Tmm87
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2017
- Messages
- 549
- Reaction score
- 477
- Location
- New Hampshire
- What state or country do you live in
- New Hampshire
So I'm looking at ordering a pair of Biota Mandarins. My display is loaded with pods as is my refugium so I'm not lacking a natural food source. My concern with adding them directly to my display is the fact that they're so tiny (1/2-3/4"...maybe slightly larger) that I'm afraid they'll get blown all over the tank even with ample cover to break up the flow.
I had contemplated getting a decent size breeder net or acclimation box and keeping them in there while they grow a bit. My other thought was using a 10g I have kicking around and setting it up as a temporary home for them while they grow. Obviously a 10g normally would not have enough food supply for one, let alone a pair.
Getting them isn't being questioned, it's how to best house them while they grow to a size where they won't be tiny tumbleweeds in the tank.
This leads to a few questions:
1- If I go the breeder/acclimation box route, which would you recommend? It would need to be something that sits in the tank as opposed to outside so that I can maintain a covered aquarium. The side it would go on is 2ft long.
2- If I go the 10g route, would rotating clumps of chaeto into the 10g from my established refugium provide ample food in addition to frequent feedings of things like R.O.E. and PE Calanus? How often would the clumps need to be rotated in order to not only keep a stable food source for the mandarins but also allow enough time for the returned chaeto to repopulate with pods?
3- How difficult would it be to plumb the 10g to my main system? The 10g would go on my desk which is about 5-6 feet from my sump. It would sit about 3 feet off the floor. I'd want the line to run along the wall which would mean it needs to run about 2 feet from the return chamber to the wall. So a total of 3 feet of elevation and an 8 foot run give or take. How strong of a pump required and what type of overflow(something simple and DIY preferred) to use?
4- If housed in the refugium until they have a chance to grow, how long would you estimate before they'd decimate the pod population? My sump is a Trigger Sapphire 26.
I had contemplated getting a decent size breeder net or acclimation box and keeping them in there while they grow a bit. My other thought was using a 10g I have kicking around and setting it up as a temporary home for them while they grow. Obviously a 10g normally would not have enough food supply for one, let alone a pair.
Getting them isn't being questioned, it's how to best house them while they grow to a size where they won't be tiny tumbleweeds in the tank.
This leads to a few questions:
1- If I go the breeder/acclimation box route, which would you recommend? It would need to be something that sits in the tank as opposed to outside so that I can maintain a covered aquarium. The side it would go on is 2ft long.
2- If I go the 10g route, would rotating clumps of chaeto into the 10g from my established refugium provide ample food in addition to frequent feedings of things like R.O.E. and PE Calanus? How often would the clumps need to be rotated in order to not only keep a stable food source for the mandarins but also allow enough time for the returned chaeto to repopulate with pods?
3- How difficult would it be to plumb the 10g to my main system? The 10g would go on my desk which is about 5-6 feet from my sump. It would sit about 3 feet off the floor. I'd want the line to run along the wall which would mean it needs to run about 2 feet from the return chamber to the wall. So a total of 3 feet of elevation and an 8 foot run give or take. How strong of a pump required and what type of overflow(something simple and DIY preferred) to use?
4- If housed in the refugium until they have a chance to grow, how long would you estimate before they'd decimate the pod population? My sump is a Trigger Sapphire 26.
