BIOTA Mandarin Troubles

[Apheoxx]

A mature 55G with a single mandarin will likely be able to sustain it pretty well on the natural population, so you do have time, especially since it is small.

That said, you should be able to get it eating prepared foods, and there are a few good directions to start. I seems like your choice of food is reasonable, but make sure you are feeding with at least the powerheads off (I feed with all pumps off), it drifting around doesn't really entice them at all, and they are methodical in their hunt to the point where they can't really chase anything fast or for much distance, so for it to settle and be recognizable it helps not to have flow going.

Next, I would make sure you are spot feeding it directly. It will probably shy away from you and your baster or whatnot initially, but gently send some its direction may help get the required attention. My mandarins are trained to eat frozen, but they sometimes have trouble recognizing foods they like around the tank after they've been sitting there for a bit, so presenting the fish with some food directly while it's watching is probably helpful.

Finally, if it's just not working, buy yourself a breeder box that holds onto the side (and I like using an algae magnet to further secure it), put a little cover in it (PVC fitting or the like), put the mandarin in the box, and feed it the foods it should like to eat there. It's a good way to make sure it eats, get it used to being fed rather than just picking around, and if it's forgotten or ignores foods it used to eat, the random picking around the box will definitely have it accidentally eating some of that food again. Having a much more confined space dramatically increases the chance that random picking eats some of the prepared foods. Feed the box preferably twice a day, until you can verify that shortly after feeding it eats the prepared stuff, and use a baster to clean out old food before the next feeding each time. I started from scratch with wild caught mandarins and each took about two weeks to train with this method.

Thank you very much for your insight! Do you have any advice to try to catch him? I just ordered Masstick!

 

[Apheoxx]

Have you tried to set up a feeding station for it? I had hatched brine shrimp for mine and he would suck them out through the mess netting. Once he got use to finding food there I started placing pellets on the feeder. The only pellets he will eat are TDO. I tried a few kinds. After a few months I pulled the feeder out and drop the pellets in front of him and he will sit and eat them until he’s full. Now that I’ve had him for over a year he eats just about any small foods I broadcast feed. It took time to get him to eat everything but he is fat and happy. Good luck!

Thank you! I have ordered a feeding station that will come in tomorrow.

 

[DaJMasta]

Thank you very much for your insight! Do you have any advice to try to catch him? I just ordered Masstick!

If you turn off the pumps and it starts investigating up near the top of the water, that's probably the easiest method, but you could just sink a net near where it likes to go with a path by it and then just net it when it passes by. They are quick to run away, but they're not that afraid of just being out while you're around after the initial surprise, and they aren't super strong swimmers, so you can probably slowly sneak a net up on them if it's already nearby. A trap would also be an option, but that depends more on what you've got around.

 

[Uncle99]

If he eats pods your lucky.
If he’s the only exclusive pod eater in a mature tank with rockwork, he’ll do just fine on his own
Haven’t fed mine ever, she’s a few years old.

 

[Wasabiroot]

I forgot to mention. Mine seems to really need the pumps off if I'm direct feeding. They just don't seem to have the reaction speed or athleticism to chase stuff in heavy current, so if you're not feeding with pumps off it's worth a try.

 

[jrill]

My Biota mandarin is about year old and doing great. Eats pellets and frozen like a champ. Even comes to the surface to grab pellets when the auto feeder comes on. great little fish.

 

[Tamberav]

Hello! I have been around for a few years in the hobby and just set up my upgraded tank. I have been seeding the tank with Algaebarn copepods (around 25,000) and gave them time to mature in the tank, dosing phytoplankton in the tank daily to ensure pod population and maturation of that population. I have recently ordered a BIOTA mandarin dragonet, and they state that these little guys eat prepared foods, but I have been having one of the most difficult times trying to get him to eat. I tried pellets, he turns his nose to them. I tried frozen, he turns his nose to it. The only thing that he seems interested in is the copepods that are on the rocks and sometimes he makes his way to the glass for a change in scenery. I feel duped because they are apparently supposed to eat, if not, I would have just bought a wild caught specimen. If anyone could help me, I would really appreciate it. I am out of avenues here.

I didnt have problems getting ORA ones to eat but they are SUPER TINY. I had to crush the pellets in my fingers (even the size small pellets were too big) and turn the flow off. I also fed them tiny fish egg/roe. They later ate bigger things once they grew larger.

 

[Apheoxx]

If you turn off the pumps and it starts investigating up near the top of the water, that's probably the easiest method, but you could just sink a net near where it likes to go with a path by it and then just net it when it passes by. They are quick to run away, but they're not that afraid of just being out while you're around after the initial surprise, and they aren't super strong swimmers, so you can probably slowly sneak a net up on them if it's already nearby. A trap would also be an option, but that depends more on what you've got around.

