Black Leopard Wrasse / Spotted Mandarin / PODS

[ChelseaBidwell]

Hey hey to my favorite reefers! I have a couple questions before I end up regretting a highly potential impulse buy. I've done some reading, however. So, I am not COMPLETELY oblivious to the potential issues as far as the competition for food goes. That being said, I am wanting to get the below fish while also taking into consideration my current livestock, but I want a little more input from those who have experience with these fish.

Potential Christmas buys:
1 Ornate Leopard Wrasse
1 Melanurus Wrasse (huge pod eater??)
1 Spotted Mandarin
1 Helfrichi Firefish

Currently in QT#1(35ish days left):
**I got these for our moderate GHA problem**
1 Juvenile Tailspot Blenny (huge pod eater??)
1 Juvenile Yellow Kole Eye Tang (GORGEOUS BTW)
1 Juvenile Lawnmower Blenny

Currently in the DT:
1 Blue-Sided FW (can I have multiples???)
1 Midas Blenny
1 Watchman/TPS pair
1 Royal Gramma
1 Zebra Barred Dartfish
2 Ocellaris / 2 Percula Clowns
1 Dispar Anthias (should I get more??)

Am I running into a huge issue with copepods, especially with the Mandarin and OLW? I am currently propagating pods, but I want to make sure I am culturing enough to support all my fish. Do you see any potential territorial issues? Are there any on my list that aren't compatible together? Thanks for your help!

Here's a meme cause I am boreddddd!!!!
@Omgitsjoe

 

[Kzang]

I have an ornate leopard wrasse. He constantly looks for pods even feeding 2x a day. It really surprised me

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

I have an ornate leopard wrasse. He constantly looks for pods even feeding 2x a day. It really surprised me

That's what has me worried about getting both the LW and Mandarin. I don't want them to go hungry. How much do you feed yours? I have a huge pod colony, and am constantly culturing them, I just want to make sure I always have enough. Lol their tummies are bottomless pits!

 

[Bob Weigant]

Every 2 months I usually reseed the tank with pods. My tanks are wrasse heavy

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

Every 2 months I usually reseed the tank with pods. My tanks are wrasse heavy

What types do you have? I know the LW is a heavy pod eater, but are they all pretty much like that? I'm in love with the fairy wrasses. Probably gonna end up with a tank full of them.

 

[AdamB]

My medium size melanurus wrasse has really decimated my tiger pods in display tank but I still notice several pods in my refugium. I have also noticed my tisbe pods on side glass in display though which tells me my wrasse Has not decimated this variety maybe? I think the tisbe food source is more suited for mandarin .

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

My medium size melanurus wrasse has really decimated my tiger pods in display tank but I still notice several pods in my refugium. I have also noticed my tisbe pods on side glass in display though which tells me my wrasse Has not decimated this variety maybe? I think the tisbe food source is more suited for mandarin .

Well that's a good thing then! I am culturing Tisbe, Tigri, and Apocy. I think it's because of their difference in sizes. I tried researching which ones to propagate before I even considered buying a pod reliant fish. I've also made sure I could successfully culture them beforehand. So far, everything is good! I have plenty of pods for now. But I know that will change with just 1 mandarin. So, I guess I will be starting several cultures this weekend to help with the other wrasses, cause I am more than likely going to buy them.

 

[Bob Weigant]

What types do you have? I know the LW is a heavy pod eater, but are they all pretty much like that? I'm in love with the fairy wrasses. Probably gonna end up with a tank full of them.

I have the ornate , blue star , black leopard , rhomboid , pink streak, mccosker, tamarin, adorned, radiant , pencil,

 

[huckjai]

I just bought a Mandarin goby today on impulse. I started cultivating pods in my refugium a couple weeks ago in anticipation of getting a Ruby Red Scooter. Was at the lfs today and they had one last Mandarin goby left from the 4 they got on Wednesday. Not sure if I have enough pods for him, but wasn't concerned because I really want him to thrive, so I'd probably cultivate pods in a separate tank if need be.

