Mandarin question

[66chuck]

Have a 125g FOLR tank, w/ 150lbs live rock. Got a mandarin for my son, thinking the live rock would provide enough food for him (the mandarin, not my son). Any suggestions to generate food/pods? Heard you could put a kitchen sponge in the sump for a pod colony?
The mandarin looks healthy after about 3 weeks, want to keep him that way.

 

[ryanhayes9]

how old is the tank?
do you have a refugium?
pods reproduce on there own. they do sell bottled pods

 

[66chuck]

The tank is 2 years old, though some of the live rock (40 lbs) has only been in 6 months. I do not have a refugium, but I have a sump system.

 

[durgeonman]

pods reprodues by themselfs. if you have a refugium it incresses your chances of keeping the mandarin heathly because it provides the pods with a safe place to breed.

 

[durgeonman]

you can make a small refugium in your sump if it has the room for it.

 

[ryanhayes9]

i belive it will be fine. mandarins need 100 + pounds of lr. als the fact that the tank is 2 yeaars old.... he will be fine