HELP! Clean Up Crew turning on me?

ninjamyst

Premium member
dont get a mandarin to solve a pod problem. once it eats all the pods, it will starve to death unless you train it to eat frozen or supplement the tank with more pods. mandarin is not a beginner fish...

a sixline will do well in a 20 gallons tank and should hunt for pods.
 

MMreef

Active member
Sixline will do the job, but in small tank they become terror for other fish. Get yellow wrasse, small, bright, full of life fish. Will take care of your problem, also eats flatworms. You can find those for like $20-30 at LFS.
 

Siebo

Premium member
Sixline will do the job, but in small tank they become terror for other fish. Get yellow wrasse, small, bright, full of life fish. Will take care of your problem, also eats flatworms. You can find those for like $20-30 at LFS.
+1
 

Ajmal C

Member
dont get a mandarin to solve a pod problem. once it eats all the pods, it will starve to death unless you train it to eat frozen or supplement the tank with more pods. mandarin is not a beginner fish...

a sixline will do well in a 20 gallons tank and should hunt for pods.
Love sixlines, had them in my last setup. But as Mark stated they tend to get really aggressive and in a small tank I think they may kick too much butt.

I have gotten finicky fish mainly angels (Majestic angel, Multicolor, Coral beauty) to eat, you just have to let them chill and entice them with goodies (multiple feedings per day with live brine or even brine shrimp or even rods) and then slowly switch them to the healthy stuff (Mysis and proper flake or pellet and keep the rods going).

But I guess Mandarins are notoriously on a another level. Always wanted one but erred on the side of caution.
 

Ajmal C

Member
Sixline will do the job, but in small tank they become terror for other fish. Get yellow wrasse, small, bright, full of life fish. Will take care of your problem, also eats flatworms. You can find those for like $20-30 at LFS.
Thanks Mark, love those guys, are they also known as yellow Coris Wrasse? Are they docile?
 

MMreef

Active member
Yes, that's it, this fish is very peaceful, never bothers anything , it goes about its business looking for pods,etc. Just fyi they need sand to sleep.
 

Ajmal C

Member
Yes, that's it, this fish is very peaceful, never bothers anything , it goes about its business looking for pods,etc. Just fyi they need sand to sleep.
I have mixed fine sand and larger pebbles as well, would that damage them if they burrowed in?
 

Ajmal C

Member
The DIY bottle trap was a bust, left it in for 4 hours was too afraid of nitrogen cycle spikes to leave it in there overnight. I was also secretly hoping some larger bristle worms would crawl in there, but to no avail, lots of lookers but no takers :(
 
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Ajmal C

Member
Thank you [MENTION=84]ColaAddict[/MENTION], [MENTION=454]maidia[/MENTION], [MENTION=513]ADOGG80[/MENTION], [MENTION=502]sullyman[/MENTION], [MENTION=2045]ninjamyst[/MENTION], [MENTION=259]MMreef[/MENTION], [MENTION=1187]Siebo[/MENTION] for all your help and advice. The support alleviated a lot of the stress.

Today the pods were at it again, and wouldn't even get off the plugs after being chased with chopsticks. Not sure why they decided to attack the People Eater Palys, maybe they are more susceptible or not used to my tank yet. I think the PE's are my new favourites

I decided to put them in a hatchery that I had from my guppy rearing days. It does have vents on the bottom, if they decide to actually swim up to the hatchery and climb in through the vents (which would be INSANE on an assassin level) then I will cover the vents up with the lid. Hopefully this temporary solution will hold up till I can get a more permanent solution of a yellow wrasse or maybe just throw in algae wafers for the killer pods to feed on.

Here are some pics of the hatchery:
View attachment 6386
View attachment 6387
 
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sullyman

Member
Good luck but remember they normally only come out at night, might want to check after lights out to make sure none are on the PE's. Do you have any fish you feed?These marine bugs are usually just scavengers. If you go with a yellow coris wrasse it's going be in heaven, and eat like it's at Bob Chinn's,lol.
 

Ajmal C

Member
Good luck but remember they normally only come out at night, might want to check after lights out to make sure none are on the PE's. Do you have any fish you feed?These marine bugs are usually just scavengers. If you go with a yellow coris wrasse it's going be in heaven, and eat like it's at Bob Chinn's,lol.
Hahahahaha. Thanks, yeah just checked, it's lights out now. No pods yet. I have 3 clownfish in there. They don't eat much. The rock and sand are from my previously established 38G aquarium which leaked. Used to heavily feed that tank.

Thinking about the Yellow wrasse. I was wondering about a dilemma though. If the wrasse goes to sleep at night and the pods are most active then, wouldn't it miss out on the protective buffet?
 

sullyman

Member
Wrasses will hunt for the pods during the day, move sand and rubble to find them. Soon after introducing a wrasse your pod problem will be gone.
 

Ajmal C

Member
... and the day after the red PE and blue agave PE had opened up some more.
red PE
View attachment 6517

blue agave
View attachment 6518

hatchery
View attachment 6519

Also purchased a yellow coris/chrysus wrasse yesterday, will post a video shortly. I think it already started eating some pods and most of them are in hiding. So hopefully I can get these guys back out of the hatchery. Its so funny, sleeps at 9:00 sharp (an hour before lights out)and wakes up at 9:30 am half an hour after lights on. Wish I could be as disciplined.
 
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Ajmal C

Member
here is a vid of the yellow coris wrasse and ... yep got another clown, snowflake, it looked so amazing, I just had to get it.
[video=youtube;RZZbOUfuriA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZZbOUfuriA&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 

Ajmal C

Member
Keep up with the WC and parameters :D Looking good, just a heavy bioload.
Yeah you are right Josh, I just couldn't help myself. Am vigilant with water changes and am checking my parameters often, everything seems good thus far. getting some more skimmate in the protein skimmer :)

Well make sure to take evasive action if parameters spike.
 

ninjamyst

Premium member
love how ur clowns swim around so much and not just host a corner in the back of the tank behind some rocks...
 
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