Trigger Pods

[Happy_Puffer]

So I went to the lfs and found some trigger pods. They were kept cold which is what they are suppose to be in until the hit the tank. I was wondering if I can add a bottle of this to my tank for my bleeny and for my soon to me mine manderian? I know some only eat the pods and I don't know how they get into the tank if you don't put them there. I know I need lots of live rock for a manderian and I have about 30 pounds or so in there now, but the tank is still kinda new. My lfs had one for the longest time that would eat everything so she never bought pods to sell. But I want one and I want to make sure he will live before adding him to my tank. So has anyone had luck with this or even tried this? My bleeny (scooter) seems to be always looking for food and I haven't found any algea to put in there for him, and he is kinda skinny but all the ones I have seen are skinny so maybe thats just how they are. He is always looking for food and eating the sand and off the live rock. Will he eat these? The directions say that they should be kept cold until added to the tank and it also says that it is ok to add directly to the tank. Can I do this I don't want to add them to another tank because they are so small you can barly see them in the little bottle. Will they live in my tank? Or should I just wait to add the manderian, how long should I wait if I don't add the trigger pods, it also says that they are copepods?

[bonnie3188]

Ive never heard of 'trigger pods' before but personally wouldnt trust it. Instead of buying fish id be buying more live rock. Pods will come on live rock and over time will populate. Id wait about 6 months before adding a mandarin fish.

[Happy_Puffer]

Well they are copepodes but I think they also go by the namer trigger pods. I have been looking up maderians and I found out what they were called so I could look for them. It comes in a clear bottle and they are really small, and kinda orange. I guess I will just wait to get the manderian.

[Hoopsguru]

If you already have a scooter blenny in a 30g, having a mandarin is increasingly difficult. You are already seeing that the blenny is skinny, they should be nice and plump if enough food is available. The "tigger" pods are Tigriopus californicus, a marine harpacticoid copepod that is marketed by Reed Mariculture. It would be a very good addition for your blenny to eat, although likely will be decimated quickly without an available refugium. I culture mine along with rotifers (home clown breeder) as they breed pretty readily. If I were you, I would very much consider training your scooter on prepared foods or if it is already skinny it does not have much time. Purchase a breeding net, they typically hang on the top of your aquarium. Net and place the scooter inside. Start by adding some live brine shrimp, this should be readily accepted. Since current goes through the breeder net, it will push the shrimp against the net...which is perfect since scooter blennies and mandarinfish are substrate foragers. After eating those, in a few days you can try frozen brine, frozen mysis, etc. My mandarinfish quickly take frozen mysis. If you are persistent, you should be able to wean them all the way to pellets and other rations...this then makes them very easy to feed once the breeders net is removed and they are back in the "main" tank. I typically stick a baby food jar with prepared foods (vitamin enriched mysis is a favorite) in the display and this allows a confined area where the mandarin (or scooter) can go in and forage without being hassled by quicker fish (this is commonly referred to as the "mandarin diner" coined by http://www.melevsreef.com who as far as I know what the first to introduce it).

Adding a mandarin to the mix would be increasingly difficult, unless you went through the process of weaning that over as well. A scooter or mandarin alone left to feed off of natural pod populations in a 30g is likely to end in tragedy, but if you are willing to put forth the effort to wean them then you can enjoy them. On MOFIB, several people are attempting to breed them and commonly keep weaned pairs in very small tanks. But, you HAVE to wean them to prepared foods for this to be possible, otherwise they are best left in the ocean as there is concern over their current populations.

Some good articles:
http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com ... n_Mandarin
http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com ... _Realities .... I never imagined they would be collected with mini spear guns

[Pufferpunk]

Wow, fantastic 1st post! Said everything I was going to. Do as said above. No Manderin for you, work on the blenny's weight.

[Happy_Puffer]

I had him in the 55 gallon and he didn't make it but, I never found his body. I won't try that again for a while since the tank is still new. I feel so bad I knew about the manderian but I didn't know the blenny was a picky eater. I have been working so much that I haven't had time to play around with the tank, so no new fish for me anyway but I am hand feeding a manderian at work and he is nice and fat now!!

[Hoopsguru]

Wow, fantastic 1st post! Said everything I was going to. Do as said above. No Manderin for you, work on the blenny's weight.

Thanks! You know, John Champlin used to tell me about a puffer forum he frequented, but I never asked and then took a hiatus from puffers. But, I now have a new D. holacanthus and I'm back into the fascination with these species. I hope to learn and share a lot.

Sorry to hear about the scooter, many folks don't assimilate scooters to the same needs as mandarins. And, tragically, many folks have no idea just how voracious the appetite of a single one of these guys can be. We all make mistakes, tough to swallow with living things but as long as you learn then it serves a purpose...not only for yourself but you also have more personal experience and knowledge to relate to anyone else that may ask you the same questions you were seeking here.

[Pufferpunk]

You're a friend of Johns? We went the Egypt together! Did you see his article here?

[Hoopsguru]

Yep, John has been a fish friend of mine for a long time, although we have fallen out of touch recently with the hustle of daily life. He was one of the first members on my original website, Reefnut.com when it had forums and first wrote that puffer article (it is amazing just how that has become a standard puffer article everywhere, his knowledge and style is incredible). If you still have contact information for him, PM it to me.

[Umbrella]

Do you mean "Tigger" Pods ?

http://oceanhomesetc.com/products/Tigge ... 50-72.html