Mandarins

[fishman830]

what would you recomend for lbs of live rock for a 125 gallon tank to sustain a mandarin

 

[beth]

Mandarins need pods, so think more about cultivating copepods....perhaps in a refuguim. You should have a well-established tank that has been up and running for quite some time before adding a mandarin.

 

[fishman830]

im setting up a 55 gal fuge

 

[beth]

Wow. Way to go! Sounds like your going to do well for your mandarin.

 

[fishman830]

i dont have one yet

 

[wrassecal]

Originally posted by Fishman830
what would you recomend for lbs of live rock for a 125 gallon tank to sustain a mandarin
IMO you need 100 plus lbs of live rock to allow for the needed population of pods for a mandarin. Definately the fuge will help enormously. It also depends on the type of liver rock. The more porous the better. I also keep a few small piles of reef rubble in the tank that give the pods a fairly safe are to re-produce since I have a couple fish that compete for the pods in my 135. I have about 125 lbs of figi and about 40 lbs of Marshall Island rock. The MI rock is very porous, lighter weight and a very good rock with intersting shapes. As you stated you don't have the mandarin yet, so I'll add that you will need around six months to get enough "generations" of pods to keep the population going - IMO

 

[aarone]

for your 125 try around 250 pounds.
Always try to double the gallons in pounds.

 

[fishman830]

well.. i wish i had that kidan money im 14

 

[reefer44]

said: well.. i wish i had that kidan money im 14
well so am i but i managed to get 100 pounds live rock...(on ----) for about 400 dollars which took a while to save up for but it was worth it...also i ordered from the 9 for 99 dollors ipsf.com and got amphipos that love it in my ref. and the madrin eats them
....good luck

 

[fishman830]

thanks.. i guess ill pick my tnak over paintball

 

[terminus est]

If you put that detrivore kit in with a mandarin, then most of the $99 just became an expensive meal. Should have put it in a fuge or something so they would have time to reproduce without worry of the mandarin eating them. He will run thru that batch in a day or two I think.

 

[fishman830]

whats teh best kind of live rock.. i personally like fiji, what other kinds are there and what best will suite teh needs of a mandarin

 

[reefer44]

said: If you put that detrivore kit in with a mandarin, then most of the $99 just became an expensive meal.
I said: ipsf.com and got amphipos that love it in my ref. and the madrin eats them
Yea i put it in my refugium...and i let the amphipods reproduce and then feed them to the mandrin which is in the main tank