I was more concerned with getting him to eat in quarantine. Fortunately for me, he was eating frozen foods. But afte watching him eat frozen foods, I saw how slow he was, and he definitely will need pods in the main tank. I have a tailspot blenny, and he eats a variety of things, pellets, algae, frozen food. So it definitely won't impact pod population much.

Planning to get a fairy wrasse as well. So I will most likely cultivate pods in a separate tank if they can't reproduce fast enough in my display tank. You can always add more to the display tank every so often, instead of cultivating separately, but that might get costly. I think cultivating in a separate tank will be a lot cheaper. Not 100% sure, but I'll learn as I go, as I'm doing now.

I'm positive you can make it work for yourself. Besides pods, I don't think the Goby and wrasse need any extra expertise to keep alive.

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

I have the ornate , blue star , black leopard , rhomboid , pink streak, mccosker, tamarin, adorned, radiant , pencil,

Yea, I am super jelly about the Rhomboid. They're SOOOOO pretty. Just can't quite bring myself to spend $300 on one fish. Not yet anyway. Lol

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

I just bought a Mandarin goby today on impulse. I started cultivating pods in my refugium a couple weeks ago in anticipation of getting a Ruby Red Scooter. Was at the lfs today and they had one last Mandarin goby left from the 4 they got on Wednesday. Not sure if I have enough pods for him, but wasn't concerned because I really want him to thrive, so I'd probably cultivate pods in a separate tank if need be.

I was more concerned with getting him to eat in quarantine. Fortunately for me, he was eating frozen foods. But afte watching him eat frozen foods, I saw how slow he was, and he definitely will need pods in the main tank. I have a tailspot blenny, and he eats a variety of things, pellets, algae, frozen food. So it definitely won't impact pod population much.

Planning to get a fairy wrasse as well. So I will most likely cultivate pods in a separate tank if they can't reproduce fast enough in my display tank. You can always add more to the display tank every so often, instead of cultivating separately, but that might get costly. I think cultivating in a separate tank will be a lot cheaper. Not 100% sure, but I'll learn as I go, as I'm doing now.

I'm positive you can make it work for yourself. Besides pods, I don't think the Goby and wrasse need any extra expertise to keep alive.

Thanks! Exactly what I needed to know! I culture them for my fuge mostly, but I add them to the display every other week. I have mine in 1 gallon containers, but I have 3. I'm currently only culturing out of 1, but it'll be a quick and easy fix to start culturing out of the other 2. I culture phyto also to feed the pods. I just wasn't sure if what I am currently culturing is enough or I would need to put the other 2 containers to use. Lol but it looks like I will need to.

 

[huckjai]

Thanks! Exactly what I needed to know! I culture them for my fuge mostly, but I add them to the display every other week. I have mine in 1 gallon containers, but I have 3. I'm currently only culturing out of 1, but it'll be a quick and easy fix to start culturing out of the other 2. I culture phyto also to feed the pods. I just wasn't sure if what I am currently culturing is enough or I would need to put the other 2 containers to use. Lol but it looks like I will need to.

Definitely won't know how much you need until you see how much they eat, but the good thing is that pods reproduce pretty fast. I don't think the fish will ever starve as long as your cultivating some. Tisbe pods do seem to reproduce the fastest. I put tisbe pods and apex pods in my refugium, and I can see the tisbe outnumber the other pods.

 

[ChelseaBidwell]

Definitely won't know how much you need until you see how much they eat, but the good thing is that pods reproduce pretty fast. I don't think the fish will ever starve as long as your cultivating some. Tisbe pods do seem to reproduce the fastest. I put tisbe pods and apex pods in my refugium, and I can see the tisbe outnumber the other pods.

Tisbe definitely reproduces faster and outnumbers ours as well. I'll get several cultures going today just to be on the safe side since I haven't had any of these and (like you said) don't know what their appetite is like. I appreciate the advice! I guess I could have figured it out after getting them, but I figured I would ask and get any info I needed or didn't know than to not ask at all and have a big problem on my hands to figure out last minute. Lol don't want any dead fish because of something I didn't do enough research on!

 

[Kzang]

What types do you have? I know the LW is a heavy pod eater, but are they all pretty much like that? I'm in love with the fairy wrasses. Probably gonna end up with a tank full of them.

