Copepod Population

Don Geddis wrote:
wrote on 18 Feb 2005 07:2:
I own a 4 year old reef tank with over 300lbs of LR. I have had a
very
difficult time in keeping a mandarin goby for an extended period.
IMHO
I think anything less than 75-100lbs of live rock may be too little
to
insure adequate food. Of course I have not had success, and
perhaps
there are others who have had long term success with small tanks.

But you haven't even had success with 300lbs of LR, so on what basis
do you
conclude that 75lbs isn't enough?

I've got a 55gal tank with about 60lbs of live rock. I did lose a
mandarin
that I added far too early, but after a year or so my tank was mature
enough.
I've had my current mandarin for about a year and a half. It doesn't
eat
anything that I feed into the tank, but it seems fat and happy just
snacking
on the live pods it can find in the rocks.

-- Don
__________________

__________________________________________________ ___________
Don Geddis
http://reef.geddis.org/
Vegetarian: "I object to KILLING animals for FOOD!"
Captain Ribman: "And I object to eating LIVE animals!"


My point is that Mandarin Gobies are known to be difficult fish to keep
long-term. Even when there should be more than adequate food supply
such as in the case of my tank with over 300lbs. 60 or 75 lbs may be
adequate, but I think many would agree that this is only adequate. Any
competing feeders such as a wrasse, and the food supply may quickly be
inadequate. The poster requested input from others, and I gave mine
for what it is worth. I applaud others who have had more success than
I, and hope to educate myself from others successes and failures.