Mandarin Goby Help

[kaptnskipy]

HI EVERYONE
WELL I FINALLY DECIDED TO ASK YOU ALL FOR SOME ADVISE ON MADARIN GOBYS. THE ISSUES IS THAT I HAVE HAD SEVERAL AND THEY WILL NOT LAST MORE THAN TWO MONTHS, BUT I LOVE HOW THEY LOOK AND HOW THEY INTEREACT IN THE TANK. I THINK THEY HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY. ANYHOW I HAVE LIVE ROCK AND NO AGRESSIVE FISH. I TRIED FEEDING THE GOBYS FLAKES, LIVE WORMS, KRILL, BRINE AND THEY STILL DIE. I ALWAYS CHECK THE WATER LEVELS SO ON SO FORTH AND STILL NO LUCK. SO I WAS HOPING MAYBE SOMEONE CAN GIVE ADVISE OF ANY GOOD EXPERIENCES ANY OF YOU HAVE HAD WITH GOBYS.
PS I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES WITH SEA APPLES?
THANKS
HOPE YOU ALL HELP...

 

[bang guy]

Hi,
It will help the older of us if you don't type in all caps. it's very difficult to read.
In my opinion if you have 100 pounds of live rock or more per Dragonette then they are fairly easy to keep in an established reef system. If not, then they are nearly impossible to keep. Never keep more than one male.

 

[reefermadness]

IF you go to get another i would ask the lfs to feed them
and pick the one that eats it worked for me
i have a decent pod population but i still see him eating mysis shrimp
paul

 

[adrian]

I agree, the easiest way to keep a mandarin is to get one that is feeding or train one to feed, they will take to adult brine and mysis shrimp, live or frozen, but they must be fed often, at least once a day if not twice. They eat a lot and it dosnt take long for them to starve. Sea apples are said to be very toxic, which is why they are so brightly colored. It has been said that if one dies a violent death, such as getting caught in a powerhead, that the apple will release toxins as a defense mechanism which can posion your tank. Its also been said that an apple can release eggs which are deadly if eaten by fish. I have never kept one, and honestly dont know how toxic they are, but I do know they are filter feeders and most starve to death in captivity, if one were to be kept it would do best in a mature system where it would recieve frequent feedings of phytoplankton. HTH

 

[rickster]

I have lost two mandies and never been able to keep one longer than a couple of months also. This time around I am showing patience. I added lots more live rock and live sand and I have a good copepod community getting started, but I am going to wait until I know for sure there is enough for my next mandy...the common feeling in the community is that mandy's starve to death because they love to hunt their food in the sand bed and within the rocks...I have never been able to feed one commercial foods...but I would certainly ask the LFS to SHOW me it feeding if they claim that it will eat non-live food.

 

[cyslyde]

I had one for about four months, before i traded Him to a friend... that was almost a year ago, and he is still happy as can be. make sure you got a great pod base, my buddy has a 20 gal refuge that has too many pods in it, however it does eat brine shrimp from time to time. yes they are beautiful, but i would be certian that you got a lot of pods for it too feed on... the LFS i got it from also said you have to have a refuge where the pods can grow... i had a simple over the back whisper filter where i left the filter out and just had sand and a small rock it did ok keeping pods but not great, it seemed to keep him happy till he got bigger. Also I have never heard anyone suggesting more than one in under a 300 gal tank because of thier eating habbits.
-=Cy