How much does a mandarin eat?

[sooju]

I have a new mandarin in my 55G (borderline, I know) and my first order of copepods is en route from Sachs Aquaculture. I ordered 500 mls - see description below - and will add half to the main and half to the refugium. Does anyone know how often I need to do this? Every two weeks? Once a month? I don't know how much a mandarin actually eats. Is there such a thing as too many copepods in a tank, or am I better off overloading it just to be safe?

occope - LIVE Ocean Copepods - 500 mls - A mixture of ocean plankton skewed towards copepods. Organisms from 50 microns - to 1000 microns in size.

 

[melosu58]

I cant help too much on your question just wanted to congrats on the new pick up. I think more important than the 55 is do you have plenty of LR. I`ve heard for mandarins plenty of LR is needed for the pods to live in and reproduce in. The only experience I have with pods is putting them in my seahorse tank. A pic of your new fish would be nice.

 

[sooju]

Anyone know how much a mandarin eats?

 

[austinsdad]

I'm thinking you won't get an answer that'll help you much. But I do belive that with sufficient rock work, those that you buy/stock the tank with can reproduce fast enuf to stay ahead of the mandarin's appetite.

You'll know if there aren't enuf pods when the mandarin's belly starts to get flat. Mine has a permanent pot belly.

 

[nanoluvr]

Mandarins eats bunches of pods. Like Melosu says, LR for them to breed in is good.
w/o enough pods, the mandarin will starve.

 

[sooju]

w/o enough pods, the mandarin will starve.

I know that - that's why I'm adding them in!

Mandarins eats bunches of pods.

I just don't know how to quantify "bunches." With only 110 lbs of live rock the population won't be able to sustain itself so I know I need to supplement, I just have no idea how much or how often...

 

[nanoluvr]

Man...hard to tell. I would supplement w/pods regularly (I can't give you an exact amt.), and see how it does. If it starts to look skinny (starved), then increase the amount. If it looks healthy, then keep doing what it was that achieved that. That's about all you can do. mandarins are special fish, and just need a little more attention.