Yukon wrote:
When the main lights come on in my tanks, I see the same thing every morning - pods
scurrying and fish eating them. The fish know this is prime pod time. Have you tried
Mark's idea? I might give it a try. http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

I've seen this and considered it, but I just don't know how my mandarin
would beat out my damsels and pseudochromis.

Instead, I've been dropping a teaspoon of fish eggs (used to adorn sushi
rolls) into the tank in front of a power head. The fish, predictably,
go bananas and I count this as 1 of my 3 feedings. However, half of the
fair drops to the bottom of the tank on the plenum around the rocks. My
mandarin dutifully comes around and cleans up everything. I don't think
even the hermits get anything out of it. 4 oz of eggs ran my $6, and
lasts (I think) about a month with daily feedings. Lights-out feeding
would probably yield more for the mandarin.

I, frankly, don't know how my mandarin survives, but it doesn't seem to
be starving. It must be finding enough while I blow a $100 at a time
trying to get pods to take to my fug.

To answer george's question, I think blennies will eat pods as well. I
put a culture of pods in my main tank and I've never seen one of them
again, so who knows.

It's a great exercise in humility owning a tank.

--Kurt