nano mandarin?

[alix]

OK so i was reading a few months back the articles in TFH about keeping a mandarin in a nano reef and i was considering trying this in my 30 gallon. i was wondering if anyone has attempted this, how it worked out, and any tips or details you could give me. THANKS!

 

[legoalie31]

I would not suggest it. I got 1 for my 10 gal not knowing and now i am making live brine and buying copepods its a big mess and it is a hit or miss on if he will eat anything but copepods.

 

[alix]

do you think if i went to the LFS and asked if they could feed some prefab flakes or something and it ate them it would be ok?

 

[seattle]

Yeah just NO lower than a 30-gallon please,Next weekend we are planning on getting a quaratine for a group of Moorish Idol's at the lfs eating like Pigs whatever they threw in the tank they ate,they tried Mysis,Brine,Pellet,and some other things,they LOVED Mysis the most.And why I said that is because It proves an example on hit-or miss.

 

[petjunkie]

Idols aren't really a good comparision, many Idols eat great right off the bat but die within a year possibly due to lack of proper diet.

 

[lbaskball]

most people would agree to have a tank at least 50. THey just seem to only eat copepods. If they eat brine, no luck either because brine shrimp is like eating junk food. But if it eats mysis then your in for luck. You'll need a lot of rocks. I wouldnt buy them.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by petjunkie
Idols aren't really a good comparision, many Idols eat great right off the bat but die within a year possibly due to lack of proper diet.

Thank you for saying that. IME idols can eat EVERYTHING (even flake and pellets) and die mysteriously in a year, as most do.

 

[alix]

Ok thanks everyone, im not goin to try it. not really something i had my heart set on, just wanted to know if it was doable and if a lot of people had accomplished it i might try, im saving up to get a 75 gallon in a few years and im accumulating live rock in some spare tanks to by the time it all comes together i might try it.
THANKS!

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by Seattle
Yeah just NO lower than a 30-gallon please,....
A mandarin will eat all the pods out of a 30 gallon as quickly as a 14 gallon. The key is to have enough live rock to produce pods on a sustainable level.

 

[mushroomss]

i had a scooter blenny in a 12 gallon then 24 for a year.it got stung by my frogspawn and dident make it

The fish would still be here today if it hadent got stung.My point is have a MATURE tank before you try and add on of these fish.my 2 cents

 

[alix]

im not going to do it in the 30, but just to defend myself the tank IS 3 1/2 years old. its not like i set it up last month and now want to keep a mandarin.

 

[mushroomss]

i know i wasent questioning your reef keeping abilities.I was just saying it is possible to keep one.

 

[corbeaner]

you probably should not keep that fragile specimen in a 30 g or youll regret it.

 

[alix]

yes thank you once again not planning on it. waiting for the 75.

 

[michaeltx]

they are gorgeous fish though I have one in my 58 only because it eats mysis and other foods readily and quickly so its has more of a chance I have had it for 4 or 5 months now I guess and its still fat and happy but wouldnt try it anything less than that.
Mike

 

[bojik]

It CAN be done BUT not recommended for novices. Its a lot more work to keep them in a smaller tank, even if its mature with an attached refuge. (that is recommended) AND if you do decide to keep them make sure they are eating frozen at the LFS. (many are already around my area so that was easy for me when I kept one.) Scooters IMO seem to be easier to keep this way.Have kept both. Sidenote When you go on vacation be dang sure the person watching your tanks is exceptionally reliable in taking care of them for a week....(waves bye bye to scooter) Frozen brine thats vitamin enriched is ok,but frozen mysis is better. And keep in mind that they should still have some 'pods and or gammarus shrimp in there too. LFS near me I help out has them all over the filter pads. So it was easy to keep seeding extras into the tank. Feeding them twice a day seems to work best.

 

[bpaul1201]

my lfs has 2 in an 8g qt to move to a 92 but they let me feed them and they ate ( mysis, brine, copepods, & flakes/frozen) but its mainly it or miss with these lil guys! i just started my lil 14g biocube and was thinking about it but decided not to, so now i'm saving up for a 100+g! yes they are beautiful but i prefer to see them swim and be happy!! also if in a bigger tank with plenty of pods you get to see them hunt which is awesome in my opinion! good luck.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by alix
im not going to do it in the 30, but just to defend myself the tank IS 3 1/2 years old. its not like i set it up last month and now want to keep a mandarin.
How much LR do you have in the 30 and how old is the rock? If you have 50lbs of well matured rock and you set up a 20 or 30 gallon fuge for the pods to reproduce in with another 30-40lbs of rock, you would be just fine if the mandarine is the only pod eating fish that you have. You may have to pour a bottle of pods into the fuge for them to reproduce without other fish eating them, but it is do-able. Please list the rest of your stock.

 

[alix]

i have about 35-40 lbs of rock which is pretty old, some newer, about 20 lbs came from a friend which had it for around 3 years, none of my other fish are pod eaters, i have a yellow tail damsel, 1 occelaris clown, 1 pyjama cardnal, 1 shrimpgoby, 2 emerald crabs, 40-ish hermits and 40-50-ish nassarious snails and a few turbos. i have about 20 lbs of live sand too.
i dont know if the equipment really matters right now but i have an aqua c remora, 30 gallon HOB filter w/ activated carbon, and my lights are a coralife lunar aqualight.
no fuge/sump.
..........................................................yet.
probably still not going to try it tho, but thanks for the tips/advice!

 

[nygel]

i've gotten three dragonets to eat frozen, as far as i can tell, after that, they do fine. Buy pods for the tank though, and I ran pvc piping under my sand with rock rubble on top of the outlets and i have alot of plants in my tank, this all helps me get more pods. (i only have 1 scooter though... he was my fav.)