Mandarin goby and tigger pod query
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Aurorix8 - Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:45 pm
Mandarin goby and tigger pod query
Just got my new mandarin goby home and I'm excited. I also picked up some Tigger pods, put about 3/4 of the bottle in the tank with the lights out, half my fish were snoozing. Used an eye dropper to get the pods into the nooks of the live rock and some just went straight into the water. My concern is, will these pods multiply fast enough before my mandarin finds them? Not worried about my other fish, just my mandarin. I really don't want anything to happen to it. What else can I feed it, just in case?
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Nexario - Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:45 pm
Re: Mandarin goby and tigger pod query
Honestly, I gotta warn you, Tigger-Pods won't be able to reproduce fast enough to sustain your Mandarin's diet in the main tank. You've got two options: culture them in a separate system or try a copepod concentrate like Arcti-Pods - they've got an 80% success rate with Mandarin fluxeonettes.
Tigger-Pods just don't thrive in main display tanks - they're too easy for fish to find and often starve due to lack of microalgae. They do best in a refugium or simulated tide pool, like a 9x13 cake pan - that's where they'll really grow.
These pods are found in tide pools from Canada to Honduras, so they're not just a cold water species. They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, which is why they can be stored in cold hibernation for up to 8 weeks. Their optimal growing temperature depends on where they were originally harvested - ours were from California, so they're acclimated to temperatures above reef systems. We've been culturing them at 75-90 F for over 6 years.
Here's the thing: Tigriopus californicus live in warm splash zone pools, not the ocean. These pools get really warm during the day, often warmer than reef systems. They don't have predators in these pools, so they don't instinctively hide from fish - that's why they get eaten quickly in display tanks. Culturing them in a sump or refugium is the way to go, or you can use a separate system like a cake pan.
The problem is, the copepod population in a reef system is often limited by the amount of microalgae it produces. When you add more pods, the food requirements go up - especially with large copepods like Tigger-Pods. Unfortunately, many people don't realize they need to supplement with microalgae, so both the Tigger-Pods and the existing copepods end up starving.
Think of it like this: if you've got an acre of land that can only support one cow, but you want lots of cows - you need to add bales of hay. Microalgae is like hay for your zooplankton - the more you add, the more zooplankton you'll have. If you don't have enough, they'll starve and disappear.
Tigger-Pods just don't thrive in main display tanks - they're too easy for fish to find and often starve due to lack of microalgae. They do best in a refugium or simulated tide pool, like a 9x13 cake pan - that's where they'll really grow.
These pods are found in tide pools from Canada to Honduras, so they're not just a cold water species. They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, which is why they can be stored in cold hibernation for up to 8 weeks. Their optimal growing temperature depends on where they were originally harvested - ours were from California, so they're acclimated to temperatures above reef systems. We've been culturing them at 75-90 F for over 6 years.
Here's the thing: Tigriopus californicus live in warm splash zone pools, not the ocean. These pools get really warm during the day, often warmer than reef systems. They don't have predators in these pools, so they don't instinctively hide from fish - that's why they get eaten quickly in display tanks. Culturing them in a sump or refugium is the way to go, or you can use a separate system like a cake pan.
The problem is, the copepod population in a reef system is often limited by the amount of microalgae it produces. When you add more pods, the food requirements go up - especially with large copepods like Tigger-Pods. Unfortunately, many people don't realize they need to supplement with microalgae, so both the Tigger-Pods and the existing copepods end up starving.
Think of it like this: if you've got an acre of land that can only support one cow, but you want lots of cows - you need to add bales of hay. Microalgae is like hay for your zooplankton - the more you add, the more zooplankton you'll have. If you don't have enough, they'll starve and disappear.
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felinxo - Posts: 418
- Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 3:16 am
Re: Mandarin goby and tigger pod query
Hi TFF and salty side of the forum,
I just wanted to share my latest addition - a beautiful mandarin goby. I also got some Tigger pods, added 3/4 of the bottle with the lights off and half my fish were sleeping. I used an eye dropper to put them in the live rock crannies and some went straight into the water. I'm really concerned about my mandarin's food, will these Tigger pods multiply fast enough before my goby eats them? I don't want my mandarin to starve. What else can I feed it?
I just wanted to share my latest addition - a beautiful mandarin goby. I also got some Tigger pods, added 3/4 of the bottle with the lights off and half my fish were sleeping. I used an eye dropper to put them in the live rock crannies and some went straight into the water. I'm really concerned about my mandarin's food, will these Tigger pods multiply fast enough before my goby eats them? I don't want my mandarin to starve. What else can I feed it?
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Aurora7 - Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2022 5:19 am
Re: Mandarin goby and tigger pod query
I'm really worried about adding microalgae to my sump, I've heard it can turn the display tank water green and I don't want that. If you have a skimmer, won't it just suck it out anyway? I'm trying to do what's best for my Mandarin, but I don't want to mess up the whole tank. Can someone please explain how to add microalgae without turning the water green?