My Mandarin, move him or not?

[carey]

So I have an ORA blue mandarin in my 29g biocube. She is eating frozen food, but in my opinion, not enough. The fuge I have in the cube is not helping with pod production much so I was gonna move her over to my 125g tank.

I know there are enough pods in the 125g for her to eat her life away LOL, and I would prefer not having to stress over her eating prepared foods like I'm doing now.

The 125g is huge though, and was worried that she will get lost in there. The 125g currently has 2 clowns (nasty ones), a yellow tang, watchman goby and a lawnmower blenny. Also concerned that something will eat her as I had 5 cleaner shrimp come up dead in the tank. I also have a pistol shrimp in the 125g.

Anyone see any reason not to move her to the big tank? Or should I keep trying the frozen foods in the cube? I know she IS eating something as she was pooping like a fiend just a few minutes ago. LOL

What do you guys think? I'm kinda on the fence right now...I want her to ge real fat and big but I don't want to put her life at risk...

Thanks guys, I always appreciate the input!

 

[Gti_Leo]

ii think the pistol shrimp is the reason you've found 5 dead cleaners, those suckers can be meaaannnn to other shrimp, they tend to kill them for food. i don't see why the mandarine wouldn't be ok in your 125g but if you're worried you could always clip off some chaeto from your 125s fuge or take a piece of rock out every now and then and put it in your cube for her to eat the pods from

 

[carey]

I was thinking on doing that very thing, just forgot to mention it in the thread. lol

I just want her to be happy and far is all, with as little work as possible. hehe...

I have chaeto in the fuge in the cube and it's just not allowing the pods to multiply as quickly as I thought. I added a bottle of reefpods when I set it up as well. Could also be that the scooter is eating the pods too. He primarily eats bloodworms but he pecks at the rocks and sand all day long like the mandarin..

The rock moving just seems like a huge hassle, gotta take the fixture off the 125g each time which is a pain and a 2 man job.

 

[Gti_Leo]

you could put some rock in the fuge for the pod to grow there so allyou have to do is open the door and pull the rock out

 

[Heera]

I think it will be a great move. There may be pods eating competition with the scooter.lol

But overall should be ok. Just have her stay on the opposite side on the pistol shrimp. Just watch her for a few days and see. If it doesn't work out you can always move her back.

Pod moving; put some pellets under the chato in a small bottle and put it under the rocks of your 125g. It will be full of pods in few days take it out and feed. This is what my LFS guy does.

 

[carey]

Heera, what a novel approach to getting the pods! I may try that trick! I'm really uncertain about moving her, it won't be so easy to get her out of the 125g if it doesnt work out. lol But the bottle trick sounds good.

Thanks!!