Feeding a Mandarin in a nano reef.

[jacrispy516]

I have a 16-gallon cycling. I am already dosing phytoplankton and when the cycle nears completion will begin dosing tisbe, tigriopus, apocyclops, and oithona. I am well aware that even if my tank is well established a mandarin would completely wipe them out very fast. If I dose pods and phyto every single day and never stop will I be able to sustain a mandarin in my tank? Is daily overkill if so how often? Is this a recipe for disaster?

 

[TheReefDiary]

I have a 16-gallon cycling. I am already dosing phytoplankton and when the cycle nears completion will begin dosing tisbe, tigriopus, apocyclops, and oithona. I am well aware that even if my tank is well established a mandarin would completely wipe them out very fast. If I dose pods and phyto every single day and never stop will I be able to sustain a mandarin in my tank? Is daily overkill if so how often? Is this a recipe for disaster?

take it slow with the mandarin. they need established systems to thrive. also, dosing pods and phyto becomes very expensive unless you plan on culturing your own which comes along with its own challanges. im never the type of person to tell someone what to do. its your money and your tank, but i think youd be best waiting it out and establishing the tank for a longer period. in the meantime add another fish or 2 that will coexist well with the mandarin in the future.

if you must get the mandaring trying get a biota one that may eat other foods besides pods. even then anticipate that it may end up dying.

 

[jacrispy516]

take it slow with the mandarin. they need established systems to thrive. also, dosing pods and phyto becomes very expensive unless you plan on culturing your own which comes along with its own challanges. im never the type of person to tell someone what to do. its your money and your tank, but i think youd be best waiting it out and establishing the tank for a longer period. in the meantime add another fish or 2 that will coexist well with the mandarin in the future.

if you must get the mandaring trying get a biota one that may eat other foods besides pods. even then anticipate that it may end up dying.

So the mandarin will definitely not be added for a long time. His tank mates would be a blue neon goby and hi fin red banded goby both will be added before the mandarin. I would certainly be interested in learning how to cultivate my own pods and phyto. I also wouldn't have an issue shelling out the money to buy them if I had no other choice. Anyway do you think once the tank is 6 months to a year old and if I dose daily do you think it would be enough for it to eat or would it still starve?

 

[TheReefDiary]

So the mandarin will definitely not be added for a long time. His tank mates would be a blue neon goby and hi fin red banded goby both will be added before the mandarin. I would certainly be interested in learning how to cultivate my own pods and phyto. I also wouldn't have an issue shelling out the money to buy them if I had no other choice. Anyway do you think once the tank is 6 months to a year old and if I dose daily do you think it would be enough for it to eat or would it still starve?

the problem is the tank is so small meaning the pods will be wiped out quickly and they can eat a ridiculous amount in a day alone. other fish will also eat the copepods, not just the mandarin. You can definitely have the fish in a tank that size it just takes a lot of committment to ensure its eating well and that it has enough food to survive long term.

for the smaller tank i would wait as long as you could to allow it to mature. smaller tanks parameters flucuate a lot more than a larger tank and allowing it to establish itself will set you up for better success with the mandarin.

I want one as well, but i will be waiting until i get my larger system next year and its been established for a while. probably wont have a mandarin for a few years.

 

[jacrispy516]

the problem is the tank is so small meaning the pods will be wiped out quickly and they can eat a ridiculous amount in a day alone. other fish will also eat the copepods, not just the mandarin. You can definitely have the fish in a tank that size it just takes a lot of committment to ensure its eating well and that it has enough food to survive long term.

for the smaller tank i would wait as long as you could to allow it to mature. smaller tanks parameters flucuate a lot more than a larger tank and allowing it to establish itself will set you up for better success with the mandarin.

I want one as well, but i will be waiting until i get my larger system next year and its been established for a while. probably wont have a mandarin for a few years.

Hmm it's one of those things where I want it so badly but feel wrong about doing. My alternative (if I can find one or two) is the flaming prawn goby. Another alternative that is near impossible to find is the tesselated blenny. Will be capping it off at 3 fish though.

 

[TheReefDiary]

Hmm it's one of those things where I want it so badly but feel wrong about doing. My alternative (if I can find one or two) is the flaming prawn goby. Another alternative that is near impossible to find is the tesselated blenny. Will be capping it off at 3 fish though.

I have 3 in my 13.5g and they're fine. I could get away with one more but the tank is semi aggressive so I'm not going to do that.

end of the day man do what you want. it's your money and your tank. just be aware of possible outcomes. they are amazing fish and many people successfully keep them, but you have to ensure you can feed them to keep them alive.

 

[jacrispy516]

I have 3 in my 13.5g and they're fine. I could get away with one more but the tank is semi aggressive so I'm not going to do that.

end of the day man do what you want. it's your money and your tank. just be aware of possible outcomes. they are amazing fish and many people successfully keep them, but you have to ensure you can feed them to keep them alive.

True true and at the end of the day it's all about the corals anyway haha.

