mandrine

[bergamer]

ok, last week I moved from a 70 gallon to a 90 gallon tank
I have 60 lbs of live rock and 90lbs of live sand
this was all in the 70 gallon for about 7 months already before I transferred to the new 90 gallon tank
Yesterday I just bought another 25lbs of live rock
so I have about 85lbs of live rock- If I add another 15lbs to give me an even 100lbs, any opinions when I could add a mandarine

 

[ssweet1]

Do you have a thriving refugium with pods?, or do you see pods all over your tanks glass in the evening? Try to get a large mandarin because it will be more likely to eat brine shrimp, even if they are large sometimes they wont eat anything but pods. They are my favorite fish too. Carrie

 

[fishphreak]

I am getting a mandarin soon myself. I have been told that is best to wait about 1 year to be sure there are enough pods.
Especially if you have anything else in the tank that eats the pods.
I would think that if you can see a lot of pods it is probably ok to add it, but I can't for sure, I don't have any first hand experience with them yet.

 

[arcm]

for some weird reason, my mandarin eats flakes......good for me. My tank is less than 2 months old....60 gal with 60 lbs of LR. I also have a six-line wrasse that competes for he pods.....that's probably why the mandarin learned how to eat flakes and some mysis shrimp from time to time.

 

[gurgle]

I've actually seen my mandarin eating bristle worms in my tank & she's been in there for over a year now, w/a six line wrasse that has also been deen eating the bristle worms. They are both very healthy , not many pods left though...

 

[fastmarc]

Wait a while and confirm your pod population.
The chances to get one that accepts prepared foods are very rear, so just be sure that your pods population can support one.