3am Pod Patrol...Can you have too many?

[coloagro]

My pod population is growing at a fast rate it seems! I have the bigger ones all over my glass now and a couple monsters scurrying throughout my rockwork ....the little microscopic ones have clearly grown up! The tank is healthy with no signs of "trouble pods" or damage but I'd like to keep the population under control....i think.

Can you have too many? Is it good to control the population with a blenny, wrasse etc...I do need 1 more fish for my 22g
Its 3am and I'm curious what ya'll think lol. Lets hear some POD feedback. Gnight!

 

[Kindafishy]

Pods work great for two things. Cleaning up (Algae mostly I think), and feeding fish (Most people fight to get pods SO they can have a Mandarin Goby, Scooter blennies,...

So yea you can buy a fish to hunt them down. Question is do you really have enough for one of those fish that require pods?? I once had a fat Mandarin in my 75 with large grain sand and shells. Which worked great, but when I switched to fine sand, there were not enough anymore. That led to me having to sell the Mandarin.

 

[KhensuRa]

Get a pipe fish, they love pods. I don't think you can have to many, well at least I hope not. I was up late as well and man I have a ton as well.

 

[Zooid]

Do mandarins and pipefish eat amphipods? For some reason I thought they couldn't eat them because the
amphipods are larger than their mouths. If they eat amphipods, I may have to find a nice mandarin

 

[coloagro]

I would love a Mandy but I personally think they better left in their natural habitat unless u have a massive setup. I'll probably grab a blenny or something. I dont have a drop of algae in my tank so maybe thats why!

 

[Zooid]

There are a bunch of mandarins out there now that have been captive bred so they are eating frozen and pellet.

 

[Cherub]

I would love a Mandy but I personally think they better left in their natural habitat unless u have a massive setup. I'll probably grab a blenny or something. I dont have a drop of algae in my tank so maybe thats why!

My roomy has had a mandarin for 8 months in a 30 gallon. that thing is happy as can be.

 

[coloagro]

My roomy has had a mandarin for 8 months in a 30 gallon. that thing is happy as can be.

I've read that captive bred Mandy's can be raised safely without starving. I guess if I knew without a doubt that the mandy was captive bred then I would consider it...they are by far the most beautiful fish available for our reefs. Does anyone know a LFS that has captive bred happy mandarins? I would love one but I'm also very weary due to the stories I've read. Its my goal to make sure that all the creatures I raise are 100% happy and not stressed due to food, tankmates or tank size. My next step would be to build a screen for my rimless/hoodless tank if I were to pick up a goby so nobody goes carpet surfing. Thx for the input ladies & gents -

 

[kmcmurtry]

I have one on hold currently at LK after watching him eat frozen food. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have to keep up with pods.

 

[Cherub]

his mandarin ate only pods at first but I guess watched the other fish grazing on frozen food and decided to join in. he still eats pods but comes swimming and chomping when the other fish get fed. graceful little fish. i want an orange one

 

[coloagro]

I have one on hold currently at LK after watching him eat frozen food. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have to keep up with pods.

Which LFS is abbreviated LK? I'm a dummy

 

[sinister]

Liquid Kingdom in Broomfield, I'd guess.

 

[sinister]

When I lived up north I bought a bunch of stuff there... but that was years ago. Rumor has it they've gone south. But I can neither confirm or deny since I haven't been there in probably 7 years

 

[tlsrcs]

yea its an ok....store they have stock not all that competitive prices. But i will say i got salt water from them and the next day had an ich outbreak. not sure if it was from the salt mix or not but i will never get SW from them again just encase. oh they do free water tests...

 

[kmcmurtry]

I've been buying stock there for a few months with good luck - clowns, blennies, gobies and various soft corals. No disease or deaths so far, knock on wood. They absolutely won't sell a fish to you until it's been there a week at least. I usually put the fish I want on hold and watch it in their tank for a week til I buy it anyway. I was just in there today and didn't spot any fish with ich - it's true they sometimes have trouble keeping up with the maintenance on tanks, so there is aptasia in some and algae, but I don't buy live rock or hard corals there, so it doesn't bother me. I'm more interested in proximity, good advice and the opportunity to buy quarantined healthy stock which is why I frequent there. Their tanks are a lot cleaner in the last few months than they used to be. I haven't found their fish to be any higher priced than other shops, found some cheaper at LK in fact, but up north where I am there aren't as many choices. If I wanted to drive more south I could probably see more deals I'm guessing.

 

[Kindafishy]

I hate to badmouth an LFS, just because I try to support as much local business as I can! However of all the LFS's I've ever been in, Liquid kingdom is by far the worst EVER!! They have aptasia everywhere, hair algae, cloudy tanks, decomposing animals, I've even seen them selling Mangos and Hydroids as something you wanted in that store!

They make Exotic in Boulder look great, they make Fish den look good! Need I say more??

I STRONGLY suggest a five min drive to Elite if you happen to be at LK!! He11 even PETCO salt water is better then LK!!

 

[Zooid]

LOL....
I really need to go to Liquid Kingdom just to check it out.
Six years in the hobby and I haven't been there yet hehe

 

[tlsrcs]

they are nice people. its just not the hilton of LFS its more of a motel 8 i mean they still have HBO.....what i mean is they do have healthy stock i have seen it but they also have dead. All LFS is worth going to and checking out. usually all of them have there percs. i like the free water testing lol

 

[coloagro]

Trust me Elite Reef is my store! I go to Keys as well for some dry goods etc because their close

 

[tlsrcs]

where is keys located?