Finally got my mandarin!

[itom37]

Well, the LFS finally had a mandarin that was eating frozen. I'm very excited. I was concerned that my setup might not sustain a mandarin in the long term without eating frozen, so I've waited... and waited and waited. Today they finally had one. He's a gorgeous little guy.
So my setup is:
55 gallons, set up for 10 months.
80 lbs live rock
sump with about a 10 gallon refuge area (chaeto and 10lbs rubble)
tons of pods of many varieties
and no pod-competitors (at least i've not seen them eating pods)
2 firefish
tomato clown
LMB
So I figure between the good pod population I have and feedings of vitamin soaked mysis and brine, he should be ok.

 

[keith burn]

That is sweet i love

mandarin

 

[air_putih]

take a pic pleasee...

 

[itom37]

Here he is. The white stuff on the head and fins is and attached to his mucous from the move. It's gone now. I watched sideways last night, and I think that Paul Giamatti looks a lot like a mandarin goby, so that will be this guy's name.

 

[browniebuck]

Congrats...I love mine...they are so fun to watch as they hover around the tank "stalking" their pods.
Is it male (long spiny dorsal fin) or female (rounded short dorsal fin)?

 

[kanicky]

I think almost all fish eat copepods... I know Gobies do, and Firefish are Gobies. My two Black False Percs will pick them off the glass...
Anyway, with that said, congrats! It's really hard to find a Mandarin that's eating frozen

 

[itom37]

browniebuck: it's a male, by your description... thanks for that by the way, good to know.
Kanicky: Yeah, it seems like most would pick at them. I had a diamond goby that was absolutely annihilating my pods, but since he's now gone the population has rebounded very nicely. I never see the other fish eating pods, but they certainly may be. Hopefully between the frozen and the microfauna Paul Giamatti will do well.