MandarinFish!!!!!
- Thread starter poniegirl
- Start date
poniegirl
Active Member
The tank is 3 years old built from a 10 and then a 20. Some of the LR is 6 yrs old. I believe it will support her. I know it is better than the 5 X 5 cube that she was in.
There is only about 75 lb right now, I used some to build a breeder.
She's a beauty.
Thanks for the reply, Mayor! It helps.
There is only about 75 lb right now, I used some to build a breeder.
She's a beauty.
Thanks for the reply, Mayor! It helps.
mr. guitar
Member
Awesome!!! Mandarian's have to be one of the coolest saltwater fish out there. I have one in my 55 and it's so cool to watch.
hot883
Active Member
Originally Posted by PonieGirl
The tank is 3 years old built from a 10 and then a 20. Some of the LR is 6 yrs old. I believe it will support her. I know it is better than the 5 X 5 cube that she was in.
There is only about 75 lb right now, I used some to build a breeder.
She's a beauty.
Thanks for the reply, Mayor! It helps.
Sounds like she will do fine.
The tank is 3 years old built from a 10 and then a 20. Some of the LR is 6 yrs old. I believe it will support her. I know it is better than the 5 X 5 cube that she was in.
There is only about 75 lb right now, I used some to build a breeder.
She's a beauty.
Thanks for the reply, Mayor! It helps.
Sounds like she will do fine.
poniegirl
Active Member
Thank you!
She eats all day. I have not seen a fish so intent on feeding.
They are fascinating. From all I have read, heard and now seen, she will not accept processed food at all.
I would appreciate any input from folks with long experience with these fish. She worries me a bit. If I need to plan for some live food suppliments, I think I had best start yesterday.
She eats all day. I have not seen a fish so intent on feeding.
They are fascinating. From all I have read, heard and now seen, she will not accept processed food at all.
I would appreciate any input from folks with long experience with these fish. She worries me a bit. If I need to plan for some live food suppliments, I think I had best start yesterday.
granny
Member
They spend every waking moment looking for food! Probably because they are so slow-they have to check out everything before they eat it.
I have over 100 llbs of live rock, but still feed my mandarin live black worms and occasionally live brine as a treat-plus it makes me feel better to actually see her/him eat. But you are right, they are so incredibly beautiful.
I have over 100 llbs of live rock, but still feed my mandarin live black worms and occasionally live brine as a treat-plus it makes me feel better to actually see her/him eat. But you are right, they are so incredibly beautiful.
rcbruce
Member
The mainstay of mandarins is copepods, thus the need for alot of live rock. If you want to, go to aquapods.com and e-mail them and ask who in your area sells them. It is bottles of live copepods that will get in your live rock and start reproducing, which will be everything your mandarin wants! ***)
S
sea_star
Guest
I've got a quick question here. How do you tell what kind of pods you have? Mine look like skinny roly-polies with tiny antennas, but they don't crawl on the glass, just the rocks.
rcbruce
Member
That's copepods. Usually they are so small you have to use a magnifying glass to see them.
I copied this article that may help!
Reef Suitability: Mandarin fish are one of the most commonly sold fish, yet they are unfortunately one of the most likely to perish in the average reef tank. The reason for this is their very finicky feeding habits. Many mandarins will only eat live amphipods and copepods (pods) which are found in sufficient numbers only in larger and well established reef tanks. The minimum tank requirement is generally stated as 55 gallon with 50lbs or more of live rock. This is based on feeding requirements and not space requirements as the Mandarin is a very slow, docile fish. Perhaps more important than tank size is how heavily fed and nutrient rich a tank is, since this type of tank will generally support a higher pod population than tanks run under more lean conditions.
Disposition: Very non-aggressive to other fish and other fish seem to pay them no attention. 2 males will fight, so they should only be kept singly or in male/female pairs. Mandarins spend their days carefully checking over the live rock and sand looking for tasty tidbits to eat.
Feeding: As noted above, feeding can be a major issue with Mandarins. Some will take foods such as frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. Others will refuse to take anything but live foods. Mandarins are extremely slow and hover, much like a hummingbird using their front fins while looking for food. Even Mandarins that take prepared foods have a hard time competing with faster fish for the morsels. One suggestion I have heard that makes good sense, especially in smaller tanks that don't support a large pod population is to build something called a 'pod pile'. This is a few small rocks stacked into a pile into which small pieces of shrimp or similar food can be inserted every couple of days. This pile of rocks provides shelter and a food supply for the pods which allows them to rapidly breed and provide food for the Mandarin.
