Psychadelic Mandarin, help

[wareagle]

Two days ago I purchased a Psychadelic Mandarin fish from the lfs. I know it probably wasn't a good idea but i'm an extreme impulse buyer. I was wondering what I can do to try my best in keeping it alive. about my tank.....
29 gallons been up and running for a little less than a year
36 or so lbs live rock
Bubble Tip anenome
Flame Polyps
Clove Polyps
Green Star Polyps
Star Polyps
Cabbage Polyps
Some other polyp not sure what
Hairy Mushrooms
Xenia
snails, hermits, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 emerald craps
purple linkia star fish
Just added a false perc today
I know that they are extrememly difficult to keep alive especially in a tank of my size and without a refugium. Any ideas of what i can do to keep him alive. I believe i do have alot of pods in there but not sure exactly how much is considered enough.

 

[key00west]

they do need a well established system with plenty of rock to eat from, if not they end up staving, trying to get one to eat brine as a substitute is hard

 

[wareagle]

When i add some live brine soaked in garlic he doesn't even make a move for it. In a post sometime ago i think i remember something about being able to add pods to your tank. anyone?

 

[corally]

Their are very,very few mandarins that will except brine and even if they do they will still die from malnutrition as brine has no nutrients. You also need 100 + lbs of LR to support a mandarin (the same goes for the linckia). You can buy pods online, just do a google search for live copepods, but the mandarin will just quickly deplete them. The best thing for the mandarin is to take it back.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[jerthunter]

Try to have areas in your tank where pods can reproduce successfully. I have heard of people making a small pile of rubble rock for a pod breeding ground. Also I understand that pods breed well in macro algae. People have made DIY hang on the back refugiums which might be something you can look into too. If you want to try supplementing his diet with something do not try brine shrimp. Try mysis shrimp, it is much healthier for them, but understand that this is only supplemental to their diet, try to keep your pod population up for the little guy.

 

[wareagle]

I have had the purple linkia since my tank started and is in full health. A good sign i guess. Can't return the mandarin so i'm just going to try my best to keep it alive. I will look into the live pods online. Thanks.

 

[corally]

Originally Posted by wareagle
I have had the purple linkia since my tank started and is in full health. A good sign i guess. Can't return the mandarin so i'm just going to try my best to keep it alive. I will look into the live pods online. Thanks.

Glad your linckia is doing well. I wish I could get one to do well. The rock pile and macro are great ways to cultivate pods, like Jerthunter said.

 

[lovethesea]

do your best to get more rock in there. Mine has never even glanced at anything I feed the tank..he is strictly pods. Others will usually say the same
THere is no way you can take the fish back? Even in trade?

 

[crimzy]

Originally Posted by wareagle
When i add some live brine soaked in garlic he doesn't even make a move for it. In a post sometime ago i think i remember something about being able to add pods to your tank. anyone?
If you're willing to do the work you can hatch baby brine. I do this everyday for my mandarin and dwarf seahorses. Baby brine still has the birth sac so it is much more nutritious and is smaller so the mandarin may go for them.

 

[ruaround]

Originally Posted by crimzy
If you're willing to do the work you can hatch baby brine. I do this everyday for my mandarin and dwarf seahorses. Baby brine still has the birth sac so it is much more nutritious and is smaller so the mandarin may go for them.
Baby brine do have more nutritional value because of the egg sack... what about Sea Monkeys...
whoa crimzy this is like deja vu...

 

[crimzy]

Originally Posted by ruaround
Baby brine do have more nutritional value because of the egg sack... what about Sea Monkeys...
whoa crimzy this is like deja vu...
No kidding

 

[ruaround]

See if your LFS will sell you some "grunge" that is loaded with pods... thry the brine shrimp hatchery idea as well... and most def get some more LR...

 

[ruaround]

Originally Posted by crimzy
No kidding
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=195149 ... LOL

 

[coachklm]

i am thinking here doont flame ----take an overflow box---net it off (the part in the tank) put macroalgea ect.inside(with sand ect.)...(pod breeding ground) ---the pods can escape at random but the fish cant go and get them ???? it would be a safe method of breeding a constant supply within your tank safely for the mandarine ----would that work or not ??? i claim all patents on the manderine feeding station if it works. :cheer: :cheer:
kind of an internal refugium.

 

[aelene]

Originally Posted by corally
You also need 100 + lbs of LR to support a mandarin (the same goes for the linckia). You can buy pods online, just do a google search for live copepods, but the mandarin will just quickly deplete them. The best thing for the mandarin is to take it back. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
I have a 40g tank with 50+ lbs of live rock, and I've been waiting patiently to get to the point that I can have a mandarin (tanks about 7 months old now). If a sump/refugium is available, wouldn't that help keep up the pod population and cancel out the need for more live rock?

 

[pfitz44]

Originally Posted by Aelene
I have a 40g tank with 50+ lbs of live rock, and I've been waiting patiently to get to the point that I can have a mandarin (tanks about 7 months old now). If a sump/refugium is available, wouldn't that help keep up the pod population and cancel out the need for more live rock?
Yes, it would. I never saw pods untill tuesday night, 1 week after i installed my fuge. i believe u can buy pods online.. do a search for them

 

[razelynn]

I am beta testing some stuff from Marc weiss called "reef bugs" I am using it to keep my pod population up and as a food source for baby wolf eels. It is a powder you mix with a cup of the tank water, let it sit a while stir and pour in tank. It provides infusoria (algea pods feed on) and various bugs and pods including rotifers the mandarin can eat.
Also-If your LFS wont take the fish back then you need to shop elsewhere.

 

[sw65galma]

You guys realize that they need a pod population that lives on about 100lbs of LR.
Even with a fuge it's gonna be near impossible to keep a mandarin in your tanks under 75gals

 

[coachklm]

no responces to my idea??

 

[pfitz44]

Originally Posted by coachKLM
no responces to my idea??

Id work, just not a lot of area for pods to populate