Which fish eat copepods?

[LargeJohn]

I am starting to get a decent pod population in my system since I added macroalgae. I have always wanted to keep a mandarin goby, but I am wondering if any of my current inhabitants would out compete the mandarin for pods.

Currently in my 135 gallong display, I have,

Naso Tang
Yellow Tang
Bicolor Angel
Purple Dottyback
Watchman Goby
Longfin Wrasse
2 False Perculas
Yellow Tail Damsel

Pistol Shrimp
Coral Banded Shrimp


In general, which fish (or inverts) aggressively hunt and consume pods??

[Neonguy95]

Mandrian gobies will eat them till they are gone. They thrive off of them. I am waiting to get some until I get a Mandrain.

[chicod00]

Yellow watchman gobies will also compete.

The key is to replenish the pod population, with a refugium for example. Prepared foods may supplement pods buy not replace them as a main source of food.

You should have lots of live rock and sand with a 135gal, you will probably be fine...IMO

I wonder if some of those fish would be aggresive towards the mandarin?

[LargeJohn]

The dottyback used to be the most aggressive fish in the entire tank. He would harrass any new additions (big or small). However, I re-arranged my rockwork about 4 months ago and he has since adopted a cave and doesn't venture very far from it.

[chicod00]

Then I think that as long as you get a good specimen you will be fine. I don't think that the competition is as important as the rate of comsumption overall. Mandarins will eat as many pods as they can even if they out pace the pods' rate of reproduction.

How much live rock do you have?

[LargeJohn]

I've got about 120 lbs. of live rock. The tank is divided between the 2 back corners. The middle is open to give the tangs plenty of swimming space.

[Kayo]

LJ.

I have a physchedelic mandarin and he does great. Nothing has ever bothered her and she spends her days cruising looking for pods. She on a rare occasion will eat some of the frozen brine shrimp. I have wrasses, clowns, blennies, angels, hawkfish, grammas, firefish.......http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=247&parent_category=4&category_search=61&root_parent_id=4

[chicod00]

Spotted (Psychodelic) mandarins are more likely to eat prepared foods than Green Mandarins. Still, its best not to rely on your mandarin eating prepared foods.

I think your tank would be a fine environment for a mandarin.

You could do some searches for different strategies people use to maintain their pod populations. Some just make rock piles, that the fish can't get into so only the pods that come out will be eaten.