Emergency copepods needed asap

newbiereefer7 · 12/01/2014, 08:37 AM

Hi is there anyone around west denton, Newcastle who has any copepods i can buy? As i bought a mandarin and was expecting some today and now they wont be here til wed and i dont know how long he will last without food. Thanks.

BrianD · 12/01/2014, 08:46 AM

This isn't a "wanted to buy" forum. In any case, if your tank is still the 24 gallon, it isn't suitable for a mandarin. They are constant feeders. I would find a new home for the mandarin.

newbiereefer7 · 12/01/2014, 08:49 AM

No its not the same tank and i know its not i was just looking for a bit of help clearly your not the person.

toothybugs · 12/01/2014, 09:00 AM

Why did you put a mandarin in to a non-established tank? If your system isn't growing a bunch of pods already, starting a colony with your mandy chowing down on them 24/7 likely isn't going to do you any good. They'll be eaten before they can reproduce much.

BrianD · 12/01/2014, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbiereefer7

No its not the same tank and i know its not i was just looking for a bit of help clearly your not the person.

What tank is it in?

newbiereefer7 · 12/01/2014, 09:13 AM

Its going into a 40g once its setup as i have upgraded and food was just til wed wen i get my order as i have a refugium for bigger tank

BrianD · 12/01/2014, 09:22 AM

That isn't large enough, nor should the mandarin go into a tank that isn't established. Please do the fish a favor and find it a new home. It is very sad to watch a mandarin starve.

Sk8r · 12/01/2014, 09:49 AM

That tank is too small. You could squeak by with a very small mandy with a 20 gallon year-old fuge connected to the 40, but only just. Return the mandy or give it to a lfs if it's mailorder. They'll often give you store credit. That bottle of pods you're waiting on will only feed that mandy adequately for 2 days.

Mazzy · 12/01/2014, 08:10 PM

I can vouch for the sadness of watching a Mandarin starve. It was a noob mistake I made many years ago with my first salt tank. They are voracious eaters. If you don't have a well established tank - and usually even if you do!! - they will eat the tank dry of pods in a matter of days. You could never buy enough to keep up with his appetite in either the BioCube (or whatever small tank) he is currently in OR in the 40 you are just setting up. It will be a constant headache and source of stress for you to try to keep up on pods to satisfy his needs. First you will see his bones protruding at the spine and on the sides, His head will look too big for his body because his body size will be shrinking rapidly. If you try to help, you will be buying pods hand over fist, spending an unreal amount of cash on trying to keep him fed and alive. As no one is going to order several hundred pods a week, you will watch as you lose that battle and he dies a miserable death.

I personally will never own a mandarin again. Not any mandarin. I saw some little red guy at the LFS recently; he was super cute and unique. I asked if he was a goby, they said no, he's some kind of dragonette. I immediately passed and another customer apparently bought him because the sales clerk said 'hey that guy just bought that dragonette you were looking at'. My response: "Obviously he's new. Good luck watching that fish die."

Edited to add - I know some people do keep them successfully in very large, very well established, tanks, but honestly, I personally wouldn't mind if dragonettes became one of those things that can no longer be acquired in our hobby. SO many more die a miserable death than ever find a forever home. I almost wish for them to become endangered so we can't import them anymore.

whiteshark · 12/01/2014, 09:23 PM

PaulB is one of the few who keep these fish successfully. I forget the exact size of his tank but I want to say it's a 125 gallon, and it's 25+ years old. And he regularly hatches baby brine shrimp for them on top of the pods that have had 25 years to establish themselves. These fish need a ton of food, and unfortunately I don't think many who buy them realize the scale of their appetite.

In any case I agree with the above that a mandarin is not a good idea in such a small, unestablished tank.

newbiereefer7 · 12/02/2014, 01:47 AM

I can see where ypu guys are coming from i think i rushed onto this too quick without the correct research and do not want to have him suffer im just goin to take him to lfs

lllesley · 12/02/2014, 05:14 AM

I agree with everything that has been said, i am glad you taking him back to LFS.
I have a 260g that was was so alive with pods at night you literally had trouble seeing through the glass.
Bout male & female and within 3 weeks not a pod to be seen at night in the main DT. Lucky I have plenty in overflow and sump.
My two do eat prepared frozen as well, I have had them for a little over 12 months now and are happy as larry.
But a large system with tons of food is defiantly the secret.
Her is a video of my two trying to dance when I had just changed the flow and they couldn't get it right.....lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmEntVaWhY

shesacharmer · 12/02/2014, 06:48 AM

It's crazy how much they eat...something on the order of 2000 pods a day. I wish the fish stores would educate us better than they do. Not your fault to be taken in by such a cute fish...you didn't know it would be a problem but it's a great lesson. Always research the fish for appropriateness for the setup you have...not the setup you will have later. A good reminder for us all.

newbiereefer7 · 12/02/2014, 10:11 AM

Yeah thats good advice and uwah they should i researched the fish and no what it eats i just had no idea on how much lol suppose we all make mistakes

BrianD · 12/02/2014, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbiereefer7

Yeah thats good advice and uwah they should i researched the fish and no what it eats i just had no idea on how much lol suppose we all make mistakes

Don't feel bad, most of us have made the same mistake. I know I did, even though I was assured by the LFS that all I had to do was dump some pods in and the mandarin would be happy. It didn't work that way for me.

