My Gravel's Alive

[richard t]

Have just closely examined the substrate in my tank (peculiarly for the first time, never really had an interest before) and it's a whole different world down there.

What looks to be a juvenile brittle star - central disc, five legs, but white in colour and a whole host of little critters which can be best described to look like dustmites - greyish in colour, probably 1mm in size.

Is this healthy or am I plagued? Could this be a nice little food source for my Mandarin?

 

[Navarre]

Completely normal. Nothing to be worried over. This is how the sand becomes live and is the start of your tank trying to become a full eco system.

 

[richard t]

Thanks - good to know no worries. Hope I don't look at the gravel more than the tank now.

I know my Mandarin will probably prefer natural food, could this be a source for him?

 

[Navarre]

Mandarins a primarily Pod feeders and although your tank probably has them, you will find the sand is high in brittlestar and bristleworm populations. Both of these are not in the diet of a mandarin. Mandarins require huge amounts of liverock (roughly 50lbs) so that the rock can produce enough pods to sustain a mandarin. Unless you are lucky enough to have a mandarin that will feed on frozen food i would say that its probably going to starve This is especially so if the tank is new because its not mature enough to produce a stable population of pods.

 

[Tiggs]

either you have had a tank for 12 months and never seen pods before - or you have added a mandarin too soon and it will most likely die.

 

[richard t]

No worries on the Manderin front. Seen him feeding Brine Shrimp alive+frozen, Mysis also taken. No warnings were given upon purchase? So in future i think fish requirments should be found out first. I think myself lucky he take's frozen food ) . If i could also ask, Do you think he eats frozen food due to being a TMC fish??? .( Taggs Ive never seen pods before or been told about them! This is why i am here to learn and absorb as quickly as i can, For the benifit of my tank and it's occupants.)

 

[Navarre]

Not all TMC mandarins are Tank bred, in fact i dont even think they have a captive breeding program for them. There are shops that do obtain tank bred mandarins from suppliers however.