Pod seeding

[xcali1985]

I have a 55 gallon tank with about 70 lbs of Live Rock with lots of holes and cracks for them to hide and breed. the question I have is with only a Mandarin Dragonet around 3 inches how many pods do i need to seed in order for it to be able to support itself. Currently I have a wet dry and i will be switching to a sump setup once I get the new tank and stand within the next few weeks. I have to put the pods into the DT. Theres a product online that claims to have 1000 pods per bottle, how many of those would I need to seed my tank to the point where they can multiply faster or at least the rate that he eats them.
Im also thinking about getting more wild caught fish the more exotic kind and i hear they mostly depend on pods so I want to be able to effectively run it. My LFS told me the wild caught tank the best way to do it is add a lot of pods and let the tank run for a few months and they will multiply then slowly add fish, this is of course after it cycles.

 

[cranberry]

You can never go wrong with a fuge to keep your populations up. If you do decide to seed with a bought product, avoid the Tigropus (commonly called Tigger pods). They reproduce best at cooler temperatures due to Temperature Dependent --- Setermination.... higher temps mean more male offspring.

 

[plaidnstripes]

So it is not a good idea to get a mandarin without a sump?
They are one of my favorite fish but I am not sure if i can fit a sump in my cabinet. I am very commited to just purchasing pods to help keep the population up after the initial seeding and pod sexing for several months before getting a goby.
*have a 55 Gallons as well*

 

[xcali1985]

These are the kind of rocks that i started with. they are alive now. With coraline, plenty of space for them to hide.