Should I get a mandarin dragonet?

[Smotz]

Hi All,

I have TONs of pods in my frag tank (45g + 20g sump)
I see them swarming all over the place.

My frag tank currently has a yellow tang in it - wacky fish - likes to be pet and hand fed (was given to me).

Anyway - do I need to be concerned about the pod population control? Should I get a Mandarin?
Can I sustain a mandarin? Would it get along with the tang?

 

[Ponyboy]

Give me the tang and get a mandarin

 

[Smotz]

Give me the tang and get a mandarin

ummm...no.

 

[duromega]

Give me the tang and get a mandarin

Lol

 

[Ponyboy]

It was worth a shot

 

[BAD FISH]

I say no get a melanarus wrasse it will eat the pods and any other pest flat worms,pyrimid snails, and anything you feed it aswell

 

[Smotz]

I say no get a melanarus wrasse it will eat the pods and any other pest flat worms,pyrimid snails, and anything you feed it aswell

No kidding. Nice..I will look at that.

 

[thirty6]

Mel wrasse is a good call. Great looking fish that eats pests

 

[Reef lover24]

+3 on the wrasse. Have one and it's my favorite fish not to mention it's also a beautiful fish. Eats like a pig as well

 

[REEFSTA]

the mandarin will eat all the pods and in a set up that small they will not be able to produce fast enough and the mandarin will starve to death

 

[MyLittleReef]

That's not necessarily true... You have to consider the amount of rock work and if there is any other creature competing with the mandarin for the pods in the same tank. Also, I think the age of the tank helps play a part in sustainable pod population.

I think you'll be just fine with a dragonet if there's no other competition for the pods and if you have a decent amount of live rock in there too. But those pods are feeding on something (cleaning up?), are you sure you want to get rid of them?

 

[Smotz]

hmmmm..good questions.

It's pretty much a bare bottom with the exception of a few pretty large rocks off to the sides.

There are some pretty large pods - i don't think 1/4" is an exaggeration.

Guess the question I have - do I have any concerns with pod overpopulation?

 

[MyLittleReef]

Oh so maybe you have amphipods? In that case, I vote wrasse too, lol.

 

[Smotz]

Oh so maybe you have amphipods? In that case, I vote wrasse too, lol.

After a bit of googleing - I agree. They are amphipods.

 

[nagrom]

Be careful with a wrasse in a frag tank they are jumpers!

 

[Serega]

Melanarus needs sand bed to sleep in. It can be done with no sand, but I think the fish would be stressed out all the time.

 

[pecan2phat]

While dragonet are extremely difficult especially mandarins, there are some success stories out there.
I've never gotten a mandarin to eat mysis but I do have two dragonets that eat frozen mysis and have survived for over a year now. One is a common brown scooter blenny and the other is a ruby red scooter blenny, both of the dragonet family.

 

[rbtwo4]

I say no get a melanarus wrasse it will eat the pods and any other pest flat worms,pyrimid snails, and anything you feed it aswell

+1, mandarin will go through that pod population like no tomorrow and then will most likely starve to death. but u need a sandbed for the wrasse

 

[Numi13]

I've had a spotted mandarin in a 20g long frag tank for 2 1/2 years. I have a small CPRHOB refugium and he never looks hungry. He does eat flatworms also and I throw in bs nauplii once a month or so for the frags. Lots of pods in the tank and fuge.

 

[thirty6]

Melanarus needs sand bed to sleep in. It can be done with no sand, but I think the fish would be stressed out all the time.

I kept one in bb setup for a year with no issues. He would edge himself in rock work, got rid of it because he loved eating my snails