Mandarin - When to get?

can someone tell me a good place to get some pods. Packleader can you send me some? I will pay for it

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Most LFS that are saltwater only (or fish only) have them in there refrigerated section. Petco does not carry them. You can get them online also. I suggest piece-or-the-reef.com directely or through their eBay store 1000+ amphipods / copepods- FOOD FOR SALTWATER AQUARIUM - eBay (item 140288571565 end time Jan-10-09 16:32:25 PST)

WRT the eBay link, I have heard 99% good and 1% bad. I have done business with them and had a good experience, although it was not buying pods. There is a member on the forum who's shipment of pods did not work out. There are a few others who's did. I would have no problem buying pods from them. The individual handling customer care is Christina.

 

My parameters are always great, I have a ton of sand, liverock, and thousands of pods swimming and crawling around on the rocks and glass at night. My mandarin shriveled up almost into nothing after 4-5 weeks or so. I had to give him back to lfs. Sometimes even if everything is perfect, they dont live.

 

I don't think they should necessarily be kept in the wild, I just think that LFSs and hobbyists need to be more responsible with learning how to care for delicate animals and providing them with what they need. If this can't happen than yes, they should be kept in the wild.

 

Well anyways my question was answered

 

I think it is unrealistic to expect this. Just an example, have you seen the amount of posts having to do with help my anemone is dying? I am not saying that just because your anemone dies you are irresponsible, it just seems like most of the time this is the case. I think that as long as mandarins, anemones, and other delicate animals are availible, there will always be a group of these animals that will end up in the hands of someone that cannot provide a suitable living environment for them.JMO

 

there are very few mandarins that will take prepared foods, and even if they take prepared foods, they should be harvesting on live pods at the same time. the type of nutrients that the pods provide to them, prepared foods do not. either way, do not get one, i didn't listen when i first started the hobby and i ended up giving it to a friend of mine with a 125G established tank and now it's thriving in his tank. even if your tank is full of pods, check back in a week.. you won't see much left.. however, i added more rock to my 40G and now i have close to 70 pounds since it's a reef tank and i have seeded pods twice now and dumped a vial of pods in my refugium and now i have a tank full of pods when i turn off my lights, but i'm still going to wait another 5-6 months for them to reproduce and let the pod colony stablize.. then i'll CONSIDER buying one. although i just phoned my lfs and told them to keep a mandarin for me if they find one that takes prepared foods because im' willing to dish out another $20 on top of that

 

Your tank is too small to keep a Manderin long term. Established of not!

J

 

I put one in my 12g nano cube after it was setup for a month. I had hundreds of pods in there. Within 4 days he cleared them out. Iv had him for about 6 months so far and he is doing great. Hes the only fish in the tank and I dont feed anything so there must be enough in there since hes still alive after 6 months and is looking very healthy

Never know unless you try it