Mandarin in 150 gallon tank

[Crazycajun]

Do you think I would need a refugium to keep a mandarin? I have 150 pounds of key largo base rock and about 40 pounds of live rock. My base rock is turning live nicely. So my question is would I need a refugium to replenish the pods? Or with the porous rock I have it would ok to have one without a refugium?

 

[carey]

Kinda depends on your pod population. You have the bare minimum as far as rock in my opinion. How long have you been setup for?

 

[Yash]

How old is the
Tank?

 

[austinsdad]

I'd add a mandarin after 12 months to that setup. Check your prefilters. If you see a substantial number on them, you've likely got 40x that much in the tank on the rocks. Just my guess, but the age of the tank and rock is key.

 

[Crazycajun]

It's only been 4 months so I have a ways to go. What I am mainly asking is should my tank be able to maintain the pods without having to dose? Or have a refugium?

 

[ErrolP]

A good solution if you wanted to make a quick refuigium is get a aqua clear 30 or 40+ and make it into a refugium, just get greens a small led or book light and your set. it'll run you about 40.00

 

[kdogg85]

Another way to keep a mandarin is if you see one at the lfs, make them throw food in and see what it will eat. I got ane about 2 months after my 125g got going and it eats everything I throw in, the lfs trained him to eat prepared food. But, with 190 lbs of rock and how fast pods multiply, I would wait another 2 months and then give it a shot. Assuming you don't have any other pod loving livestock.

 

[mr_X]

yes. you can keep a mandarin in your tank without a refugium.

 

[Crazycajun]

I only have flame angel, coral beauty, 3 chromis, snowflake clown and a black and white clown. Just ordered a mated pair of helfrichi firefish. Only plan on getting a flame hawk and a yellow fish. Like a tang or lemon peel angel or gold assessor basslet.

 

[Crazycajun]

Also plan on ordering 2000 pods to help start it off nicely.

 

[austinsdad]

Pods will live and multiply in nooks and crannies in your live rock. Refugium may be nice for other benefits but you don't need one for the mandarin. Besides, maybe it's just me but I never understood how they'd make it from a fuge pump past the pre filter anyway.