Copepods!!!

[BALDYLOX55]

I AM LOOKING FOR LIVE COPEPODS FOR MY MANDARIN GOBY. BROOKLYN 11204


:bigeyes2:

 

[basiab]

How old is your tank. If it is same as your join date then thet fish will starve. A tank to support a mandarin has to be at least 6 months old and preferably 75 gallons or more. You can try pouring in a pint of pods a week for six months if you can afford that and even that may not work. You could try to get him to eat other foods and that has been done but rarely. I would give it back to the store for something else. They are really nice fish and I would love to have one myself but I know my tank can't support one. If you keep him he will get thinner and thiner till he dies. And waiting to see if that happens may be too late to save him.

 

[BALDYLOX55]

Just got it on saturday. Tanks is a year old. All the other fish are doing well. I was reading that they rely on 'pods but none of the LFS in my area have them. Was hoping someone here had some ready until I get the order online.

 

[skene]

a mandarin will wipe a tank thats been up for a year out of copepods in a few short weeks. How large is the tank?

 

[thirty5]

What size tank are you running? Do you have a fuge with Macro? Your tank may be old enough, but may not have a good enough population of Pods.

I personally have a mandarin in my 28gal Nano. But she eats frozen food (like a pig).

Did the store ask you about where you were going to keep the fish. A good store will not let an animal goto a place where it will not survive!

You should try to get one that eats frozen. Make the store feed it in front of you and watch it eat.

If you just got it, I would really take it back to the store and either get a different fish or get your money back.

You should get macro in your sump and then populate with pods. How much live rock do you have? The pods will also multiply in the rock, but fuge/sump is the best place for them since there is nothing there to eat them. The filter will pump them into the tank.

 

[BALDYLOX55]

46gal tank...descent amount of l/r...sand...no sump...i checked it this morning and it looked pale. i don't want anything to happen to it so i am assuming it's starving. i have frozen shrimp the the other guys devour. i can always try that. like i said i was hoping someone has available to see if that is the case.

 

[thirty5]

If it is looking pale, I would return it. It will not be able to survive in your tank. Even putting pods in the tank, it will suck them down in no time and they will not have time to re-produce.....

 

[howze01]

Maybe if he looked pale in the morning it was because it was morning time? My fish always get pale at night. I agree that it may not be the best place for a Mandarin though. I have one in my 30g and got lucky because it eats frozen like there's no tomorrow. Good luck if you decide to keep him!

 

[BALDYLOX55]

but i did read that they go "pale" to blend in with the sand at night on a couple of forums

 

[thirty5]

I have never seen a Mandarin go pale, I am not saying that it does not happen. I have had a few of them in the past, and never had one look pale.

Either way I would see if the store will take it back

 

[BALDYLOX55]

Good luck if you decide to keep him!

thanks! i'm finally got my tank going steady and strong after 2 failed attepmts and numerous fails with fresh water. i'd hate to see something happen to the fella!

 

[Wesley]

but i did read that they go "pale" to blend in with the sand at night on a couple of forums

Yes, that's normal that they go pale at night. It's more like their camouflage color.

 

[BALDYLOX55]

Got home from work yesterday and the lil guy was colorful and swimming around! Dropped in 2 blocks of frozen shrimp and it looked intrigued...it also looked intrigued by the snail running around too!! lol ordering 'pods today...next day shipping...hopefully a few will hide in the l/r and make some babies!!

 

[howze01]

Build a 'pod condo. Either a pile of rubble the fish can't get into or make a bundle of it using netting or something. You should also add them at night with the lights out so they have a chance. Drop them in right over the condo.

 

[BALDYLOX55]

read about the night addition so they don't inhale 'em when they get dropped in. this should be interesting!

 

[Shalco]

Good luck with the mandarin, I'm waiting for my tank to mature more before I get one myself. I saw online, I think on youtube (via MR link), someone who trained their mandarin to go into a small jar which had pellet food in it to eat. The opening to the jar was small so other fish couldn't get in to it. The person just added new pellets everyday/everyother day and then placed it in the tank (probably in the same spot) and the mandarin would swim in and eat. Maybe give that a shot. I might also net him and put him in a small container with the glass jar and pellet food in it to get him used to eating in the jar and to teach him there will be food in there. Other feeding techniques on you tube, just search around. The video I saw is posted below. Good luck with the mandarin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEVMnjLgQNk