Copepod hatchery..

Well the project is coming out of necessity in the end. Yesterday was my 35th Birthday, and my Loving Wife wanting to get me something I would appreciate placed a certain fish on hold at the LFS.




Yep. A Mandarin....

So some additional research and discussion with a trusted staff member at the LFS on how to keep this lil guy ensued.

Emptied out the cabinet for my RedSea Max 130.


Test fit of a pair of old QT tanks.


Added a light to the bottom side of the shelf.


Planned out a filteration unit. (will be one of the sponge towers in each tank when complete, whole unit to the right)


Was time for a water change anyway so syphoned the water from teh DT down to one of the Culture tanks and turned on the air pump.


Second airline is run but have to find the other sponge tower in my boxes of stuff. Hopefully this all goes well in the end.

Two tanks may be a lil over kill at the moment but wanted options in the future more then anything.

So what you think am I daft or is the theroy sound?

 

Heres an idea that has worked for many people I know. When you bring the little guy or gal home put him in that qt tank. Feed a little live brine shrimp. If he eats them add a little more mixed with frozen mysis.If you can just get him to eat one they usually recognize it as food and will eat them. Mine eats frozen mysis and looks like a little plump psychodelic sausage. He also eats pellets along with whatever bugs he can find in the tank. Awesome fish. Good luck!!
And happy belated birthday to ya!!

 

post more than enough pics i have an extra 10 gallon lying around and really want a manderin in the future and would love to know how to build one of these

 

Good idea...mine will eat any meaty food i put in the tank. It makes life a lot easier and they are fatties even though I have only a little LR rock and a 46g to house them in. But I'd say I got lucky.

Happy belated birthday and best of luck with your new addition.

 

i do as well they are the reason i started saltwater and i want to be ready when my tank is lol

 

After you have pods growing/living in both, go to a craft store and get some plastic canvas craft. Some walmarts sell it but they are slowly stopping. Its 7 mesh (7 holes per inch) and one sheet is plenty. Cut 6 square pieces of it so that you can put them together to make a cube. Use fishing line to "sew" it together on the corners with a needle. Before closing the last side, fill it with small small pieces of rubble. Then, place them in the pod farms. As you feed the mandarin, remove a "pod condo" from the breeding tank, place it in DT, feeding time. As the pods thin out, you rotate them in and out of the breeding tank.

The biggest thing it does is simply create a very simple way to get the pods from the culture tank to the display tank without physically trying to catch them or move the fish. They will inhabit the "condo" and you can move the entire thing.

 

I second the trying to get him on frozen before he goes in the tank. IT seems that if you can get them eating frozen they are pretty good to go.

The pod farm is a great idea too!

 

The "pod" cube is genius! I'll have to try that. Keep in mind it will only work on those that stay on the ground (harpactiod) where the calanoid will swim in mid water. Still a great idea!

Also don't worry about filtration - a simple airstone is enough!

These have been going for nearly eight months now... still loads of pods (calanoid, the free swiming kind) but I am seeing amphipods in there as well (I threw some live rock in there, they must have come off that). I leave the light on 24/7 and the phyto keeps them fed. I just fill it up with tap water when it gets low to evap. I don't worry about the temp - they seem to be just fine!

 

pod pics are a real PITA to get.. but here is one took last night that turned out somewhat..

 

Is that rice? lol