BrianD · 12/02/2014, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteshark

PaulB is one of the few who keep these fish successfully. I forget the exact size of his tank but I want to say it's a 125 gallon, and it's 25+ years old. And he regularly hatches baby brine shrimp for them on top of the pods that have had 25 years to establish themselves. These fish need a ton of food, and unfortunately I don't think many who buy them realize the scale of their appetite.

In any case I agree with the above that a mandarin is not a good idea in such a small, unestablished tank.

Actually, there are many who keep mandarins successfully. In the proper tank, they are actually quite easy to keep.

Mazzy · 12/03/2014, 02:27 AM

I'm glad you're taking him back for your own peace of mind and - possibly - for him to find a more suitable home. Honestly, it's likely he'll go into another situation just like this one and ultimately starve to death anyway where ever he ends up. Like BrianD said, it's not that they are hard fish to keep per se, it is that they are specialized eaters and most of us just can't maintain that needed level of pods in our closed systems. There are places that are currently breeding dragonettes and swear they eat frozen. Maybe that's true and someday we can all have one in our tanks, but unless you personally see one eat a piece of frozen food before you buy, I wouldn't believe it.

We've all been there so don't feel bad. You're doing the right thing by him by taking him back. As someone on my local forum said, "we aren't in a race to kill animals" so just take it slow and research, research, research, before you buy something. I stand around my LFS for an hour or more at a time when I go. I'll see something, look it up on my phone, read what it says from other hobbyists on here or I like to look on Live Aquaria for their feeding and housing recommendations as a 'quick guide' kinda deal, and then decide if I'm gonna purchase or not. No one says "hey, if you're just going to stand around you need to leave!" lol, so go ahead and take your time at the store. You can't know everything about every animal you see when you walk in to the LFS. Not even long-time hobbyists can know everything. So it's no big deal to just say 'I need a minute' and bust out your phone to see what you may be getting into when you find something you like.

Good Luck to you!!

snorvich · 12/03/2014, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianD

Actually, there are many who keep mandarins successfully. In the proper tank, they are actually quite easy to keep.

Yes, I am one.

johnike · 12/03/2014, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snorvich

Yes, I am one.

As am I.

whiteshark · 12/03/2014, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianD

Actually, there are many who keep mandarins successfully. In the proper tank, they are actually quite easy to keep.

Anything is easy to keep in the right conditions

Achieving those right conditions is the hangup. For some, especially those with experience, it can be easy. For others, especially those who are new, it can be quite difficult.

12/01/2014, 08:37 AM	#1
newbiereefer7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 61	Emergency copepods needed asap Hi is there anyone around west denton, Newcastle who has any copepods i can buy? As i bought a mandarin and was expecting some today and now they wont be here til wed and i dont know how long he will last without food. Thanks.

12/01/2014, 08:46 AM	#2
BrianD Sir Brian The Lenient Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Mattoon, IL Posts: 32,111	This isn't a "wanted to buy" forum. In any case, if your tank is still the 24 gallon, it isn't suitable for a mandarin. They are constant feeders. I would find a new home for the mandarin. __________________ Always strive for the optimum environment, not the minimum environment. Current Tank Info: Empty

12/01/2014, 09:22 AM	#7
BrianD Sir Brian The Lenient Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Mattoon, IL Posts: 32,111	That isn't large enough, nor should the mandarin go into a tank that isn't established. Please do the fish a favor and find it a new home. It is very sad to watch a mandarin starve. __________________ Always strive for the optimum environment, not the minimum environment. Current Tank Info: Empty

12/01/2014, 09:49 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	That tank is too small. You could squeak by with a very small mandy with a 20 gallon year-old fuge connected to the 40, but only just. Return the mandy or give it to a lfs if it's mailorder. They'll often give you store credit. That bottle of pods you're waiting on will only feed that mandy adequately for 2 days. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/01/2014, 08:10 PM	#9
Mazzy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan! GO BLUE!! Posts: 172	I can vouch for the sadness of watching a Mandarin starve. It was a noob mistake I made many years ago with my first salt tank. They are voracious eaters. If you don't have a well established tank - and usually even if you do!! - they will eat the tank dry of pods in a matter of days. You could never buy enough to keep up with his appetite in either the BioCube (or whatever small tank) he is currently in OR in the 40 you are just setting up. It will be a constant headache and source of stress for you to try to keep up on pods to satisfy his needs. First you will see his bones protruding at the spine and on the sides, His head will look too big for his body because his body size will be shrinking rapidly. If you try to help, you will be buying pods hand over fist, spending an unreal amount of cash on trying to keep him fed and alive. As no one is going to order several hundred pods a week, you will watch as you lose that battle and he dies a miserable death. I personally will never own a mandarin again. Not any mandarin. I saw some little red guy at the LFS recently; he was super cute and unique. I asked if he was a goby, they said no, he's some kind of dragonette. I immediately passed and another customer apparently bought him because the sales clerk said 'hey that guy just bought that dragonette you were looking at'. My response: "Obviously he's new. Good luck watching that fish die." Edited to add - I know some people do keep them successfully in very large, very well established, tanks, but honestly, I personally wouldn't mind if dragonettes became one of those things that can no longer be acquired in our hobby. SO many more die a miserable death than ever find a forever home. I almost wish for them to become endangered so we can't import them anymore. Last edited by Mazzy; 12/01/2014 at 08:18 PM.

