed info.
It's a really easy DIY project and with fuges, bigger is better.
It's a really easy DIY project and with fuges, bigger is better.
T
t3d
Guest
I think you are ok since you have 100# of LR.
yacobito
Member
TeresaQ, where do you find a hang on back fuge online? I am thinking about getting one if I can find one. If you still remember where you got it, could you drop me a line? Thanks so much. -jacob
yaco230@yahoo.com
yaco230@yahoo.com
lradlbeck
Member
yea -
if you could send it to me too - I live in an apartment so I don't have a lot of room
lizradlbeck@hotmail.com
Thanks!
if you could send it to me too - I live in an apartment so I don't have a lot of room
lizradlbeck@hotmail.com
Thanks!
seahorse11
Member
I wanted a mandarin also and someone on another posting had a great idea. I didnt want to set up a fuge so they suggested using a strawberry container and adding some LR to it and allowing pods to grow. This can be done in a QT tank or the main tank. I thought this was a great idea and the container can be camouflaged with rock or corals and there is constantly a pod supply.
danedodger
Member
Neat idea, Seahorse! Please tell us how it works out!
One of my customers gave me a neat idea that he swears works but since I haven't tried it can't tell you for sure one way or the other... Buy any old cheap powerfilter, bigger the better, take out all the filter media cartridges so you're left with an empty box, fill it with macroalgae, put a clip on light, plug everything in, and voila! A crude insta-fuge! I'd say you could probably seed that with some pods and they'd continue to grow.
One of my customers gave me a neat idea that he swears works but since I haven't tried it can't tell you for sure one way or the other... Buy any old cheap powerfilter, bigger the better, take out all the filter media cartridges so you're left with an empty box, fill it with macroalgae, put a clip on light, plug everything in, and voila! A crude insta-fuge! I'd say you could probably seed that with some pods and they'd continue to grow.
