Mandarin, Wrass and Copepods...

[SaltyB24]

I am currently 6 weeks in to culturing copepods for the purpose of having a BIOTA mandarin pair (110 gallon tank). I have 5 one gallon cultures going at various stages but am waiting another week or two before I start harvesting. In addition to the pod cultures I also have also been culturing 3 strains of phyto and dosing the tank daily each week doubling the phyto dose until I get to 3mls per gallon. I am hopeful the mandarins will eat frozen but started culturing in the event they do not. The goal is to get the pair end of November/December. How concerned with adding wrasses prior to getting the mandarins do I need to be? I don't want the wrasses to come in and demolish the pods before the mandarins get a chance but also not sure how much of a concern that is.

For context- I feed 4-5 small meals a day due to the cromis and anthias I have so the tank is well fed lol

I have currently a pack of B2 pellets, brine shrimp hatchery, and frozen baby brine shrimp in prep for them and plan to get some masstick and OVA fish eggs bled before I have the pair delivered. They will also be put in a an acclimation box in the tank for a few weeks until I am confident they are eating well.

Would you be comfortable getting a few wrasses before, at the same time as or after ___ amount of time after getting the mandarin pair?

 

[dedragon]

The mandarins come in at under an inch so im pretty sure your current pod population in the tank would be more than enough right now. I got one a couple of weeks ago for my IM 50 that also houses a leopard wrasse and i have just been watching the little guy fatten up. That is while adding no pods. Ive only had him a few weeks though.

 

[dedragon]

Good luck trying to find them in a 110 gallon with rocks because even in my 50 some days i just wont see it

 

[Lavey29]

I had 5 wrasses in my tank with my mandarin with no issues but I did add a jar of pods weekly. Not all wrasses eat pods either.

 

[SaltyB24]

Good luck trying to find them in a 110 gallon with rocks because even in my 50 some days i just wont see it

Hopefully once they grow up a little bit you will see them more often. I would assume younger fish would tend to hide more until they are larger and less prone to predation. Thats one of my main reasons for wanting to keep them in an acclimation box so they don't get lost lol

I had 5 wrasses in my tank with my mandarin with no issues but I did add a jar of pods weekly. Not all wrasses eat pods either.

Great! I am hoping to do at least weekly harvests from each container once they are fully established. These type of things are hard to gage without personal experience though! Thanks for the info!

 

[dedragon]

Little guy has zero fear both being a mandarin and captive bred have killed any survival instincts. Im just happy it hasnt gotten eaten by a bta. Mine hasnt shown a hint of interest in frozen brine or zoomed cyclops can.