Scooter blenny

Ironically enough, I have seen Blennies and Mandarins at the fish store but never seen a copepod there. Perhaps it is because they are feeding on frozen Brine, Blood Worms, or fish eggs. My fish store here in town told me they never get pods in. The fish are in little gallon sized tanks and sometimes stay a week or so. I think tank raised are probably started on frozen foods. I also think they can be trained on other than pods.

My wild caught green Mandarin would eat nothing but pods when I got him. A couple months later, his favorite food was blood worms.

 

Yes they can infact be trained to eat prepared foods but its really hit and miss. I always see Dragonettes in my LFS but never pods. Look at the stomach of the Mandarin or scooter, Usually they are all sucked in and the poor things are starving! On the mandarins and the scooters they should always have a bulged little pot belly

 

I have two scooters in my 90 gallon. One is fairly new, the other I've had...almost a year. They wipe out pods incredibly fast. I have to buy 100ish dollars worth of pods every few months, to keep the population up. Mine also eat frozen shrimp, which makes it a lot easier.

I'm not sure I'd try it in 30 gallons, but if you can keep it stocked with pods it might work. Also, you could try to get him on frozen. Scooters are easier to get eating prepared than mandarins, but it still is not easy. One they start to get thin, it is usually already too late to save them.

 

^+1 very true. And the mouths of the mandarins are so tiny, the food has to be tiny as well!

 

When I got mine, I requested the fish store order them as I was worried due to not seeing copepods in their tanks. I picked them up the day they came in and they adapted quite quickly after being put in my 95 gallon home tank. I have an empty hospital tank, this time I will be able to let my pods multiply without threat of being eaten and my 14 gallon bio cube is full of them.

 

You could also put a small ball of cheato algae in there. (mine is anchored to a suction cup high in my water column). I started with live sand and I think thats where the pods came from.

Its been 3 months and still have many pods + a very happy green spot mandarin dragonet. Only 40 Gals.

Im def gonna buy some live rock rubble next time I see some at the store.

 

Yeah thats what I am going to do! I am getting some cheato this weekend that is loaded with pods! I also have a QT tank and a few lying around that I though I might make a breeder tank for pods.

 

You could also put a small ball of cheato algae in there. (mine is anchored to a suction cup high in my water column). I started with live sand and I think thats where the pods came from.

Its been 3 months and still have many pods + a very happy green spot mandarin dragonet. Only 40 Gals.

Im def gonna buy some live rock rubble next time I see some at the store.