how to get PODS for my starving mandarin fish?!?!

[zaku999]

HELP!!

okie I admit my 40g Fish tank with live rocks might be too small for my mandarin fish... but it is really a Super cool fish to keep!!!

I think my tank is running low on PODS! and the mandarin fish is starving...

Is there a Quick way to get PODs back into my fish tank, how about getting some seaweed and live rocks, i heard pods feed and live on seaweed!?

any suggestion?!! Thanks!!

 

[zacdl]

Actually mandarins die in most tanks because they eat more pods than pods reproduce.

 

[steve r]

have you tried feeding him frozen mysis or live brine soaked in phyto? how much live rock do you have? try making a few small rubble piles for the pods to live in. also adding a HOB refugium with sand and rock rubble works. if you install a HOB fuge for pod growth dont put a light on it. they like the dark

steve r

 

[lando]

The fact of the matter is you just do not have enough LR to produce an ongoing food supply for this fish. There are places you can buy pods on line ( www.reefermaddness.us ) but the cost of keeping your tank stocked will be pretty high. For mandarins to do well it is suggested you have over 100lbs of LR and fuge.

 

[malkore]

SteveR has the best advice, and I know of a local guy who got mandarin's eating mysis...but the truth is your tank has no where near enough live rock and you should have never purchased the fish. A mandarin needs 100lbs of live rock per fish to provide enough pods and a large enough population so it doesn't get obliterated before it can reproduce.

 

[zaku999]

... i really regret buying this fish... should have done a proper background check on this guy b4 purchasing it!!

since now i am the owner, i MUST bear the responsibility and ensure its survival!!

will try mysis shrimp tonite again.. hopefully he will try it!

I have thinking of getting another tank filled with live rocks and seaweed to 'grow' pods. Has anyone done or tried?

Thanks!

 

[steve r]

turn off all your pumps and power heads when you feed the him. if you have other fish, feed them first so they leave some of the mysis alone. mandarins eat what food they come across as they swim. they wont really chase food around the tank. by turning off the pumps you let the food settle on rocks and the sand. you can encourage him to eat also by throwing some live brine in as well to get him in the mode. i am pretty sure most will eat live brine, they just cant live on it. brine is kind of like candy.

good luck
steve

 

[quarryshark]

Try Ocean nutrition's angel cubes. I have had good luck getting scooter dragonets to eat it. Worth a try.

 

[Acraman]

All excellent advice. I have over 120 lbs of LR and still I have to give my Manderin live brine shrimp. Those Mandrin's are POD EATING MACHINES arent they 8O
Good luck,
Eddie

 

[zaku999]

oh ... how come i didn't think of switching my pump off?!?!? thanks for all the advice!!

I think i will try a cocktail of mysis and brine!!

 

[zaku999]

Btw, yesterday, I bought and tried feeding zooplankton to my fishes. all of them went nuts when they smell the food! I thought I saw my Mandarain also got excited! Hope some food went into his month!