Tang Police Welcome :) but really mandarin question

[gilligan50]

I have read a lot of different info on the mandarins and I don't know what to think. I realize they love to eat copepods and such but have heard and read that you can get them to eat frozen and prepared foods. I have the 29 and have kicked around getting one, but probably won't. The only way I would consider it is if I got a lot of positive feedback about getting them to eat the frozen/prepared food by you guys. I don't like the idea of buying a fish and taking the risk that he might eat. My tank has been running for over a year now and hasn't had a fish in it for a couple of months, and has about 40 pounds of live rock, so I know there woudl be plenty of pods for a while, but I don't want him to eat them all and then starve. Just curious please share your thoughts

 

[qreef]

You dont have enough to keep mandarin..the chance of mandarin eat frozen food is very slim :notsure:

 

[gilligan50]

that is why I really didn't plan on buying one until I upgrade. But the more message boards I read and the more people at LFS I talk to seem to think that you can get them to eat fairly easily. My first reaction is that these peopel have had one very long adn don't know what they are talking about, but over the last two or three years, it seems more common for people to say that they have mandarins that are eating prepped foods

I trust the opinions of most of the people on this board more than I do the people I bump into at LFS' so I was just wondering what people's thoughts were.

 

[pfitz44]

Ask to see the LFS feed him prepared foods... if he eats, then your set. If not, wait till u upgrade

 

[bigb]

Originally Posted by PFitz44
Ask to see the LFS feed him prepared foods... if he eats, then your set. If not, wait till u upgrade
Generally a good idea with all fish purchases- just remember, brine shrimp only is a horrible diet.
100lbs lr minimum for amount of pods required to feed a mandarin. More if you have another fish that relies on them for food.

 

[lion_crazz]

Well if you want to get a mandarin based on him hopefully eating frozen, that is a very long shot and I would stray from that idea.
However, if you did really want one and doubted the amount of pods you had in your tank, you can always buy a bottle of live copepods online (about $10-$15) and let them reproduce in your tank for a few weeks so that you know for sure you have plenty of them for him when you introduce him to your tank. If you want to check out the link, email me. Ry84@MSN.com

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by PFitz44
Ask to see the LFS feed him prepared foods... if he eats, then your set. If not, wait till u upgrade
I was gonna say the same thing. Or you can set up a refugium for the pods to reproduce.

 

[rhomer]

I have more than 100 lbs of lr, and a well established tank (4 years) and refugium. I have pods swimming thick as can be in the overflow and refuge, but I still have had no luck keeping a mandarin. I think in general it is not a fish that should be offered in the aquarium trade. I personally have killed 6-8 thinking that if only another 10 lbs of rock will keep one alive. The longest I probably kept one is 3 months.
I'm sure there are a few folks on this site that have managed to keep one for an extended period, but I would imagine that number pales to the number killed due to starvation. They are one of the coolest fish in the trade, but don't be tempted. I would suggest stay away from this fish.
Rob

 

[clown52]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
However, if you did really want one and doubted the amount of pods you had in your tank, you can always buy a bottle of live copepods online (about $10-$15) and let them reproduce in your tank for a few weeks so that you know for sure you have plenty of them for him when you introduce him to your tank.
Yes, but will you be able to sustain their population with such a small tank and so little live rock?

 

[tizzo]

Yeah and I forgot to mention they are over rated... I waited a year to get one, have enough LR and he's fat and happy but ask how many times I see him... As son as I forget I even have one, he pops up outa nowhere. She... I mean she...
Little sucker hides all day long...

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by Clown52
Yes, but will you be able to sustain their population with such a small tank and so little live rock?
I don't see why not. As long as he lets his tank go fishless for a few weeks to a month they should reproduce a bit. I mean, you can get 2 portions, which is roughly 200-250 pods for about $20 online.
I have a 20 gallon fuge and only about 25 lbs. of live rock (in my fuge - 260 in main tank) and I have watched them double since a few months ago. At night time, they are all over the place, and I haven't purchased an order of pods since I had my 75 running last July.
Oh, and darn you for your Panthers beating my Bears lol. I don't think they will get passed the Seahawks though..

 

[michelle l]

What does a pod look like, exactly?

 

[rhomer]

do a google image search on copepods and you will see.
Rob

 

[michelle l]

Eww, reminds me of a flea. They look microscopic to me...can they be seen with the

[hr]
eye? I am asking because I was thinking of setting up a small fuge just to grow these in hopes that I can keep a mandarin eventually. Is that possible? My filtration system is a wet/dry, so a large fuge isn't possible.
I have a 125 FOWLR, and in the next month plan to begin adding about 100 pounds of live rock to the display in 10-15 pound increments.
Sorry to jump in on the thread!!!

 

[rhomer]

Oh yeah you can see them. Some look like white spots some can get to a 1/4".

 

[aredmon]

You can see them on the glass. Little white lice looking things. I have a mandarin I purchaced about 3 weeks ago. I had the lfs feed it frozen for me to see and it chowed down. He is doing great and getting fat. I am lucky my lfs had a bunch of them and when he put the frozen in they all went nuts for it.

 

[promisetbg]

I wish people would stop thinking if a mandarin eats frozen,then you are "all set".This is just not so.A mandarin and scooters need the pods to sustain their diet and energy level.See those fins going so fast? They will actively hunt pods just about every waking moment. I wish they were an expensive fish..less would starve .

 

[benter]

I agree with you promisetbg..I have my setup pretty much just for the pair that I have . I have a 125 with a 75 fuge gravitying into the 125...I must admit it is cool to watch them do their little mating dance that they do every night though..and I can't believe someone said they are not active much ..mine are the first ones out and about in the morning and the last to go to sleep at night...good luck, and take care of the mandarins...

 

[nimo1969]

i have one in a 29 with 40-50 lbs of live rock and he loves live ,frozon foods

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by Benter
and I can't believe someone said they are not active much
In my experience it is really hit or miss. Sometimes they are very active, and then other times you hardly ever see them. You must have just got lucky with yours and got an active one that is not shy.