finally taking the great mandarin jump

[pegasus]

Good point , dump was a bad choice of words lol

I knew what you meant... lol! I was reading her post and it sounded like she was putting a good bit of food in different spots. One thing that I will suggest, don't put food out for the crabs, as they are scavengers. You want them to clean your tank, not learn to become accustomed to you feeding them. Not all food gets eaten, so they will find plenty to eat without your assistance. Any food that stays in the tank starts to decay almost immediately, so feed sparingly... unless you like doing frequent water changes.

 

[jay0705]

The one "tip" is boost your cuc.shrimp, crabs, certain snails, Bristle worms. This will help clean up your extra food. In my main draggonet tank I use hermits, nassrious snails, Bristle worms, pep shrimp, skunk cleaner shrimp. I did this on purpose bc I knew I may have to feed a bit more to the draggonets, now they chase it down like wolves lol but a good cuc is still good to have. I do have to add more hermits , there lacking due to my mantis shrimp I believe lol

 

[pinky327]

I want to eventually just add her food to the feeders that way I'm containing it and can get a better feel as to how much is enough/too much. But she is so so skiddish that I was afraid she won't eat enough if I didn't put food out on the back rocks. I'll go ahead a stop that. I only have snails and hermits, I have concerns about shrimp I have a friend whos shrimp snaps at everything so I was just avoiding them I just got a new order of snails and hermits I'll bump up my number, but as far as hermits go I can't seem to keep more that 4 at once or they fight. And its not for shells I keep more than enough and even add the preferred shape of the right sizes for each, I really like my crabs they are my pets too not just my cc. But I don't go out of my way to feed them they just are getting a bunch with all of the extra food for the mandarin. Which I have bump up water changes too I was only do 8 gallons every other week but now I doing every week as to help with the over feeding.

Some good news I went to put in a mix of frozen and pellets to the jar this morning when tbe lights were out cause i will be gone all day, well I didn't see until I poked her but she was sleeping in the feeder! So I guess she ate herself to sleep last night. I felt so bad waking her up like that and of course she swam off. I didn't poke hard just the tub I use to deliver food touched her a little. But I'm happy she was in there I totally didn't expect her to sleep in it!! Also I got some nice swimming displays out of her yesterday until she saw me of course but she was out full finned flashing herself I was very happy to see that. I really hope she get use to me I hate not being able to see her and get good pictures. My tank is in the living room and I have a chair right next to it I normally sit there and watch it everyday but she hides when I do... She also hides when I add food then slowly comes out that's why I give up on feeding her directly. But maybe when she gets use to the tank this will change.

 

[jay0705]

Its intresting she is skittish, none of mine are. It could be bc she is the only fish rt now.

 

[pinky327]

Maybe but she was this way in the holding tank when she could see my Damsel. Like when I would go to add food she would dart back and forth and practically smash into the walls to get away it always made me feel so bad. And I had rocks and stuff in with her to make her less stressed. But being in the display has lessened this she still swims away when she see me just at her own pace now. Idk I was thinking maybe she needs to get comfortable I had thought being a peaceful fish she would benefit from being alone, but I may be wrong

 

[jay0705]

Most fish like company I think. The whole safety on numbers thing. I know it seems like I keep telling you get more fish lol. Once u do she should get better.

 

[pinky327]

Well getting more fish isn't the worst thing to hear in this hobby!! So then what everyone's opinion if I added more fish should I get another mandarin or a different kind? I did lots of research about mandarins in tanks but never into their wild life. Do the girls live in groups with 1 dude or do they pair up 1 male 1 female??

I have read stories of a male and female pair not working out, one will pick on the other one so I'm guessing it is a personality thing like you just gotta get the right ones to have a happy couple.

 

[jay0705]

The one fish u can not keep w green mandarins is a spotted mandarin. There more aggressive. My male chased my female the day I added her, not since. Now my male scooter will chase the female scooter on and off. Fine w mandarin tho. Another female idk have never tried. Since ur dedicated to there needs, u could try a scooter blenny, red scooter or ruby red.

 

[silverado61]

I wonder if it would be possible to train a manderin to eat freshly hatched brine shrimp. They're about the size of copepods.

 

[jay0705]

Ha ha train? No need, they would gobble um up

 

[pinky327]

My little girl loves loves loves her BBS I used the feeder designed by Paul B it was simple to make and it tool no time for her to eat them all up. They are they only thing I think I know she's eating all of, with other foods she pecks here and there but BBS are her fav!

 

[jay0705]

Live baby brine is basically a pod. When u look at say a pod vs a brine the adult shrimp is huge lol. However when training they generally eat brine rt away. It must resemble amphapods, something else people dont realize mandys eat.

 

[silverado61]

Sounds like it would simpler and more economical to just breed your own BBS. A lot easier than ordering pods and waiting for them to be shipped.

 

[jay0705]

Idk if nutrionaly there the same tho

 

[silverado61]

BBS are full of nutrition. As they get older they start to lose it though. But not totally.

 

[jay0705]

Ah ok

 

[pinky327]

we're still here going strong i finally got a good look at her belly today and i am happy to say there is no longer an indent she was never extremely skinny but i could see a clear indent in her stomach when i first got her!!!!!

this has me doing the happy dance she eats from both the BBS feeder and the diner that is full of a mix of frozen's and pellets everyday. she is so comfortable with the diner that i have found her multiple times in the morning sleeping in it. So this is just great. She is slowly and i mean slower than a snail slowly getting use to me, i can sit still and she will do her thing while i watch but once i move she darts to the back but only on medium speed. i havent been able to get any real good pics recently but here she is in the diner back on the 12th. she still hasnt really taken to mysis shrimp, but loves reef plankton and cyclops. i am looking for a companion for her but nothing so far.

 

[pegasus]

She's looking good! Great job on taking good care of her! Just give her time to get used to her new environment, and most of all, you. I've had my male over two years, and he will still swim away from me if I get too close. He doesn't give the other fish a second glance, but if I move too fast, he's gone. I've accepted that that's how it's always going to be, but every once in awhile he'll let me get fairly close, like when he's concentrating on a piece of food. They aren't like other fish, so don't expect her to swim up to greet you, even at feeding time. They are what they are... and I'm okay with that.

 

[pinky327]

ugh minor set back. bumped up my CC and got a few larger hermits, these guys have been chowing down on my diner they really dont leave it alone! i just jacked it up on a few small rocks to where they might not get in, but this means i have no clue if she got to eat any. At least i know she ate lots of bbs even hatched extra for today just in case.

Random thought will the brine shrimp that escape live in my tank?

 

[jay0705]

Good to hear. Hermits will find any easy food lol. Bbs, I would think they would get eaten or die from lack of food