Hardiness: Very hardy under the right conditions when starting with a healthy specimen which is feeding. They seem to be very resistant to parasitic diseases such as Ick, apparently due to their thick slime coating. Unfortunately, most Mandarins are kept under conditions in pet stores that cause them to slowly starve. Look for sunken bellies before purchasing. Some specimens seem to waste away to the point where they cannot survive, even when put into good conditions. If possible, select a specimen that is eating fozen food.
Temperature: Does well within normal reef tank temperature ranges of at least 76-82°F.
Size: Mandarins can get up to about 3" in length.
I copied this article that may help!
Reef Suitability: Mandarin fish are one of the most commonly sold fish, yet they are unfortunately one of the most likely to perish in the average reef tank. The reason for this is their very finicky feeding habits. Many mandarins will only eat live amphipods and copepods (pods) which are found in sufficient numbers only in larger and well established reef tanks. The minimum tank requirement is generally stated as 55 gallon with 50lbs or more of live rock. This is based on feeding requirements and not space requirements as the Mandarin is a very slow, docile fish. Perhaps more important than tank size is how heavily fed and nutrient rich a tank is, since this type of tank will generally support a higher pod population than tanks run under more lean conditions.
Disposition: Very non-aggressive to other fish and other fish seem to pay them no attention. 2 males will fight, so they should only be kept singly or in male/female pairs. Mandarins spend their days carefully checking over the live rock and sand looking for tasty tidbits to eat.
Feeding: As noted above, feeding can be a major issue with Mandarins. Some will take foods such as frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. Others will refuse to take anything but live foods. Mandarins are extremely slow and hover, much like a hummingbird using their front fins while looking for food. Even Mandarins that take prepared foods have a hard time competing with faster fish for the morsels. One suggestion I have heard that makes good sense, especially in smaller tanks that don't support a large pod population is to build something called a 'pod pile'. This is a few small rocks stacked into a pile into which small pieces of shrimp or similar food can be inserted every couple of days. This pile of rocks provides shelter and a food supply for the pods which allows them to rapidly breed and provide food for the Mandarin.
Hardiness: Very hardy under the right conditions when starting with a healthy specimen which is feeding. They seem to be very resistant to parasitic diseases such as Ick, apparently due to their thick slime coating. Unfortunately, most Mandarins are kept under conditions in pet stores that cause them to slowly starve. Look for sunken bellies before purchasing. Some specimens seem to waste away to the point where they cannot survive, even when put into good conditions. If possible, select a specimen that is eating fozen food.
Temperature: Does well within normal reef tank temperature ranges of at least 76-82°F.
Size: Mandarins can get up to about 3" in length.
S
sea_star
Guest
Thanks for posting that. Poniegirl good luck with your new fish!
poniegirl
Active Member
Originally Posted by RCBruce
as long as you have plenty of LR they will be fine. My 55 has a large water flow also, but since they stay close to the bottom and cling to the rocks, it's no problem.
Yes, thank you very much!
The tank has a great supply of pods on it's own. The scurrying I see when I turn on the lights is phenomenal. I just worry about her depleting the supply. She does hunt constantly and seems to lunge (find) what she's after a very large % of the time. She likes the back glass too..
The tank sounds to fit to a 'T'. If the presence of nitrates is an indication of free nutrients :thinking: mine stay at a firm 20 on the Saltwater Master test. Something I've struggled with, but now maybe will just allow?
I wonder if I would unbalance the pod population by adding more. I would hate to suffer a die-off situation.
As to water flow, she doesn't seem bothered.
as long as you have plenty of LR they will be fine. My 55 has a large water flow also, but since they stay close to the bottom and cling to the rocks, it's no problem.
Yes, thank you very much!
The tank has a great supply of pods on it's own. The scurrying I see when I turn on the lights is phenomenal. I just worry about her depleting the supply. She does hunt constantly and seems to lunge (find) what she's after a very large % of the time. She likes the back glass too..
The tank sounds to fit to a 'T'. If the presence of nitrates is an indication of free nutrients :thinking: mine stay at a firm 20 on the Saltwater Master test. Something I've struggled with, but now maybe will just allow?
I wonder if I would unbalance the pod population by adding more. I would hate to suffer a die-off situation.
As to water flow, she doesn't seem bothered.
