mandarin question

[big911dog]

if a tank shouldnt have a mandarin for at least a year for a decent copepod population to establish, and a QT shouldnt have LR to prevent medicine absorbtion,
how do you quarantine a mandarin?

 

[lovethesea]

geeze...good question. We got ours a few years ago from our neighor who had an aggressive fish that was bothering it. I don't think he QT'd him. I wonder if the slime they produce has anything to do with any possible topical diseases?
I don't know, but I am really interested in knowing that answer.

 

[melkor]

I've seen lots of these guys, and have never seen one with Ich. It is my understanding that they have a coating which prevents this like eels. Could be dead off though. But could be dead on too. :happy:

 

[avbryce1]

I have seen one at ***** with ich but than again it was at *****
The ich was all over the fins and just a couple of spots on the body I think the toxic slime coat makes it a lot harder for them to get ich but i'm pretty shure they can get it. as for QTing them I dont really know but I' have seen a few that will eat frozen brine or mysis but you never know .

 

[jobob]

well i got my friend into the saltwater addiction about 6 months ago. he set up a tank on day 2 bought 40lbs live rock from lfs(cured) and on day 3 got a mandarin from *****. i told him he would be dead in 2days. well was i wrong the damn thing is still alive.it lived through the cycle!! and now its eating frozen brine shrimp! he had a tank now for 6 months and only had 1 fish die due to an anemone sting. im not sure what kind of thumb this kid got but i wish i had one too.

 

[schneidts]

Well, when we got ours, I didn't QT him. I thought it would do more harm than good. I later read in an online article that they have a poisonous slime coat that makes it so they aren't susceptible to parasites.

 

[blitz99]

about 14 years ago i worked at a LFS.. i got stuff free all the time...
mandarins looked awesome but all i had was an octopus tank at home... so what did i do? i put him in with the octopus hoping his slime coat would protect him :help:
NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS TOPIC.. but a mandarin story to laugh at.

 

[essop3]

I have seen ich on a few. But I think most people skip QT.
I have a question for those more experienced with mandarins. I had mine for a week before he died. All other fish are fine. All levels are fine. He wasn't skinny when he died but he never was super active. I didn't QT him and I am hoping he didn't give anything to my other fish. Any ideas?

 

[caryn_ia]

Essop-was he in the 'take home'/shipping bag a long time? My only thought is maybe he slimed himself. I'm no expert, but I have heard they can kill themselves due to their own slime, when they are stressed. Just a thought

 

[legend]

i really lucked out with my mandarin.....he accepts all foods, flake, frozen brine, live brine, mysis shrimp and feeds off the LR. He's been in my 20g tank for a while now and he's chubby as ever.
I also thought he had ick on him at one time, but i realized it was only sand. Becareful about that...they always get sand on them. So dont misdiagonse them....
Anyway though, I really like mine...he looks like a lil saltwater frog.

 

[bang guy]

I've never seen a Mandarin with Ick. I would still place it in a Q-Tank for a week or so. If you pick a healthy one it will have no trouble. You can take a rock and shake it in a bucket and then strain out the bugs with a coffee filter if you want to give it some food.