Mandarin Gobies-Food?

[fishfriend]

We have been told that Mandarin Gobies eat different things but don't know which to believe? Is there food to purchase for these cool fish or do they need to be put in a VERY ESTABLISHED tank and eat crustaceans?
HELP!!!

 

[bang guy]

Most will only eat live small crustaceans, larvae, and Ostracodes. Once in a while one will learn to accept frozen food but this is not often.

 

[cprdnick]

Originally posted by Bang Guy
Most will only eat live small crustaceans, larvae, and Ostracodes. Once in a while one will learn to accept frozen food but this is not often.
Pods.:yes:
A very established tank, with an established colony of Copepods, Amphipods, and Isopods have been the more successful habitats for these fish. Some will accept other store bought foods, but it is not worth risking if you don't have any pods for them to eat while you are trying to get them used to the store bought.
BTW: even if you can get them to eat store bought, that doesn't mean it holds the proper nutritional value.

 

[terrance]

I heard that someone got about 5 mandarins to successfully eat cyclop-eeze, a frozen food. Anyone else heard of this?

 

[jnc]

I have heard of cyclop-eeze being a good substitue to Pods as well... However, some do, some don't...
The best answer is LOTS of LR and maybe a gravity fed Refugium with Macros and LR. That will be a constant source for Pods, which is more natural.
Either or... I've been told that it's literally a "Flip of a coin" as to whether it will take cyclop-eeze..

 

[klongo]

where do the pods start from - are they just a natural effect of having the LR or are they seeded? My long-term goal is a mandarin. I currently have 45 pounds of LR and 30 pounds of base rock. When I move to a larger tank next year, I plan on adding another 45 pounds of LR and 40 or so of base rock.
And, how would you know if you have them?

 

[lovethesea]

A min of 100 lbs of LR. You can see them (VERY small) on the rock worK and even floating around in the water. Do a search here on pods or copepods others have posted pics.

 

[lovethesea]

cprdnick----Isopods? I thought those were the bad ones :notsure: Look like aliens that bore into the fish and eventually kill them.

 

[beachbumtx]

Originally posted by lovethesea
cprdnick----Isopods? I thought those were the bad ones :notsure: Look like aliens that bore into the fish and eventually kill them.
Hiya!,
Well, you sure don't want parasitic isopods. They will lay on the bottom waiting for a fish to eat them. Once that happens they attach to the tongue and gills. They eat the red parts of the gills. NO BUENO!

 

[bang guy]

No no no, not the Cirolanid Isopod. He's talking about the Bathynomus giganteus.

 

[lovethesea]

HOLY COW!!! Please say that is a very mature one.
The one that Kip got from his tank was really small.
Where the heck did someone get that thing? It looks like it
could eat a small child.
So there are good isopods? I need to go back a read abou them again.