Thinking of getting a Mandarin

[stillfocus]

I've heard they can be a bit finicky with their diet. How hard is it to get them eating mysis, etc? I've also read that they enjoy bloodworms, but I wanted to get some other opinions.

Also, I'd like to know if there are possibly any compatibility issues with my current inhabitants. I have:

2 clowns
1 Yellow longnose butterfly
1 Yellowbelly damsel
1 Engineer Goby
1 Hermit
Snails

Thanks for any wisdom you can bestow upon me.

 

[ralph atl]

Experienced reefers with at least a 55 gallon tank with plenty of live rock and peaceful fish...bloodworms? Maybe if you have live? Difficult at best to keep up.

 

[oil_fan]

Ask me in a few more weeks...lol

I've got a red one in my 95 gallon tank that I've had for 3 weeks now. But I've also got a fuge with macro algae that's full of pods. So that should keep the guy busy hunting until he gets used to frozen food. Also he'll stay hidden for a few days at time before I've see him.

 

[jennm]

What size tank do you have, how mature is it and how much rock do you have? Those are important factors in mandarin care.

Some fishes like the damsel and engineer may compete to a small extent for the pods that the mandarin eats pretty much exclusively.

Jenn

 

[stillfocus]

60 gallon tank, 75 or so lbs of rock, 75 or so lbs of sand (sand bed averages around 3 inches). Tanks been up and running for around 2 months. After doing a little more reading I'm thinking I'm going to hold off for a bit. Are there any colorful additions that would be easier to maintain?

 

[jennm]

I'd suggest revisiting the notion when the tank is closer to a year old.

I do applaud you for doing the research *before* the purchase - especially for a fish like this that has specific needs.

Jenn

 

[lifestudent]

JennM;667483 wrote: I'd suggest revisiting the notion when the tank is closer to a year old.

I do applaud you for doing the research *before* the purchase - especially for a fish like this that has specific needs.

Jenn

I totally agree with Jenn on both points: needs to age more and for doing your research and basing your conclusion on them.

Warms my heart when I see folks making great decisions like StillFocus! :up:

 

[stillfocus]

5 years of reptile keeping (and reptile rescuing) taught me to always learn before doing.

 

[mvm]

I will say that you don't have any "real" pod hunters in your tank, so a year is probably not necessary. Give it another month or two and use a flashlight after lights out to see what the pod population looks like. Not of the fish that you have relentlessly hunt pods. +1 for doing your research!

 

[jimknutson]

You could probably put a wrasse in there they are pretty colorfull

 

[jennm]

A wrasse will definitely compete for pods. They pick at them constantly.

 

[jimknutson]

True but then feeding live pods would be more explainable.

 

[stillfocus]

A wrasse would also limit my invert selection wouldn't it? I hear they like to kill shrimp.

 

[dawgface]

Depends on the wrasse.

Edit: Look under Live Aquaria, reef safe wrasse list. Not that this is exclusive to the list of possibilities nor is it 100% accurate as all fish are possible exceptions.

 

[bobz]

I've had some success with acclimating my mandarin's to eating mysis and rod's food. It took a lot of effort and separate tanks to get them to that point. In my case, I isolated the pair in a 10G tank that was tied to my system and started feeding adult live brine shrimp and gradually over time mixed in frozen mysis. They eventually adapted to eating the frozen food. The biggest challenge to keeping them eating is that they are slow methodical feeders and can not compete with faster fish when in a mixed community. In my 210, I either target feed them a couple times a week or I use an olive jar and drop it in the tank with frozen food. They have learned to go in and eat and the larger fish can not get the food. This pair has been doing well for about 3 years and have even spawned in the tank. I think they are healthy and getting what they need to survive. It's not a simple process and took many months to get the to that point.
Bob