Mandarin

[kimf]

I just added a Mandarin to our 120 gallon tank. We had one a few years ago that died.
How should I feed him?

 

[lucas alderson]

I asked the same question.
You can go down to my question, "How Does This Sound for a Reef" or go and look at saltwaterish.com's Mandarine Goby page!

 

[q]

You can feed brine or mysis shrimp to some. They mostly just eat copeopods which live and reproduce in your tank.

 

[predator]

They eat copapods.They come from live rock and usually it's recommended that your tank be mature before introducing one to your tank.Very rairly one will eat food you put in the tank.I'v only seen this once and I'v been around a good bit of manderines.

 

[fishfood]

Yea I have a friend who finally got his to eat live brine after a year of trying. I've tried some live brine shrimp a few times but he just swam away.

 

[nm reef]

Best bet is to insure a healthy copepod/amphipod population in a well established system. Then a manderian dragonette will have a chance to survive long term. I set up my 55 reef with the goal of adding a manderian...100+ lbs of lr...after 7 months the system had the pod population and was stable...then and only then did I add a phycadelic manderian...jimi hendrix....and he does munch brine/mysis now and then...but primarily he eats pods none stop....

 

[kris walker]

I agree with all above. Also, you may try tubiflex worms. A "scooter blenny" of mine (actually a dragonet that is very similar to mandarin) ate them. Mandarin and scooters are very non-agressive eaters, and so you need to take that into account when trying to feed them supplemental foods (supplemental to copepods) that other more aggressive fish may eat first. Good luck.
sam

 

[peasly1]

a sand bed is a must for long term survival

 

[vkesu]

Why is a sand bed a must? I have one for over 3 years w/ cc. 72 gallon, 125#lr. After 3 years he began to loose weight, but a tank crash due to heat killed him after 3 1/2yr. Is the sand a better way for the copepods?

 

[wamp]

You know I got laughed at by my LFS when I told them about this but here it goes.. The best way I have found for copes to live and grow,rapidly, is to take a sponge from an overflow and stick it behind a rock. They will cling to it lick crabs on a dead fish. The mandarin will swim by and pick them off like a hoover. I have had my mandarin for 4 years now. He is toooooooooo fat.. I hope it is because of this sponge.. Dont belive me.. Look at someones tank with an overflow and squeze their sponge.. you will see..

 

[duckie]

both of mine eat brine srimp, i have a spotted and a psychedelic in the same tank. they have been in there for about two years and have grown and are fat

 

[von_rahvin]

mine eat the pods. i have scooter blennies and a mandarin. they are now getting fat. My tank has been up for 4 months now and i have tons of pods.
that sponge idea sounds great. they would love the surface area. do you have a problem with it and algea?? My girlfriend loves these little guys. I was thinking baout a psych but i do not think i have enough pod population yet.

 

[kimmisue]

Originally posted by wamp:
[QB]The best way I have found for copes to live and grow,rapidly, is to take a sponge from an overflow and stick it behind a rock. They will cling to it lick crabs on a dead fish. The mandarin will swim by and pick them off like a hoover.
WOW great idea
That is how I seeded my hospital tank and I saw exactly what you described.
Mine is doing great and has been for 6 months doubled in size.
I will do this for him
Kim

 

[kimf]

okay, I know that after having a tank for 5 years I should be well informed, but that is not the case.
We have a Oceanic Reef Ready tank with a Berlin Protein Skimmer (which doesn't seem to do a good job any longer) and another skimmer that sits in the bottom sump aquarium.
In addition we have a 2100 Rios in the tank to aid with circulation.
So I should take a sponge filter that came with the Rio Pump and put it in the bottom of the tank and forget it?

 

[kimmisue]

[
So I should take a sponge filter that came with the Rio Pump and put it in the bottom of the tank and forget it?[/QB]
I would put it in your filter for a while and let them grow....build, and then put it in your tank
Kim

 

[flydan]

Hey,
One little bit of advise I haven't seen here: Don't get other fish that compete for the same food source. For example, a 6-Line will eat pods too and is a very aggressive eater. So, before adding other fish, make sure they don't munch on pods. HTH
Dan'l

 

[kimf]

I would put it in your filter for a while and let them grow....build, and then put it in your tank
Kim
Do you mean the sump tank that sits inside the stand?

 

[wamp]

By the way a friend of mine has a "crap" tank he made to raise all sorts of "crap" for his corals and fish to eat..
10 gallon tank. one pwer head. 4 inches live sand. 5 lbs live rock. regular strip light. NO FILTERS! and a lot of algea and filter sponges.. Looks like crap but gets some great stuff out of it.. Strains it and you would not belive the pods and worms etc he pulls out.. My fish love it!