manderin goby

[jaru]

I have a manderin goby I got him a week ago I have him in a well established reef. Every morning i go down,turn on light and he is extreamly pale. He is eating well and gets his color back within a few minutes.Should I be concerned or am I just trippin?

 

[jimi]

I say you are just "trippin". All fish have a night coloration and it is usually pale.

 

[shel]

Hey Jaru, i have a Manderine also, and I noticed after the lights go out he is a strange color. I checked the next nite and he is fat and happy. I figured it was something he just does. Good question.
Shel
I have had him for about 5 - 6 months

 

[perps]

i had my goby for about 3 weeks and havent seen him eat yet. He is very activate @ times.. but i dont think his eating. Do you guys know what he eats?

 

[twoods71]

The manderin being pale when the lights come on is normal.
Manderins like to eat the little critters found on live rock in a good established reef tank.
You can get the manderin to eat live brine but they are slow eaters and the other fish in the tank will probably beat him to the food.
Good luck. Not the easiest fish to keep.

 

[slk3599]

Perps:
A mandarin's sole diet is composed of Ampipods and Copepods ( live organisms that live in the sand bed). Very rarely can you get them to eat normal fish food - they normally starve to death in a tank without a live sand bed. Bad news for your fish.

 

[shel]

My manderine is eating fine. I see him hunting in the ls at night. During the day he is always hunting on the lr. He does eat brime shrimp, I agree he is slow at it. I but it right in front of him so he has a chance to get a few pieces. I was scrared at first. Everyone was telling me how hard they are to keep. But this little guy is doing wonderful. It has even fattened up in the last 2 months. I am luck with this little guy.
Shel

 

[mithrax]

Mandarins love to pick on those tiny critters crawling on the side of the glass, they are also present in your sand and your rocks but they are hard to see. Mine loves those and she loves live baby brine shrimps as well. I know it's a "she" because she does not have that long "spike" in her dorsal fin, males have them.

 

[shel]

I guess I have a male. He sticks his up checking out the glass. He thinks he is the poop. LOL
Shel

 

[jaru]

Since you all agree about the color change scare, I think thatthis guy is going to be alright(constantly munchin on the LR and the substrate. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[perps]

Well today i finally bit the bullet and did something i was told not to do by my mother.. "Whatever you do son, a rock is a rock and you should never pay for it" Brought my fist 2lbs of live rock.. It's called t-something.. it's not the fuji.. Maybe later this week i will add more. Maybe my goby will eat them..My substrate is CC is that bad? and can i place LR on top of CC w/o base rock?

 

[krazzydart]

Originally posted by Perps:
<STRONG>Well today i finally bit the bullet and did something i was told not to do by my mother.. "Whatever you do son, a rock is a rock and you should never pay for it" Brought my fist 2lbs of live rock.. It's called t-something.. it's not the fuji.. Maybe later this week i will add more. Maybe my goby will eat them..My substrate is CC is that bad? and can i place LR on top of CC w/o base rock? </STRONG>
yes you can..... you probaly got some tonga rock..... it is ok stuff... but remember that a mandrine needs to be in a well established tank!!!! you should see if your LFS would give you your money back on the thing (or credit) until you get your tank filled with enough LR to handle him and the other live critters in the tank!!!! you should at least have 1 lb min per gal of LR... 2-3 lbs optimum ...... if you are adding it to the tank with live stock in it allready be sure it is fully cured from the fish store..... otherwise your tank will go through another big cycle...... good luck