Mandarin Goby question

loopy

loopy

Member
I was looking at a mandarin goby today...beautiful. The lfs lady said it was very difficult to keep, another site I belong to, someone said it was easy.........so...which is it? Easy or difficult....what do they eat?
Thanks.
(Ya, lfs trying to talk me out of stuff...wierd ha? I was looking at a shrimp thingy and she said, 'I won't sell it to you, your puffer will eat it." I was IMPRESSED...they cared about the fish not the dollar.......yea fish store!!!!!)
Mandarin? He's so pretty...
 
rubberduck

rubberduck

Active Member
ok you NEED tons of lr because ALL most of them feed on is pods (small little bugs that are in mature tanks) and some will eat live brine or other food but the main thing is PODS. they will starve if there is not a HUGE population or if a refigium with them in it. they are hard to keep happy and fat. dont try this unless u have like 100 pounds of lr in there for more than 6 months or a refigium loaded with breeding zones. just do the reaserch but i dont think they are good right now. ok

rub
 
loopy

loopy

Member
thanks for the info........and ya, how bout that lfs? Unusual. (I was even asking about corals and she said...Nope, can't have em, you have to get rid of rid of the puffer first and then you'll need new lights.') In some cases I would be like......p.o.'ed that they took for granted I was dumb...but lol, she was right on...and her advice saved me a bundle of cash I was dying to spend!!!!!!!!!! lol
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I would not particularly consider them easy. They generally feed on specific things (copepods) which, even in relatively large systems, they can wipe out in short order. So the tank needs to be relatively large, with lots of LR, at least 6 months old. Even better would be having a refugium.
 
loopy

loopy

Member
guess I will have to hold of on the mandarin.....but ya'll will have to keep slappin me when I get tempted. I don't have enough live rock to feed him yet..........BUT...when I get my tax returns....OH BOY>...........LFS here I come!!!!!! (My new/free tank will be up by then....and I can get the live rock going and get everything in order........slowly. Something to look forward to. I am in love with the mandarin goby!!! Think I'll have to do a painting of one....ya. (And this tank was my daughters xmas present........where is she in all of this..."I don't care" attitude........geez, teenagers..lol!
 
chrismilano

chrismilano

Member
He will starve unless your tank is well cycled (6months plus) wih lots of rock.
Good news is I just found out they are IMMUNE TO ICH!!
The mucus coat they get at night keeps ich off.
 
iceemn360

iceemn360

Member
I have been keeping mandarins successfully so far and they their stomachs have lost their depression due to starvation while at local fish stores and holding facilities. I have trained mine to accept frozen brine. I was suprised at how easy it was. I think that most people are so stuck on the ideas the they ONLY feed on copeopods that they dont bother to really try feeding their mandarins other foods. I held min in a 20 gallon while I trained them to feed on frozen brine. The procedure may be trick but my mandarins are happy. Every other day when they were still in the 20 gallon, I would float them ina small crittercage or container and drop frozen brine soaked in garlic extract directly above their mouth. As soon as the food reached their mouth, the sucked it in and some times spat it out. After a few tries, they reagularly consumed the frozen brine.(I also added some nutrient enrichments). When i moved them to my 75 Gallon display tank (which doesn't have the same amount of Live rock that most people reccomend) I altered how I fed them. I first observed where the two hung out. One on top of a piece of live rock, and the other at the base of one. Instead of pipetting the brine on their mouths, I placed it into some depressions in the live rock. Used to feeding on brine and interested in their slow movement (current from the power heads) they began feeding at those places on a regular basis.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I agree many people probably don't put the effort into it, but also note that brine is not a suitable diet unless it is fortified. On its own it is nutritionally very poor. But also note that your individuals may be exceptions...the same is true in some Linckia stars - some people say they have no issues, but the vast majority do not make this transition (also true of many cleaner wrasses). How many have you trained to do this?
 
iceemn360

iceemn360

Member
I currently have two and the third one I traded in with my lfs for some other fishes. I've trained all three to eat nutrient fortified brine with garlic extract
 
rubberduck

rubberduck

Active Member
i would IMO add on a refigium BECAUSE no matter how big ur tank is, there is a pod breeding place. and eventualy the place will be found and the mandarine will fully extinguish ur pod population, by eating more than is being born or by finding the breeding place. but if you have a refigium, the pods will be safe so they can breed and florish then travel to the main tank and be good food. this is my 2 cents

travis:)
 
loopy

loopy

Member
I am getting 100 pounds of live rock from someone who is moving.....and it happened by right place/right time. Too wierd.
I then will be considering the mandarin. They aren't moving till the mud dries up though, so....in WI, sh^t, that could be years and years. hmmmm. Oh well, Mandarin Goby, come to Mama!!!!!!! (In a bit honey....just a bit)
iceemn360, interesting post. I think I read someplace else about you 'saving' them. Good job!!! Will have to consider what your doing so the MG can eat more than just pods and maybe if I'm lucky not wipe 'em out!!!
Thanks for posting your info, for everything we do, there is always another way, some may call it right, some may call it wrong, but what works for one doesn't always work for another and many times people disagree based on their knowledge and we all know different stuff. No one is really wrong and no one is exlusively right.........except me, of course......

Musta took dream on drugs for lunch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
lizzard

lizzard

Member
I have a mandarin in my 20 gal, with a refigium BUT he eats frozen foods daily and is nice and round! Actually he’s a pig,,,lol. I feed him blood worms, black worms and mysis shrimp. I wouldn’t suggest keeping one not even in a large tank, unless you are going to take the time to make sure their getting enough to eat. But it can be done! :)
 
jimlssc24

jimlssc24

Member

Originally posted by iceemn360
I have been keeping mandarins successfully so far and they their stomachs have lost their depression due to starvation while at local fish stores and holding facilities. I have trained mine to accept frozen brine. I was suprised at how easy it was. I think that most people are so stuck on the ideas the they ONLY feed on copeopods that they dont bother to really try feeding their mandarins other foods. I held min in a 20 gallon while I trained them to feed on frozen brine. The procedure may be trick but my mandarins are happy. Every other day when they were still in the 20 gallon, I would float them ina small crittercage or container and drop frozen brine soaked in garlic extract directly above their mouth. As soon as the food reached their mouth, the sucked it in and some times spat it out. After a few tries, they reagularly consumed the frozen brine.(I also added some nutrient enrichments). When i moved them to my 75 Gallon display tank (which doesn't have the same amount of Live rock that most people reccomend) I altered how I fed them. I first observed where the two hung out. One on top of a piece of live rock, and the other at the base of one. Instead of pipetting the brine on their mouths, I placed it into some depressions in the live rock. Used to feeding on brine and interested in their slow movement (current from the power heads) they began feeding at those places on a regular basis.

That is a great idea!
Thanks for the info
 
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