Interesting Idea!

and couldnt i overstock a bit due to the huge sump? Like a green mandarin, scooter blennie, royal gramma, and percula clown?

 

but if it's a 10 gallon, your options are a bit limited. I've seen some big grammas so maybe that won't be good for a 10 gallon. I'd go for a mandarin and scooter with one BW ocellaris. If you want either a mandarin or a scooter only then I'd add a firefish to replace whichever one u wudnt choose

 

not the gramma cuz it grows to big, and if you add a fish to the sump then it might eat the copepods

 

Good point, will a firefish and mandarin fight because they are both gobies?

 

wrong wrong wrong!!!! A mandarin is not a goby; its a dragonet!!!!!

 

mislabeling is a terrible thing aint it :/ I am really liking the helfrichi's even though they're very expensive

 

yeah mislabeling is really annoying lol. you could keep a helfrichi firefish but then be prepared to spend like $130 plus shipping (about $165), but you'll be lucky because some stores have them at $65!

 

this may be a dumb question, but if I keep my copepods in the refugium how do they get into the DT for the mandarin?

 

I would just siphon them out with a tube, collect a few, and give it to the mandarin. I'd feed it at least twice a day since there usually looking for food. as long as you keep a good colony of copepods u should be fine. also so that the copepods dont get sucked into a return pump maybe also use the sump as a wet dry filter and for a preotein skimmer with the copepods in the middle chamber? just my opinion

 

Thats what I was planning on, thx for all the info! K+