Mandarin Dragonet

nyhcx516x

nyhcx516x

Member
Well, after years of researching, planning, and building my system with the hopes of supporting a Mandarin, I picked mine up from my LFS yesterday.
The setup:
40 breeder tank w/ 40 breeder sump/refuge.
100 pounds of live rock. The rock has been in the tank for about 6 months w/ no preditors. Rock was also in a system with no preditors for several months before I got it - overall, packed with life.
Refuge has lot of the rock, along with cheato and feather capulara.
Mandarin is currently in a 10 gal QT - water was pulled from the main system, along with several bags of filter media that was sitting in the sump for several weeks. Also added some Live Rock from the main system to the QT also.
QT tank has heater and HOB filter.
While I am confidant that the main system has enough LR to support a sustainable copepod population, I am going to attempt to train him on frozen food, using the method explained here: SWF.com Article
 
nyhcx516x

nyhcx516x

Member
Fuzzy pic of him in QT... fed again tonite, and he seemed to go after the cyclopeez after it settled on the rock and bottom.
 
jpa0741

jpa0741

Member
Originally Posted by ifirefight
http:///forum/post/3007970
No need to QT a mandrin.

If you read his whole post you will see that he is also trying to train this fish to eat frozen. It sounds like he is doing everything right to give this fish the best chance of striving in his system. Bravo for doing your homework.

FYI. If anyone is trying to keep an ich free system you must qt EVERYTHING wet if you want to have any chance. Not that I do this but it is the best way.
 
nyhcx516x

nyhcx516x

Member
If you read his whole post you will see that....
Indeed. Its food taining boot camp!!
The other fish in the system are a very shy yellow watchman goby (no issues there), and a small clown, who is all over the place. He isnt aggressive, but he goes after food fast. Training without competition is the key of what I am doing here.
Looks decent so far, im going to feed again soon this morning, and hopefully he will eat again. From the start, he had interest in the cyclopeeze. If this holds up, im very happy. But i am thinking... can it be this easy? I am not one to usually luck out with *anything*. I do have a store that has a supply of live brine shrimp that I was going to use if he was being picky.. and mix the shrimp with frozen... and work it that way. But really, lucking out? I dunno yet, time will tell.
(by the way jpa0741 - love your system, I watched its build intently!)
 
coastie81

coastie81

Member
Originally Posted by Eric B 125
http:///forum/post/3008180
why not?
they cannot get ICH, that is what I hear. I have one in a 110 with plenty of pods and I just put him right in. Just my .02, maybe some else could pipe up why they don't get ich?
 
nyhcx516x

nyhcx516x

Member
Originally Posted by coastie81
http:///forum/post/3008233
they cannot get ICH, that is what I hear. I have one in a 110 with plenty of pods and I just put him right in. Just my .02, maybe some else could pipe up why they don't get ich?
I think it is because of the thick oil/mucus they secrete as a covering all over their bodies.
 
jpa0741

jpa0741

Member
Originally Posted by coastie81
http:///forum/post/3008233
they cannot get ICH, that is what I hear. I have one in a 110 with plenty of pods and I just put him right in. Just my .02, maybe some else could pipe up why they don't get ich?
True. They are not likely to get ich because of their slime as stated. But as I was saying it is still possible to transfer ich into your system if you do not qt and treat anyway. Any water on any fish can contain the ich parasite. That is why I say the only true way to keep an ich free system is to qt anything wet. I don't do this as I find it not practical.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
That is why I say the only true way to keep an ich free system is to qt anything wet. I don't do this as I find it not practical
I don't get it....You say to qt anything that's wet....but you don't do it
 
jpa0741

jpa0741

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3008417
I don't get it....You say to qt anything that's wet....but you don't do it

I beleive if I keep my fish stress free and keep water quality near perfect any problems the fish will fight off on their own. If I was to qt everything I add to my tank it would take me 5 years to get where I am at now. You have to qt rock and coral sepreate from fish. If you add anything new to the qt within the 6 weeks time you have to start the 6 weeks over.
I do dip new coral in interceptor and TMPCC. If I find anything that looks odd, in the trash it goes.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by jpa0741
http:///forum/post/3008428
I beleive if I keep my fish stress free and keep water quality near perfect any problems the fish will fight off on their own. If I was to qt everything I add to my tank it would take me 5 years to get where I am at now. You have to qt rock and coral sepreate from fish. If you add anything new to the qt within the 6 weeks time you have to start the 6 weeks over.
I do dip new coral in interceptor and TMPCC. If I find anything that looks odd, in the trash it goes.
OH, OK...Well I do not have a qt either...I guess I have been lucky, but I also strive to keep my water at its best, as I am sure everyone does.
I am just starting to add corals...I will have to look into this dip stuff...
 
uneverno

uneverno

Active Member
Keep us posted - I'm anxious to see the results. I wanna keep one of these guys myself, but my Angel keeps eating my pods
I've started a pod hatchery, but if I could get them on frozen, that'd be awesome.
 
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