Green Mand.

[freeride7]

My LFS has a few nice looking green manderins......was wondering a little about them? Are they fairly hardy......do they do best in pairs?
My tank has been been up and running for 6 weeks, all levels are good and I would be putting it in with a few green chromis?
Any info would help.
TS

 

[moopiespoo]

mandarins and dragonets need lots of live rock w/ copepods and usually won't survive in a tank thats been established for less than one year. I learned this the hard way.

 

[bullshark]

I second the comments from moopiespoo. Mandarins eat amphapods and copepods which only really live in/on live rock. Without an ample supply of these, the Mandarin will slowly starve to death. I would estimate most people who buy a Mandarin do not know of the special requirements. Most do not make it very long.....

 

[terminus est]

6 weeks is no where near enough time for pods to build up. Before you get him you should also consider a refugium to have an uncontested source of pods if it eats all the ones in your tank. Fortunately my 65 has about 100 pounds of LR and a fuge so my madarin(Buffet ) isnt running short on food. I think the formula that someone worked up and is highly accurate is 100 pounds of LR per mandarin.
As to your other question, you can put multiples in but make sure only one is a male or they will sometimes fight.
It also helps at the LFS to make them show you them feeding it. Occassionally one will accept frozen food or even flake food on super rare occassions. Mine will also eat frozen copods.

 

[melissa v.]

so basically what everyone is saying is if you buy it, you will be responsible for it's death (sorry i'm a blunt speaking kinda person )
melissa v.

 

[freeride7]

comments noted. Kool looking fish but I will wait........thanks