"Productive" live rock?

joshola · 05/22/2007, 11:00 AM

Hey all,

My first two fish are supposedly the type that spend the days looking for goodies on live rock and they are very picky about any prepared foods I try. One's a wrasse who is supposed to like pods and such, but as far as I can tell, they've all been depleted. How can I tell if my live rock is "productive" enough to keep these guys busy? And is there an easy way to re-seed the LR with pods. I've seen a couple of pod products, but it looks like you need a whole setup to raise 'em -- probably not worth it for a wrasse, eh? I do notice a few scattered white bugs on the glass, but barely any compared to when the tank fist cycled.

MusMusculus · 05/22/2007, 11:05 AM

What type of fish? I hope it isn't a six line or court jester and a mandarin.

joshola · 05/22/2007, 11:06 AM

Yep. It's a sixline.

papagimp · 05/22/2007, 11:14 AM

all new tanks will be teeming with pods but populations will decline as the tank matures and their food sources are used up. You'll need to "feed" the pods, use products like DT's Live phytoplankton or culture phyto at home. Also, will need a "refugium" of sorts to allow the pods to breed without fear of being eaten all the time. An actual refugium/sump setup would be optimal but there are other methods for in tank refugiums. Don't worry about the rock being productive enough or not. You need the tank to be productive enough. The rock is just that, rock. The wrasses and dragonettes will look for pods anywhere and everywhere, not just on the rocks, but the sandbed as well. I catch my 6-line eating pods off the pre-filters all the time, another good spot for them to congregate.

fwiw, if you can still see bugs on the glass, then the population on the sand and rock is far more numerous, you just don't see em. But that doesn't mean you're okay, you'll still need to ensure that they do not eat their entire food source. Also, 6-lines will eat pods, but they can also be weened onto prepared foods just as easily, mine will gladly stop hunting pods when I feed the tank some frozen mysis, then after he's full and gets some excersie, he's back to looking around for pods, as is his natural tendency to do so.

MusMusculus · 05/22/2007, 11:18 AM

What is the other fish?

Six lines are aggressive pod hunters and will quickly deplete a tank unless there is a refugium area for pods to breed unmolested. I have had no problems getting six line wrasses to eat prepared frozen food, and sometimes pellet or flake as well. Start with frozen, mysis would be good followed by a good meaty mix. Later try some flake or pellet as a supplement. Feed small and often.

Don't try a mandarin in that tank. It will almost certainly starve to death. You didn't say you have one, but I continually see LFS's sell them as starter fish along with six-lines.

05/22/2007, 11:00 AM	#1
joshola Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY Posts: 39	"Productive" live rock? Hey all, My first two fish are supposedly the type that spend the days looking for goodies on live rock and they are very picky about any prepared foods I try. One's a wrasse who is supposed to like pods and such, but as far as I can tell, they've all been depleted. How can I tell if my live rock is "productive" enough to keep these guys busy? And is there an easy way to re-seed the LR with pods. I've seen a couple of pod products, but it looks like you need a whole setup to raise 'em -- probably not worth it for a wrasse, eh? I do notice a few scattered white bugs on the glass, but barely any compared to when the tank fist cycled.

05/22/2007, 11:14 AM	#4
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	all new tanks will be teeming with pods but populations will decline as the tank matures and their food sources are used up. You'll need to "feed" the pods, use products like DT's Live phytoplankton or culture phyto at home. Also, will need a "refugium" of sorts to allow the pods to breed without fear of being eaten all the time. An actual refugium/sump setup would be optimal but there are other methods for in tank refugiums. Don't worry about the rock being productive enough or not. You need the tank to be productive enough. The rock is just that, rock. The wrasses and dragonettes will look for pods anywhere and everywhere, not just on the rocks, but the sandbed as well. I catch my 6-line eating pods off the pre-filters all the time, another good spot for them to congregate. fwiw, if you can still see bugs on the glass, then the population on the sand and rock is far more numerous, you just don't see em. But that doesn't mean you're okay, you'll still need to ensure that they do not eat their entire food source. Also, 6-lines will eat pods, but they can also be weened onto prepared foods just as easily, mine will gladly stop hunting pods when I feed the tank some frozen mysis, then after he's full and gets some excersie, he's back to looking around for pods, as is his natural tendency to do so. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

05/22/2007, 11:05 AM	#2
MusMusculus Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 210	What type of fish? I hope it isn't a six line or court jester and a mandarin.

05/22/2007, 11:06 AM	#3
joshola Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY Posts: 39	Yep. It's a sixline.

05/22/2007, 11:18 AM	#5
MusMusculus Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 210	What is the other fish? Six lines are aggressive pod hunters and will quickly deplete a tank unless there is a refugium area for pods to breed unmolested. I have had no problems getting six line wrasses to eat prepared frozen food, and sometimes pellet or flake as well. Start with frozen, mysis would be good followed by a good meaty mix. Later try some flake or pellet as a supplement. Feed small and often. Don't try a mandarin in that tank. It will almost certainly starve to death. You didn't say you have one, but I continually see LFS's sell them as starter fish along with six-lines.