Refugium needed for Mandarin?

[Anemone_Fanatic]

I'm going to the fish store today, and I was thinking that if I found a healthy dragonet there, that would be a great addition to my tank. However, I'm not sure if my tank is right for one. I know that it would need to be eating only copepods, and I'm not sure if my tank can support the needed pod population. The tank is 65 gallons, with about a 10 gallon sump. I'd estimate that there are about 40lbs of rock and 60lbs of sand, but there is no refugium. The tank is over a year old and there are copepods, amphipods, and mysid shrimp all living in the tank. Is this a good environment for a dragonet? I'm not sure if I could support one without the refugium. Thanks!

 

[ryanjohn1]

If you have all that life in there is should be fine. Just keep an eye on it. If it starts looking skinny start seeding tank with more pods. Most lfs have them. I was able to keep mine for a long time and eventually it started eating frozen mysis

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Thank you! I wasn't sure if the population of pods could stay stable, but it seems like it might.

 

[ryanjohn1]

Try and get it to eat the frozen. I think algae barn has a frozen pod blend food. and work it up to frozen mysis. So it doesn’t starve.

 

[minus9]

It should work, but I wouldn't add any other fish that would compete for live foods (pods).

 

[AC1211]

They have captive bred mandarins that eat frozen. I'm sure it would be possible (although difficult) to get a wild one on frozen. This would reduce the need for copepods and other foods although probably not eliminate the need.

 

[Rockazb]

Hi,
Slightly different question but hopefully not too far off topic: I have a refugium set up for the same purpose (growing copepods for my mandarin) but all I see inside there are smaller copepods that are very white/clear. When I put in bigger orange/red tigger pods, they never stay there (sucked up by the pump and end up in the display no matter how long I leave everything off for). Is this expected or will I begin to see the bigger ones growing in there eventually? Or maybe a copepods is a copepods and it doesn't matter? Thanks!

 

[Rockazb]

Bumping

 

[Roatan Reef]

I have a scooter blenny (which is actually a form of Dragonet...he's been happy in my tank now for over 6 months, tank is just over 2 years old,(40B) and everything is growing and doing good. I occasionally like every 2 months toss in some pods from Algea Barn, but I don't think he even needs that, because tank is so established now.

I did however make the mistake of trying one at around the 8 month mark, and he only lasted a few months. But the new Scooter is doing great and even gaining weight....I even occasionally see him eat a piece of wet and or dry food.