Ruby Red Dragonet

[alysak6075]

I have a Ruby Red dragonet . its been in my tank (54g corner, 40 lb of LR) for a month now. I also have a small refugium in my tank that i keep cheato that i seeded with pods.
The fish is active and keeps picking at the sand and rock all the time. My question is: how can i tell if it is healthy? Does it get enough food. it seems to be picking at pods all the time, im just not sure if its enough food for it. It wont eat any frozen foods.

Thank you for any advice!

 

[IHaveCrabs]

Good sign is a fat belly. Otherwise he is probably getting hungry.

A good way to check if the is ample food is to take a flashlight to the tank a few hours after lights out or before they come back on and you should see lots of pods around the base of rocks or in the rock crevasses.

 

[Neebles]

You will probably need to keep seeding the tank with pods. Some will say a 54 is a little small to sustain the necessary population of pods. Just make sure he stays fat.

 

[alysak6075]

Thanx for the reply guys! How do u tell if the dragonet is fat or not, it doesn't have a bulging belly but its not caved in either. Well if I have to keep seeding i guess i will. The guy at the LFS said they ate frozen shrimp, but it wont come near it in the tank.

 

[Neebles]

What kind of frozen shrimp did the LFS say?

 

[alysak6075]

What kind of frozen shrimp did the LFS say?

they said mysis

 

[Neebles]

Ok if you get desperate, I know for a fact they eat baby brine shrimp...they have to be babies as they lose their nutrients as adults. Hatching them isn't hard, it's just time consuming I guess. Here is a link to a DIY baby brine mandarin feeder. This guy knows his stuff and has had his reef tank going for 35 or so years. Check it out. http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

 

[alysak6075]

Ok if you get desperate, I know for a fact they eat baby brine shrimp...they have to be babies as they lose their nutrients as adults. Hatching them isn't hard, it's just time consuming I guess. Here is a link to a DIY baby brine mandarin feeder. This guy knows his stuff and has had his reef tank going for 35 or so years. Check it out. http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

Awesome thank you!!! not desperate, just want to take proper care of my fish thank you for your help!

 

[Neebles]

There is a dude on another forum that sells pods by the Litre, and 2 Litre bottles...very good price. Shoot me a pm and I can give you the forum and his name....

 

[fishtank44]

My is never want to eat Mysis shrimp I have it in my 29 gal Refu tank with some cheato in Refu but it is still alive after maybe 3 weeks and healthy I Saw some
pods in Cheato I am not sure fish eat
pods or not .

 

[jeffy]

What the hell!! Post a pic of the baby guy!