Great News!

[brianjfinn]

My Mandarin just began eating prepared foods! I was afraid I'd need to keep seeding with live pods (not that I'm going to quit, but this makes it much less expensive.) I will now give him a variety of frozen foods like brine shrimp, blood worms, and Cylco-peez (sp?). I'll also seed the tank and fuge from time to time to make sure he's getting the fatty foods he needs, and just to keep pods in the tank since they're so beneficial.

Just thought I'd share, cuase I was very excited!

 

[treyeleven]

What prepared foods did you see it eat?

 

[brianjfinn]

I'd turn off the filter, keep the power head running, and add the frozen foods. Eventually, he just started taking it. I first saw him eat the brine shrimp. It definitely helps if the power head is moving it through the water column.

 

[brianjfinn]

Also, I'd use a turkey baster and shoot the food in his general direction. He'd freak out at first, being in a cloud of frozen food, but he didn't seem to mind after a while, and eventually realized it was something he could eat.

 

[smoothie]

That is too cool.

 

[brianjfinn]

I've read about them doing that, too, so I watched him for a good 20 minutes and he was eating multiple pieces. Lately, he's been eating everything I put in there except for pellets.

 

[kayakatl]

Nice, How long have you had him?

 

[smoothie]

Mandarin Diner. Pellets on the menu

 

[brianjfinn]

I've had him a number of months now, I can't remember. I've been trying to ween him ever since the first day.

I've heard of others getting their mandarins to eat pellets, so I'll keep trying. Anything to give him a varied diet and to make sure he's getting the right nutrients.

 

[williamc]

brianjfinn;426990 wrote: I've had him a number of months now, I can't remember. I've been trying to ween him ever since the first day.

I've heard of others getting their mandarins to eat pellets, so I'll keep trying. Anything to give him a varied diet and to make sure he's getting the right nutrients.

Where did you get him from?

 

[brianjfinn]

Marine Fish in Marietta. They had a number of mandarins there, I got the only male at the time. They were feeding them live pods and rotifers (sp?). So, I figured I'd try to get him on frozen foods, but if it didn't work, just keep seeding the tank with pods bought either from a LFS or from some one like Sparky. Worst case scenario, if I couldn't keep him, I'd have given him to some one with a huge tank.

 

[hackman72]

you da man, brian. He sounds like my fat brother in law...will eat anything.

 

[brianjfinn]

That's hilarious! Yeah, he fits in with the family. My wife and I can put it away, but luckily we're not at an age where it's started to affect us...

yet.