*sigh* i had to do it...

I am stoked you got one that eats from a pipette.

But you stole my Sailfin's name

I will get a mandarin in a couple months. I have the pods, but I want the tank to mature a little more.

 

I had a mandarin once. Bought it at the LFS.....brought it home. Acclimated it. Put it in. I had enough time to name it. Lunch. The other fish killed it within minutes. No mandarin for John!!!!! Full grown Damsels can be mean!!!! Oh.....and the wrasse. The wrasse was a poopy face too.

 

My LFS had a green spooted and a psychodelic in today, both looked kinda skinny but either way my tank is not ready

 

i know that brine and mysis isnt quite a substitute for the pods, i read somewhere that the digestive track for mandarins is almost like a seahorse. they cant process big meals but actually need to eat constantly. i'm trying to help with vitamin enriched mysis instead of brine and there is a good amount of pods in there. i'm trying to keep the sixline fat and happy so he will maybe not steal as many pods but who knows. i think one of the biggest helps i have is that i've got spaces in the tank that i know neither fish can get to which can give the pods a little safe haven to get freaky. i am on the hunt for some more chaeto and i will keep dumping bottled pods every two weeks.

horkn, sorry about swiping the name, but it just fits this guy so well. in short, deal with it! lol

 

i dont know how you actually judge if you have enough pods. i was told not to even try it with less than 70lbs of LR and not in a tank less than a year old (oops). they will decimate pods, Disco came down on my rock like a plague the second he was out of the bag. the little bottles they sell at the LFS for like 20 bucks say they have anywhere from 2000 to 4000 pods in them, i dont know if i believe that but good luck counting them.

 

Awesome! Good luck with your little guy! Mine is doing fantastically and looks almost identical to yours!

 

You have to put out a census survey for your pods. LOL

 

Congrats on the mandarin. I got one myself about 2 months ago. Seems to be doing ok, although I never see what he is eating. I actually set up a small 10g tank in my basement to use as a pod farm - they are relatively easy to breed, and it is cheaper than constantly buying live pods from a dealer.

 

i tried to breed pods in a 5 gal but just ended up with a crashed tank. ive got a little spare LR so maybe i'll try again.

 

ok, been dosing the tank with pods but dont really want to spent 20 bucks a week for bottles of pods. here's the solution!

this was my failed 5g softy tank (couldn't figure out a suitable light for what i wanted to spend). all i've got for flow in there is the little eclipse biowheel filter. i might throw my spare airstone in there too although i don't want too much flow. the chaeto i got from a local who had so much he just tore out a chunk and sent me on my way. he's a cool dude.