First saltwater tank, stocking plan

[Luananeko]

Ahh, that makes a lot of sense. Sounds like a QT no matter what is the best way to go then! It would certainly make it much easier to target feed the mandarin if I'm able to get him to eat something other than pods. Thanks!

Ouch. That certainly wouldn't be sustainable then. Sounds like the only way it can work out is if I can get the Mandarin eating frozen/prepared food (ie: wait for a captive bred one to come in stock and don't even try wild) and target feed, or have my own pod culture tank?

 

[fabutahoun]

Currently I am keeping some few hard to eat fish , like mandarin and leopard wrasse for more than 2 years. what I have noticed that these fish do better if you introduce them to a mature display tank with out QT, as there will be a good chance for these fish to find a lot of food to feed, eventfully they will accept other foods.

Even better is to have a mature introductory tank, it is separate tank with live rock and every thing , it is like a small version of display tank but with no other fish. then keep the mandarin there and try to train it to eat frozen food.

In QT there is a big chance that these fish will not accept food for a long time and they may starve to death.

 

[Luananeko]

I keep finding more wrasses that I'm torn between... Would it be better to leave the Mandarin off the stocking plan and instead get a 4th wrasse? In an ideal world where money was no object I'd want C. Lineatus, C. Rhomboidalis, C. Isoceles, and P. Attenuatus, but alas I suspect that combination would be too expensive and require a larger tank footprint than I have ;)