What if...

cj7eagle

cj7eagle

Member
I love mandarin dragonets. I have resisted the temptation to get one, since i dont have a very established tank. My tank has been setup since october.
29 gallon reef
10 gallon sump/fuge with cheato and some rubble rock
30-35lbs lr
30lbs ls
Live stock
2 false percs
1 citron clown goby
1 cleaner shrimp
1 emerald crab
40-50 misc snails and hermits
3 cleaner clams
What i am wondering is, could I pick up a bottle of tigger pods, and put them in my fuge for a month or two, to let them reproduce, and then introduce a mandarin?
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
Depends on who you ask, I for one say yes, you can. I supplement pods and have a mandarin + scooter in my 29 gallon, no fuge, just some plants in a corner with a bunch of pvc pipes to help them reproduce. Mine are hardy, when picking one one thing is to pick the smallest who needs the least amount, or one that will readily eat frozen food (rarer...)
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Chance are No.
Only a small percentage of pods go from the refugium to the display. Having a small refugium equates to having smaller amounts of pods to work with. This means fewer will go into the display.
 
cj7eagle

cj7eagle

Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Chance are No.
Only a small percentage of pods go from the refugium to the display. Having a small refugium equates to having smaller amounts of pods to work with. This means fewer will go into the display.
Well i wasnt planning on having any make it from the fuge to the display, I was actually figuring on having to fish them out, and put them in the DT
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
When I get my next bottle I'll tell ya, I don't even remember, its a big bottle though. Should have one in next few weeks, and really, not often, the mandarin is semi new, and the scooter i trained to eat frozen (workin on the mandarin), it IS possible, don't be discouraged by others telling you its impossible, most probably don't even have one. I got kinda lucky with having several hitchhiker plants end up on my rocks and i piled them all together which makes for a buffet for the dragonets, but yea... I would say at least try it, if it doesn't work out, take it back.
 
cj7eagle

cj7eagle

Member
Originally Posted by nYgel
When I get my next bottle I'll tell ya, I don't even remember, its a big bottle though. Should have one in next few weeks, and really, not often, the mandarin is semi new, and the scooter i trained to eat frozen (workin on the mandarin), it IS possible, don't be discouraged by others telling you its impossible, most probably don't even have one. I got kinda lucky with having several hitchhiker plants end up on my rocks and i piled them all together which makes for a buffet for the dragonets, but yea... I would say at least try it, if it doesn't work out, take it back.
Yeah let me know what bottle you do get. I was looking into getting the tigger pods, but my LFS has arcti-pods in stock.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by nYgel
it IS possible, don't be discouraged by others telling you its impossible, most probably don't even have one. ........
The vast majority of Mandarins will not eat frozen and starve in captivity. In fact, their mouth structures severely limit the type of food they can eat. Your success is certainly in the minority.
 
npage

npage

Member
Google "Mandarin Diner" :happyfish
I'm not saying this is an end all solution, but its worth looking into.
 
cj7eagle

cj7eagle

Member
Originally Posted by NPage
Google "Mandarin Diner" :happyfish
I'm not saying this is an end all solution, but its worth looking into.
definetely cool, another option if I do indeed decide to go this route. I just added the clown goby, so I am not in any hurry to add a mandarin.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by NPage
Google "Mandarin Diner" :happyfish
I'm not saying this is an end all solution, but its worth looking into.
Again, however, that relies on the Mandarin eating prepared foods, which most do not.
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
I've seen about 7 eat prepared, and i've only been in the hobby a year..... I know its not 'common' but i wouldnt consider it too extremely rare.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by nYgel
I've seen about 7 eat prepared, and i've only been in the hobby a year..... I know its not 'common' but i wouldnt consider it too extremely rare.
What type foods besides brine?
Were they swallowing or spitting back out?
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
it is usually a small white shrimp, similar to the mysis mine munch. and yes, they keep it in, if i was counting when they spit it out i would say they ate tiny rocks too. I'm not saying you're wrong in any means, I think people should know it is difficult and a matter of luck, but that it has been done and such.
 
puffer32

puffer32

Active Member
Without the proper size tank, and fuge i have heard of many more failures then successes, it should not be a trial and error thing, just not fair to the fish. I know many have the attitude that these fish are pretty cheap, so they try it, not worth it, leave these fish to the experienced hobbiest with the proper equiptment and established tanks
 
cjason3041

cjason3041

Member
i had one in my last house...had him for 1 year.. i fed mysis through a syringe ... i gave him away to move. he loved the shrimp, and they have nutrients
 
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