seeking assistance with a pressing matter

[talonix]

hi

i went to my lfs today and picked up a spotted manderine, its really really thin and was in the shop for 3 months. i also got 4 tubs of co-pods (£16 each), a fish bowl, a bottle of phytoplankton (sorry for the spelling), and an airpump.

can someone please help me out? i'm not sure how to set up the pods. do i just fill the bowl with saltwater, add 2 tubs of co-pods, and then add the phytoplankton? how do i get the pods going?

thanks
scott

[rileyon]

Hey Scott,

first off, use fresh saltwater, mate.

get a container with a big footprint, not one that's too tall, that way the pods have more space to move around.

for the airpump, just a very slow flow is fine, don't wanna blow the little guys away.

when you're adding the phyctoplyton, just keep feeding till you see a green tinge in the water, that's when you know it's working.

and don't forget to top up the water regular, keep everything nice and stable for the pods.

[talonix]

thanks for the advice, i made up some fresh saltwater last night in prep for a water change but i'm sorting the mandarin out first, he's picking at the rocks so hopefully he's found some food. i was thinking of using a clear tray, it's 2ft x 1.5ft x 1ft, would that be alright for the co-pods?

[rileyon]

That should be fine Scott. A 2x1.5x1ft clear tray sounds like a great setup for the co-pods, just make sure you don't overfill it with water, keep it relatively shallow. Use a gentle air flow, and add the phytoplankton till you get a nice greenish tint in the water.

[talonix]

hi tina or anyone else who knows, got a question

this little mandarin's not eating frozen and i dont think he'll make it to the end of the week, the way things are going he's just started picking at the rocks in my reef tank but i just noticed he's got no right fin and a bite mark on his tail.

how do you train them to eat frozen, i've got him in my reef tank now, any help would be great. regards scott

[rileyon]

I've seen it done in a breeding net for fry, but to be honest I'm not really sure how it's done otherwise.

[rustyfox9]

Check out my thread in Chit Chat called Mandarin Love, I've got some info on feeding and a link to the Mandarin diner.

My mandarins would hide in a cave when the other fish were fed, so I started feeding them in there - now they know to go in when they're hungry and want some frozen. I use a long pipette to squirt food in, they're not keen on hands but don't mind the pipette.

[talonix]

hi

update on the mandy, she's looking heaps better than yesterday so can't really complain, still a bit shy but seems to come out when i'm feeding brine shrimp, and she does swim around a bit, just got my fingers crossed she'll start eating the brine shrimp properly, still really shy so i make sure not to go near the tank while i'm feeding, turns out she's a female too so hopefully i've saved her, all i can do now is just hope for the best.

[felinxo]

Fingers crossed, Scott. You've got a lovely setup for her now. What's the live rock situation like in that tank of yours?

[talonix]

hi

ive got 80kgs of live rock in my 4x2x2 tank, its a lot, i know. i thought it would be a good idea to slope it from the front glass to the top at the back. been running for 6 months now, taking things steady with the lights, only got 3x t8 bulbs at the moment, will upgrade when work picks up. can only keep soft corals in there, but got 6 colt corals which will be nice when the mushrooms spread. only 5 fish in the tank, 2 common clown fish, yellow watchman goby, royal gramma and a convict goby. looks nice, but was originally going to be a reef with no fish, got bored with no movement lol.