What Are Dragonets and What Are Copepods? How Do I Get Copepods For My Dragonets?
As you are stocking your aquarium you will come across interesting varieties of Gobies and Blennies.
You are probably looking at Dragonets.
These fish are entertaining to watch and are a fun addition to your aquarium.
It is important to understand their needs so you can care for them properly.
Read on for more information on how to have a happy thriving Dragonet in your aquarium.
What is a Dragonet? You have probably heard the names Scooter Blenny and Mandarin Goby, which are the commonly used names in the aquarium hobby.
These scooters and mandarins actually belong to a family of fish called Dragonets.
They are neither Goby (Family Gobiidae) nor Blenny (Suborder Blennioidae), but belong to the family Callionymidae.
Though they should be referred to as Scooter and/or Mandarin Dragonets, we often use the common names to describe them.
It is important to recognize them as part of a different taxon because of their different diets and lifestyles.
What is that Dragonet eating? During the day you will probably notice the Dragonet motoring around the tank, apparently 'pecking' or 'kissing' the rocks and surfaces in the tank.
Many of the dragonets we keep in the hobby (such as the blue/green Mandarin, or the Red Scooter blenny) are carnivorous 'pod' consumers.
Typically they are eating little critters called Copepods, one of the largest biomass (and yet smallest in physical size) of animals in the world! Most of the critters your fish are eating are adult copepods of many different types with their sizes ranging from 0.
1mm in length to 2mm.
This is what your fish is normally eating even though it appears they are not catching anything.
These critters are often visible to the trained or attentive eye.
They are much easier to spot in an un-frequented region of the aquarium or in Refugium.
How do I get Copepods to live in my aquarium? Keeping a healthy and plentiful population of pods alive in your aquarium is important for your fish.
The low flows of a Refugium without fish and with lots of plants will help farm pods for your fish.
Dosing phytoplankton into the aquarium will also feed these critters and help to keep them abundant.
The phytoplankton will also benefit your corals and other filter feeders as well.
Where did that Dragonet disappear to now? You may notice that occasionally these fish bury themselves in the substrate.
They do this to protect their delicate bodies while they sleep or to protect their bodies if they need to heal.
Some species of dragonet are even sand dwellers and almost sand shifters in the process.
For these reasons, it is important to use a fine or soft sand bed in your aquarium.
It will be helpful if you know what to look for so you know if the critters you are seeing are helpful or harmful.
You are probably looking at Dragonets.
These fish are entertaining to watch and are a fun addition to your aquarium.
It is important to understand their needs so you can care for them properly.
Read on for more information on how to have a happy thriving Dragonet in your aquarium.
What is a Dragonet? You have probably heard the names Scooter Blenny and Mandarin Goby, which are the commonly used names in the aquarium hobby.
These scooters and mandarins actually belong to a family of fish called Dragonets.
They are neither Goby (Family Gobiidae) nor Blenny (Suborder Blennioidae), but belong to the family Callionymidae.
Though they should be referred to as Scooter and/or Mandarin Dragonets, we often use the common names to describe them.
It is important to recognize them as part of a different taxon because of their different diets and lifestyles.
What is that Dragonet eating? During the day you will probably notice the Dragonet motoring around the tank, apparently 'pecking' or 'kissing' the rocks and surfaces in the tank.
Many of the dragonets we keep in the hobby (such as the blue/green Mandarin, or the Red Scooter blenny) are carnivorous 'pod' consumers.
Typically they are eating little critters called Copepods, one of the largest biomass (and yet smallest in physical size) of animals in the world! Most of the critters your fish are eating are adult copepods of many different types with their sizes ranging from 0.
1mm in length to 2mm.
This is what your fish is normally eating even though it appears they are not catching anything.
These critters are often visible to the trained or attentive eye.
They are much easier to spot in an un-frequented region of the aquarium or in Refugium.
How do I get Copepods to live in my aquarium? Keeping a healthy and plentiful population of pods alive in your aquarium is important for your fish.
The low flows of a Refugium without fish and with lots of plants will help farm pods for your fish.
Dosing phytoplankton into the aquarium will also feed these critters and help to keep them abundant.
The phytoplankton will also benefit your corals and other filter feeders as well.
Where did that Dragonet disappear to now? You may notice that occasionally these fish bury themselves in the substrate.
They do this to protect their delicate bodies while they sleep or to protect their bodies if they need to heal.
Some species of dragonet are even sand dwellers and almost sand shifters in the process.
For these reasons, it is important to use a fine or soft sand bed in your aquarium.
It will be helpful if you know what to look for so you know if the critters you are seeing are helpful or harmful.
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