12/01/2014, 08:49 AM	#3
newbiereefer7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 61	No its not the same tank and i know its not i was just looking for a bit of help clearly your not the person.

12/01/2014, 09:00 AM	#4
toothybugs In Memoriam Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: The smallest county in Illinois Posts: 1,986	Why did you put a mandarin in to a non-established tank? If your system isn't growing a bunch of pods already, starting a colony with your mandy chowing down on them 24/7 likely isn't going to do you any good. They'll be eaten before they can reproduce much.

12/01/2014, 09:13 AM	#6
newbiereefer7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 61	Its going into a 40g once its setup as i have upgraded and food was just til wed wen i get my order as i have a refugium for bigger tank

12/01/2014, 09:23 PM	#10
whiteshark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bethlehem, PA Posts: 3,024	PaulB is one of the few who keep these fish successfully. I forget the exact size of his tank but I want to say it's a 125 gallon, and it's 25+ years old. And he regularly hatches baby brine shrimp for them on top of the pods that have had 25 years to establish themselves. These fish need a ton of food, and unfortunately I don't think many who buy them realize the scale of their appetite. In any case I agree with the above that a mandarin is not a good idea in such a small, unestablished tank. __________________ Deep Blue 60 gallon cube: Setup in progress.

12/02/2014, 01:47 AM	#11
newbiereefer7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 61	I can see where ypu guys are coming from i think i rushed onto this too quick without the correct research and do not want to have him suffer im just goin to take him to lfs

12/02/2014, 05:14 AM	#12
lllesley Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 336	I agree with everything that has been said, i am glad you taking him back to LFS. I have a 260g that was was so alive with pods at night you literally had trouble seeing through the glass. Bout male & female and within 3 weeks not a pod to be seen at night in the main DT. Lucky I have plenty in overflow and sump. My two do eat prepared frozen as well, I have had them for a little over 12 months now and are happy as larry. But a large system with tons of food is defiantly the secret. Her is a video of my two trying to dance when I had just changed the flow and they couldn't get it right.....lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmEntVaWhY

12/02/2014, 06:48 AM	#13
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	It's crazy how much they eat...something on the order of 2000 pods a day. I wish the fish stores would educate us better than they do. Not your fault to be taken in by such a cute fish...you didn't know it would be a problem but it's a great lesson. Always research the fish for appropriateness for the setup you have...not the setup you will have later. A good reminder for us all. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

12/02/2014, 10:11 AM	#14
newbiereefer7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 61	Yeah thats good advice and uwah they should i researched the fish and no what it eats i just had no idea on how much lol suppose we all make mistakes

12/03/2014, 02:27 AM	#17
Mazzy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan! GO BLUE!! Posts: 172	I'm glad you're taking him back for your own peace of mind and - possibly - for him to find a more suitable home. Honestly, it's likely he'll go into another situation just like this one and ultimately starve to death anyway where ever he ends up. Like BrianD said, it's not that they are hard fish to keep per se, it is that they are specialized eaters and most of us just can't maintain that needed level of pods in our closed systems. There are places that are currently breeding dragonettes and swear they eat frozen. Maybe that's true and someday we can all have one in our tanks, but unless you personally see one eat a piece of frozen food before you buy, I wouldn't believe it. We've all been there so don't feel bad. You're doing the right thing by him by taking him back. As someone on my local forum said, "we aren't in a race to kill animals" so just take it slow and research, research, research, before you buy something. I stand around my LFS for an hour or more at a time when I go. I'll see something, look it up on my phone, read what it says from other hobbyists on here or I like to look on Live Aquaria for their feeding and housing recommendations as a 'quick guide' kinda deal, and then decide if I'm gonna purchase or not. No one says "hey, if you're just going to stand around you need to leave!" lol, so go ahead and take your time at the store. You can't know everything about every animal you see when you walk in to the LFS. Not even long-time hobbyists can know everything. So it's no big deal to just say 'I need a minute' and bust out your phone to see what you may be getting into when you find something you like. Good Luck to you!!