Dr Quarantine Mandarins

[Redbird5]

I have a question about Dr. Quarantine mandarins. Do they guarantee that they eat before the ship them? Are they nice and healthy?

 

[Fish Fan]

Just to be clear, I think maybe you mean "Dr. Reef's" Mandarins?

I can't speak to those, but I do know that Biota has tank raised Mandarins that are said to eat prepared foods like pellets and more. I've never had a Biota Mandarin personally, but I did have a Biota Court Jester Goby (another difficult feeder when wild caught). My Court Jester ate everything I threw at him. When I get my future pair of Mandarins, I'm likely to try Biota, and then QT'ing them myself.

Good luck!

 

[kevgib67]

I’ll let you know, I have a pair coming from Dr. Reef on Friday.

 

[slingfox]

What size tank do you have? I have two captive bred mandarins. I have never seen them eat pellets since I never direct feed them but they pick at the rocks all day. I started with one which seemed to double in size within the first month and then I got a second. Both have grown significantly and are active in the tank. If your tank is large enough then there is no need to feed them directly. I don’t think you can go wrong with Dr. Reef.

 

[Mebbid]

They are super responsive to emails, just shoot them an email and ask a few questions.

 

[13rodo]

Dr Reef even responded to me on R2R via PM... super good communication.

 

[Redbird5]

Just to be clear, I think maybe you mean "Dr. Reef's" Mandarins?

I can't speak to those, but I do know that Biota has tank raised Mandarins that are said to eat prepared foods like pellets and more. I've never had a Biota Mandarin personally, but I did have a Biota Court Jester Goby (another difficult feeder when wild caught). My Court Jester ate everything I threw at him. When I get my future pair of Mandarins, I'm likely to try Biota, and then QT'ing them myself.

Good luck!

Right now the only mandarin that biota has right now is the 3/4". I would love to get a biota mandarin if they're bigger.

 

[Fish Fan]

Right now the only mandarin that biota has right now is the 3/4". I would love to get a biota mandarin if they're bigger.

That is "a thing", all Biota fish, including my Court Jester, seem to come small.

 

[slingfox]

Right now the only mandarin that biota has right now is the 3/4". I would love to get a biota mandarin if they're bigger.

The first Biota Mandarin I purchased was probably half an inch or less. It doubled in size in the first 4-5 weeks.

 

[RabidDragon]

I recieve a Biota green mandarin in the mail from AlgaeBarn in the fall of 2023. It was less than an inch long when I got it. It is now fully grown, fat and healthy. It is ocastionally seen eating mysis.

The picutures of of it below are it showing off one day for the camera in May of 2024.

 

[Zakary2003]

This was my biota mandarin in April 2025 and then in September 2025. It probably more than doubled in size within the first month and was comparable to wild imports 5 months later. Now he eats TDS pellets and basically any meaty frozen food that fits in his mouth, and he's a fair bit larger than the wild caught imports at my LFS.

Same deal with my female biota mandarin. Started tiny in September 2025, and is now the length of the wild caught females at my LFS, and far fatter. She's just not as photogenic so I don't have any good pics of her now.

If you're willing to put them in an acclimation box and target feed them at first, that really gives them a head start and a boost in growth and makes them considerably less shy too. Definitely worth it IMO, even if they start out really small.