 

[i cant think]

Hmm it's one of those things where I want it so badly but feel wrong about doing. My alternative (if I can find one or two) is the flaming prawn goby. Another alternative that is near impossible to find is the tesselated blenny. Will be capping it off at 3 fish though.

It would be best going for a flaming prawn goby (Discordipinna griessingeri) these behave like a mandarin but also this tank may be your only chance to get one. Mine got lost in a 25G custom made (3’x16”x1’) and I only saw it once - Upgraded from a max nano to this tank. In my max nano I saw it on the daily but in my new tank I only saw it once although I believe it has passed unfortunately (It was close to its lifespan anyway).

 

[jacrispy516]

It would be best going for a flaming prawn goby (Discordipinna griessingeri) these behave like a mandarin but also this tank may be your only chance to get one. Mine got lost in a 25G custom made (3’x16”x1’) and I only saw it once - Upgraded from a max nano to this tank. In my max nano I saw it on the daily but in my new tank I only saw it once although I believe it has passed unfortunately (It was close to its lifespan anyway).

How much did you pay for it? If I wonder if kept in a group in a larger tank if they'd be more adventurous.

 

[i cant think]

How much did you pay for it? If I wonder if kept in a group in a larger tank if they'd be more adventurous.

They go for the low triple digits over this side of the pond. Honestly, this is a species better off on its own as they aren’t naturally found in groups and rarely even pairs.

 

[jacrispy516]

They go for the low triple digits over this side of the pond. Honestly, this is a species better off on its own as they aren’t naturally found in groups and rarely even pairs.

Hmm, interesting. My LFS said they can order one for me. Definitely going to consider one, but will wait for a long time, because I do not want to risk losing a fish that expensive. Hopefully if I have my neon and hifin they won't bully it.

 

[John Neuzil]

I've keep a Biota mandarin in a 20 with a few other gobies. I've had him for a year and a half. He eats a variety of frozen and pellets. Pods are not necessary.

 

[jacrispy516]

I've keep a Biota mandarin in a 20 with a few other gobies. I've had him for a year and a half. He eats a variety of frozen and pellets. Pods are not necessary.

Hmm that's swaying me. I do know Biota and ORA mandarins will eat frozen readily. I have read some posts where people say that frozen isn't nutritious enough for them and they still need the pods. A year and a half is a long time is your mandarin fattened up?

 

[Tamberav]

Buy a captive bred one and feed frozen and supplement with pods. You can also supplement with fresh hatched baby brine shrimp.

I used to have 6 dragonetts in a 20g macroalgae tank doing it this way. Oldest I had for 5 years. Got rid of the tank when I moved as they were a lot of work and difficult to take a vacation with.

Don’t bother with the wild ones. Not only are they sometimes underweight/emaciated at the store, but you are basically supporting the wild collection of them and many end up dying in tanks where someone didn’t do the research. They are a fish I would not mind seeing the wild collection stop. We have captives and too many of the wild ones die prematurely.

Supporting breeders also encourages them to breed more types of fish.

 

[John Neuzil]

Hmm that's swaying me. I do know Biota and ORA mandarins will eat frozen readily. I have read some posts where people say that frozen isn't nutritious enough for them and they still need the pods. A year and a half is a long time is your mandarin fattened up?

He has and had grown alot.

 

[BuddyBonButt]

Buy a captive bred one and feed frozen and supplement with pods. You can also supplement with fresh hatched baby brine shrimp.

I used to have 6 dragonetts in a 20g macroalgae tank doing it this way. Oldest I had for 5 years. Got rid of the tank when I moved as they were a lot of work and difficult to take a vacation with.

Don’t bother with the wild ones. Not only are they sometimes underweight/emaciated at the store, but you are basically supporting the wild collection of them and many end up dying in tanks where someone didn’t do the research. They are a fish I would not mind seeing the wild collection stop. We have captives and too many of the wild ones die prematurely.

Supporting breeders also encourages them to breed more types of fish.

I unfortunately don't have a local breeder for these guys. Couldn't find one and when I saw one close to death at my lfs I wanted to save it. I have plenty of pods to feed it

 

[nano7g]

I've keep a Biota mandarin in a 20 with a few other gobies. I've had him for a year and a half. He eats a variety of frozen and pellets. Pods are not necessary.

How often do you feed your mandarin?

 

[John Neuzil]

How often do you feed your mandarin?

Two to three times a day

 

[BigAl07]

In such a small ecosystem, if you're mind is set on a Mandarin, I would absolutely get one from BIOTA so that you don't "rely" on Copepods but don't forego that food stream either. I wouldn't worry about "Daily Dosing" of Copepods and Phyto until much closer to time to add the Mandarin to the tank. In such a small system you could easily add more than needed. Odds are it wouldn't be an issue but small volume means big parameter swings. Do everything with a purpose and a plan.

Just keep in mind that "Culturing Pods & Phyto" can be a hobby/experience in itself. I absolutely LOVE my Pod/Phyto Culture adventure. It's an ongoing EXPERIMENT which means you will have crashes/failures but odds are you'll have some great successes too.