Feeding a Mandrin

[chaplain]

I know that mandrins eat stuff off of live rock, but will they also eat frozen foods? My lfs said they have food for a mandrin. My wife really wants one (she says it looks cool) and she thinks my young sons will like it. (And as any good man knows you have to keep the wife happy ). So anyway, what can I feed it? Thanks

 

[ironreef]

I would ask them to feed the manderine. I have had 2 manderines= I watched them eat first =brine. My tank(120g) has alot of pods or did but I have a healthy refugium (10g) And a sump(49g) with lr with pods and i still wanted on that ate = Just like all my fish I ever buy.

 

[kelly]

Chaplain,
Even if it eats brine, that is not enough. Ask them what else it eats. You really should not get one unless you have enough copepods, and other little "critters" for it to eat. Like IronReef said, have the LFS feed it, but not the brine.

 

[twoods71]

I have a red scooter bleenie that is somewhat similar to a manderine.
He loves the live brine and will sometimes take frozen squid.
Of course I have a decent amount of LR for him also.
I agree with the above post in that if you can see him eat something other then live brine you will probably be OK.

 

[nosmada]

i think i would definately get your LR stock up nicely and let your tank mature for a good time before adding a manderine. get your pod population up there.
just my .02
chris

 

[wrigley11]

Mandrins will usually eat black worms but you have to be carefull with these.
1. They live in there own waste and sometimes the population or ball of worms, yes they call a population a ball, will also contain leeches. You need to clean the container contain the worms very well before feeding and make sure there are no leeches or dead worms.
2. The worms are a land animal the mandrins don't usually eat. They can actually eat to many of these and die from it.
Also I would suggest never feeding just normal brine shrimp... it would be like you eating just rice cakes. They really don't get anything from it. You can make the brine better by using salcon or some other suppliment. Just let the brine eat this stuff before you feed them to the fish. However feed the brine in a seperate source so you don't cause to much waste to build up in the container the brine live in.
The brine change color after eating this stuff so it easy to tell. When they have eaten.
Hope this helps.

 

[kimmisue]

Originally posted by Chaplain:
<STRONG>I know that mandrins eat stuff off of live rock, but will they also eat frozen foods? My lfs said they have food for a mandrin. My wife really wants one (she says it looks cool) and she thinks my young sons will like it. (And as any good man knows you have to keep the wife happy ). So anyway, what can I feed it? Thanks</STRONG>
I have to say PROVE IT to your LFS
Manderins don't EAT normal foods....Usually
That is why so many people are up in arms about keeping them Unless your tank is established with many pods (bugs) in it your not going to have luck with it and it will die as so many have....
Some people are lucky and they have one that will nibble on other foods ...but even then it isn't enough to maintain them for long.
Kim
[ November 16, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmisue ]

 

[ironreef]

If it won't eat brine it won't eat prepared. Most won't eat brine. But if you use brine you soak it in selcon. That probally has more nutrition than most frozon/flake foods. But I stil would get one unless you have a refugium. i just wanted one that would eat brine = won't be as picky and may take to mysis or any other foods years later.

 

[flydan]

Hey,
One other thing to concider. Even if you see a Manderin eating frozen food at the lfs you need to concider what other fish are in your tank. Manderin's are not aggressive feeders so your other fish may eat all the food before it gets a chance to eat. I would recommend a reef setting with lots of lr that's been established for at least a year and no aggressive tank mates. (Also no other fish that graze on pods.)
HTH

 

[mikecoral]

I have t20 manderins , ive had them for a while now. they seem healthy. i dont feed them, but they always seem to be eating.

 

[predator]

Any man is going to what he wants to do. Know this a smart man learns from his mistakes but a wise man will learn from anothers. Be wise and be sure your tank has been established for awhile before getting a manderine. Some will adapt to eating other stuff but it is rare.My first one died, but my secound one will eat flake food???Good luck...

 

[mushroom boy]

Mandarins have a very specialized diet - mostly copepods (juveniles in particular). Yes, there are examples of them taking prepared foods in captivity, but that is FAR from the norm. Before you consider getting one, make sure that your tank can sustain it. A good amount of live rock (ballpark 100 lbs), DSB and a refugium in a well established tank (i.e., over a year) would be considered minimal requirements to keeping one of these beauties IMO.