mandarin gobie

[spacemonkey]

I saw the most beautiful manderine gobie today at the lfs, my tank has been up and running since feb 03. I have about 60lbs of live rock. Will the gobie survive if i buy him? I had plans to wait but patience is not a virtue i posses. I will wait if it's going to die, but if i can get him now i'd really like to. any info or opinions would be great!

 

[nas19320]

Do you have a fuge?

 

[nm reef]

Mandarian dragonettes are a very popular fish but most folks don't relise just how difficult they can be to maintain(especially if the proper environment is not provided). The basics would be a stable mature system with a fairly large amount of LR...and a large population of pods that can be self sustaining(able to replenish itself). The vast majority of manderians will eat only pods...very few will learn to accept other foods...so you'll need to have a large pod population to keep one healthy. I'd suggest you do as much research on them as you can...and look at developing a refugium to help provide a constant food source. They can be extremely rewarding additions...but they must have proper conditions to thrive.

 

[spacemonkey]

well, I bought a coral beauty instead, I'm going to wait and get the mandarin. So as of right now i have a Gold Striped maroon clown, a blue damsel, and my new coral beauty... who seems to keep trying the clowns patience... are coral beauties normally so bold? he/she is trying to take over the clowns cave keeps fluffing up the feathers and shaking at him... my clown just sits and looks at it as if to say "look buddy get lost before i lose my patience" anyways thanks for the advice, i'll hold off on the gobie... but i got another question...
what do you guys know of the swales swissguard basslet, i'd like to make that my next addition... or a sixline wrasse... tks
55g fowlr
65lbs live rock
1 maroon clown
1 blue damsel
1 coral beauty

 

[saltylakes]

i have had a M Goby for well over 2 and a half years in my 55 gallon and seen him double in size.
I have well over 200 pds of rock and everytime my lights turn on in the morning I see hundreds of PODS running for safety.
I also happen to have the luck in that he eats live brine shrimp. This is supposedly very rare. I don't have a fuge and i dont believe in those devices either.
I would advise you to wait a few more months and look out for an increase in pods.
Also stack your tank to the top with live rock.

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, If you really want a mandarin fish, I would go to florida-aqua-farms.com and get yourself a large quantity of amphipods to place in your tank. I would try to buy at least a hundred of these....more if you can afford it. If you have a sump, try to place some in there and feed them some sinking alge waffers. I grew a culture once in a ten gallon tank to feed some seahorses once. They reproduce well, but very slowly. If you put all of them in the tank they may be all eaten before they reproduce in a large enough number. Live brine shrimp can also be used to suppliment the diet, but I have read that they do not contain all the fatty acids necessary to keep them healthy as a sole diet. I have always wanted a mandarin, but have not purchased one because of their dietary needs. I have read that these guys will not take non-living food, but I could be wrong. Do mandarins eat algae too? All I know is what I have read about these beautiful fish.
Good luck, Lesley

 

[broncofish]

Originally posted by saltylakes
This is supposedly very rare. I don't have a fuge and i dont believe in those devices either.

No I assure you, they are quite real. It's the tooth fairy that I have trouble believing in (Just kidding with yasaltylakes) IF you don't believe in them, how do you explain the incredible success of Bang Guys system. Back to the madarin I would say waiting is a good thing.