I want a Mandarin

aftrhrs

aftrhrs

Member
I am looking at getting a Mandarin for my next fish purchase.
See sig. for current set-up. I am going tomorrow to buy approximately 30 more lbs. of live rock bringing my total up to just over 70lbs. I read somewhere that you need approximately 100lbs of live rock and your tank needs to be set-up for a year?
Well, my tank is currently going on 6months and I have not lost any occupants as of yet outside of my emerald crab killing off a few hermits and my starfish eating another starfish. Do you all think it will be ok or should I wait another 6 months?
 
sea goblin

sea goblin

Member
do you have a fuge that you can use to "grow" pods? if you do then i say it should be ok, if not though, it probably would be better to have just a little bit more. I have never owned one, but i understand that they can depleat a tank of pods in short time. It might be good to wait and get a few more opinions though, because like i said i havent had any experiance with them.
Sea Goblin
 
aftrhrs

aftrhrs

Member
I am currently designing a refugium and plan on stocking it with caulerpa. When you say pods is there something special I need to put in the refugium as well and where do I get it?
 
derrikd

derrikd

Member
pods are the little white critters that swim in your sand or CC... the mandarin will only eat these. so if your tank is not well established the mandarin will run out of food fast and die. i would wait at least a year for a mandarin IMO.
 
aftrhrs

aftrhrs

Member
I have pods running around my tank right now. I was wondering what they were called. I think my cleaner shrimp is scarfing them up tho, he seems to get all excited when he comes across them. Do cleaner shrimps eat pods as well?
 
katara

katara

Member
My mandarin just kept getting tubbier & tubbier off of a diet of pods and live brine.Sadly, after 2 weeks of thinking a mantis had gotten my mandarin, my roomate found it behind my tank.I had no idea they were jumpers!!Anyone else heard of this?
As for your question I would wait till your tank &lr is established for at least 8 months.
 
killafins

killafins

Active Member
yes, i have heard stories about mandarins taking the jump. i'm sorry that happened, they are beautiful fish. It had to be a small one, right? The older ones are too lazy to carry their big weight. the small ones are too lazy too but it happens. Most of the times thesehapen is when the mandarin or any fish is getting chased and one thing leads to another.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
mandarins are bottom dwellers and have no swim bladder, so you generally do not see them swimming in the column or jumping. NOT that they cannot, but generally you dont see it. If one jumped, like mentioned, it was probably bc something happened.
 
killafins

killafins

Active Member
they are bottom dwellars but mine visits the entire tank from the surface to inside the rockwork. It's a very active fish.
 
wrassecal

wrassecal

Active Member
If you are adding 30# of lr at once to your already 70# I would wait a few months before adding the mandarin. For one thing even with cured rock adding almost 50% more rock could cause a mini cycle. Even if it doesn't you probably need about three more months to build up the pod population. Just having a refugium with caulerpa will grow a lot of pods! My mandarin only eats pds and live baby brine we feed once a week just to be sure. A lot of people buy big mandarins but I bought a small one even though it was going in with 90# of lr. Good luck with your patience holding out ;)
 
ekclark

ekclark

Member
I agree with just about everybody. I was in the same position you are in back in December. My tank was 6 months old, I had 115# lr, dsb, and a brand new refuge. I decided the tank was good enough to add one of these...I wish I hadn't. He is still alive, but he looks really skinny and his fins are ragged. I sometimes even take him out and put him in the refuge to feast. Anyway...I can't believe that after being so patient about everything I caved and joined the long list of people who have mistreated or killed this beautiful fish. Just wait. It'll be September before you know it.
 
aftrhrs

aftrhrs

Member
Thanks for all of the help. I have decided to wait and get it later. I have over 70# of LR now. I was checking out my sump closely last night and I have so many pods running around on the glass that I couldn't count them all. Well over 50 and counting.....
 
maroonclownfan

maroonclownfan

Member
Mandarins need a large supply of food.
Wait a little while, but it sounds like you have a good setup to support one. Just let it mature and get that refugium going.
Good luck.......MCF
 
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