New mandarin goby

[mahimahi]

Just got a mandarin goby for my 14 gallon nano cube, the tank is fully developed and has 14 pounds of live rock. Any recommendations on how to keep it healthy?

 

[KrisDeitz]

Get PODs!

 

[shrimpy brains]

Do you have a refugium?
Keeping a Mandarin in a nano can be quite challenging, unless you can train it to eat frozen.
I would order and add pods often as this is there main diet.

 

[mahimahi]

How do you train it to eat frozen?

 

[ralph atl]

here's some info....

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1635+1723&pcatid=1723">http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1635+1723&pcatid=1723</a>


and here:

[IMG]http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/mandarinfish.htm">http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/mandarinfish.htm</a>

 

[cr500_af]

Lots of luck... very few eat prepared foods and there is no way pods will reproduce in a nano fast enough to feed it.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Good question! I got lucky enough that mine just started eating frozen on it's own.
You might try getting live brine and mysis. You may be able to get the brine locally, but mysis will most likely have to be ordered online. http://www.seahorsesource.com">www.seahorsesource.com</a> should have mysis. I would get a large quantity and freeze half. Feed live for a couple of days and slowly mix in the freshly frozen with each feeding. If this is working you may than slowly move on to store bought frozen.
Keep in mind, I haven't done this, so it is just an idea.
Alternately, you could consider, rehoming it to someone with a larger, well established tank.

 

[mahimahi]

It looks like on the sides of the fish some of the skin is peeled off is that from aggression from the other mandarin that was in the tank at the store or something else.

 

[mahimahi]

Do mandarins molt?

 

[scrilla]

 

[jennm]

Return it.

No one in their right mind should have sold this fish to you if they were aware it was going in a 14 g tank (or any tank under about 75 gallons.)

This is *not* a goby (although 90% of the industry refers to it as such) it is a dragonet. As others mentioned, it is unlikely to accept prepared foods and lives on tiny arthropods that occur in the tank. In such a small tank it will eat these tiny crustaceans, much more quickly than they can reproduce, and as such, the fish will slowly starve to death.

No they do not "molt", so if your fish is sloughing skin, something is dreadfully wrong. Either it arrived sick, or something in your tank's water quality is not suitable. What are your parameters?

Jenn

 

[jennm]

I see in another of your posts, you mention that your tank is "new". How long has it been running (running = time with live rock in it, forward).

 

[brianjfinn]

JennM;601017 wrote: Return it.

No one in their right mind should have sold this fish to you if they were aware it was going in a 14 g tank (or any tank under about 75 gallons.)

This is *not* a goby (although 90% of the industry refers to it as such) it is a dragonet. As others mentioned, it is unlikely to accept prepared foods and lives on tiny arthropods that occur in the tank. In such a small tank it will eat these tiny crustaceans, much more quickly than they can reproduce, and as such, the fish will slowly starve to death.

No they do not "molt", so if your fish is sloughing skin, something is dreadfully wrong. Either it arrived sick, or something in your tank's water quality is not suitable. What are your parameters?

Jenn

Amici;601057 wrote: I agree with all above and would absolutely return it. Unfortunately someone selling you the fish was not looking out for you best interest. Even if you can get it to eat prepared foods, dragonettes spend the entire day hunting and searching for food. It could clear a 14g tank of all its pods in a couple days. I usually do not suggest getting one of these fish unless you have a 100g tank with well over 100lbs of very well established live rocks.

Spot on. Either give it to another hobbyist that has a tank established and large enough to accommodate it or return it to the store you bought it from and tell them you only have a 14 gallon tank. After you tell them this, ask them why they sold you a fish without regard for the fish's health and longevity. If they really have your success in mind, they will ask tough questions and make sure you are equipped with the knowledge required to keep your inhabitants happy.