When I catch him and put him in the breeder box, what should I do? I don’t want the little guy to starve to death. I tried pellets, frozen, and live brine and he just says “no!”

 

[DaJMasta]

You put him in the box, then you feed him the food you know he's eaten before and what you want to feed him going forward. Having some pods you can add to the box could potentially be helpful, but the point is that you want him to be trying the new stuff. He will start hunting around as normal when settled in the box even when there aren't pods, and if there's food in there, he will inevitably eat some, even if accidentally, and that's what the method relies on.

Keep an eye on him to see if he gets thinner, feed twice a day and remove old food before the next feeding, but at least in my experience no other food was necessary than the stuff you were trying to get him to eat - they will accidentally eat a bit, get the nutrition, and eventually realize that it was food all along.

Since yours has probably been eating well for a while, it taking a few days to recognize the new stuff likely won't be an issue. While mandarins eat continuously, it's not because they have a super fast metabolism, it's because their normal prey are so small.

 

[Apheoxx]

You put him in the box, then you feed him the food you know he's eaten before and what you want to feed him going forward. Having some pods you can add to the box could potentially be helpful, but the point is that you want him to be trying the new stuff. He will start hunting around as normal when settled in the box even when there aren't pods, and if there's food in there, he will inevitably eat some, even if accidentally, and that's what the method relies on.

Keep an eye on him to see if he gets thinner, feed twice a day and remove old food before the next feeding, but at least in my experience no other food was necessary than the stuff you were trying to get him to eat - they will accidentally eat a bit, get the nutrition, and eventually realize that it was food all along.

Since yours has probably been eating well for a while, it taking a few days to recognize the new stuff likely won't be an issue. While mandarins eat continuously, it's not because they have a super fast metabolism, it's because their normal prey are so small.

Thank you! Here is a picture of my little guy. I managed to trap him in my feeder cup and repurpose an old unused media sponge so he could not escape. Here I tried pellets, live brine, and a tad bit of frozen brine/plankton/mysis. He has denied all offerings, but I just ran out to get frozen cyclops and frozen BABY brine. I hope that this works before the masstick comes. I also got a breeder box that I will rig up to create a temporary home for him.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Start feeding phytoplankton your pod populations will EXPLODE.

 

[Apheoxx]

Start feeding phytoplankton your pod populations will EXPLODE.

Yes! I use Algaebarn’s phyto

 

[Apheoxx]

You put him in the box, then you feed him the food you know he's eaten before and what you want to feed him going forward. Having some pods you can add to the box could potentially be helpful, but the point is that you want him to be trying the new stuff. He will start hunting around as normal when settled in the box even when there aren't pods, and if there's food in there, he will inevitably eat some, even if accidentally, and that's what the method relies on.

Keep an eye on him to see if he gets thinner, feed twice a day and remove old food before the next feeding, but at least in my experience no other food was necessary than the stuff you were trying to get him to eat - they will accidentally eat a bit, get the nutrition, and eventually realize that it was food all along.

Since yours has probably been eating well for a while, it taking a few days to recognize the new stuff likely won't be an issue. While mandarins eat continuously, it's not because they have a super fast metabolism, it's because their normal prey are so small.

Started feeding frozen cyclops and soon baby brine

 

[john92708]

Started feeding frozen cyclops and soon baby brine

try adding some TDO B2 pellets. my biota pair ate them the day after they arrived

 

[Apheoxx]

try adding some TDO B2 pellets. my biota pair ate them the day after they arrived

I will add them to my BRS order. I have Masstick on order. Thank you

 

[Apheoxx]

try adding some TDO B2 pellets. my biota pair ate them the day after they arrived

Update: Baby brine is the winner! Thank you everyone!

 

[SeaHorseQueen]

Update: Baby brine is the winner! Thank you everyone!

I'm so glad it worked out for you. Is he still taking the frozen foods?

 

[Apheoxx]

I'm so glad it worked out for you. Is he still taking the frozen foods?

Yes! I am contemplating calling him Santa Thank you everyone!!

 

[DHill6]

I have a Biota mandarin, he eats TDO pellets and LRF nano frozen. I dump Tisbe pods in every now and then.

 

[Apheoxx]

I have a Biota mandarin, he eats TDO pellets and LRF nano frozen. I dump Tisbe pods in every now and then.

Yes! Mine prefers frozen baby brine but is finicky when it comes to the pellets. He will only eat the REALLY SMALL ones. Thank you guys!