Seen the mystery wrasse yet? I get mine on Tuesday. Can't wait

 

[Bob Weigant]

Seen the mystery wrasse yet? I get mine on Tuesday. Can't wait

Everyone I’ve ever had turn into bully’s so keep an eye on it

 

[DanConnor]

Its pretty easy to culture white worms and they will keep your tricky eaters fat as little piggies

 

[Kzang]

Everyone I’ve ever had turn into bully’s so keep an eye on it

I have a 6 ft 125g so hopefully it will be okay.

 

[ca1ore]

The only fish on your list that is an obligate pod eater is the mandarin. Some folks have limited success getting them to take prepared foods, most do not. None of mine ever did. That’s potentially problematic if you also keep opportunistic pod eaters. Leopards and halocheres wrasses will spend a lot of their time hunting for edibles, but the vast majority of them (once acclimated) will eat prepared foods. They will decimate the pod population, and you may have trouble keeping the numbers up to sustain a mandarin. I have a number of leopards in my display and I no longer keep mandarins.

 

[Jesterrace]

The only fish on your list that is an obligate pod eater is the mandarin. Some folks have limited success getting them to take prepared foods, most do not. None of mine ever did. That’s potentially problematic if you also keep opportunistic pod eaters. Leopards and halocheres wrasses will spend a lot of their time hunting for edibles, but the vast majority of them (once acclimated) will eat prepared foods. They will decimate the pod population, and you may have trouble keeping the numbers up to sustain a mandarin. I have a number of leopards in my display and I no longer keep mandarins.

This, even though I have lots of pods in my sump/refugium I still don't feel comfortable having a dragonet in my 90 gallon with my Blue Star Leopard Wrasse and Melanurus Wrasse in there. Mandarins are very slow eaters and if they adapt to frozen you are a slave to their feeding needs.

 

[PapaShrimp]

Hey there fellow reefer.

First off, that’s a pretty impressive list of fish there, especially when you add your potential buys in.

You certainly have a a good few fish who will enjoy snacking on pods, but the only one there I can see who will largely wholly sustain itself on them is of course the mandarin.

I have a happy fat mandarin in my 90gal, he is the only real pod devourer in the tank and I actually add pods to the tank every day as it’s not established enough to sustain a mandarin otherwise. Costly, but it is working great for Mandy (my 1 year old Mandarin ). Ive never spot fed her but she absolutely eats mysis shrimp most days in addition to the pods so I am sure if you feed enough frozen that some makes it to the bottom then your mandarin would eat that also after a while.

Ok, so now for the questions as your post interested me

1) how big is your tank?
2) what is your method for cultivating pods - I need to stop spending £10 a week on them!
3) Christmas has been and gone, did your potential Christmas buys turn into actual buys?

Cheers
PS

Hey hey to my favorite reefers! I have a couple questions before I end up regretting a highly potential impulse buy. I've done some reading, however. So, I am not COMPLETELY oblivious to the potential issues as far as the competition for food goes. That being said, I am wanting to get the below fish while also taking into consideration my current livestock, but I want a little more input from those who have experience with these fish.

Potential Christmas buys:
1 Ornate Leopard Wrasse
1 Melanurus Wrasse (huge pod eater??)
1 Spotted Mandarin
1 Helfrichi Firefish

Currently in QT#1(35ish days left):
**I got these for our moderate GHA problem**
1 Juvenile Tailspot Blenny (huge pod eater??)
1 Juvenile Yellow Kole Eye Tang (GORGEOUS BTW)
1 Juvenile Lawnmower Blenny

Currently in the DT:
1 Blue-Sided FW (can I have multiples???)
1 Midas Blenny
1 Watchman/TPS pair
1 Royal Gramma
1 Zebra Barred Dartfish
2 Ocellaris / 2 Percula Clowns
1 Dispar Anthias (should I get more??)

Am I running into a huge issue with copepods, especially with the Mandarin and OLW? I am currently propagating pods, but I want to make sure I am culturing enough to support all my fish. Do you see any potential territorial issues? Are there any on my list that aren't compatible together? Thanks for your help!

Here's a meme cause I am boreddddd!!!!
@Omgitsjoe