How to get a tank Mandarin ready?

[Evan West]

I know I know "wait at least 6 months" ive heard it all over the place but gosh darnit im impatient! My tank has been up for 3 months and I have dumped one 8oz thing of algagen pods tisbe in the tank already in an attempt to spur on the pods population but is their any other way to help? I would love a refugium but I am sump-less and dont really want a hang on. Also lastly how do I know when the tank is ready besides just "wait 6 months" like how can I tell via a quantitative observation.

 

[Paul B]

Those 8oz of pods should last an adult mandarin an afternoon and I would also forget that 6 month thing. I would wait a year and build a feeder. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Evan West]

Those 8oz of pods should last an adult mandarin an afternoon and I would also forget that 6 month thing. I would wait a year and build a feeder. Just my opinion of course.

hmmm I assumed the pod seeder would not do squat twords feeding one but grrr I dont wanna wait a year lol

 

[Paul B]

Mandarin feeder

 

[clownfish chris]

If you have a 200 gallon tank with algae growth and pods crawling on the glass, you should be fine as early as two months into it. If you have a 20 gallon tank you will never be ready without a large fuge and supplemental feeding. Everything is relative. Mandarins literally eat thousands of pods per day- and not just one variety. They aren't as easy as they look.

How big is your tank and how much rock do you have? Pics?

 

[Evan West]

Ironically its a 20g and check the build thread in my signature for pics. There is 20lb of rock in it...... I am well aware its not ready yet but I want to get it there.

 

[clownfish chris]

Great build thread! I would not put a mandy in that tank. It looks like you are doing a great job with the tank and I commend you for researching before pulling the trigger. Sadly, I did not research and learned that lesson the hard way... 3 times before I realized my tank could not support it. The tank was a 29 gallon with a chaeto fuge in the sump. With diligent feeding and intense attention, it could be done but I would not recommend it to anyone.

 

[Dashiki]

Please do not put a mandarin in a 20 gallon find another attractive fish and love it instead.

Even trained they need the pods for proper nutrition.

 

[Empress]

How do you build a mandarin feeder? And what do you put in it? I like that video. I gotta have one just like it!

 

[Evan West]

Thanks for the advise guys! I suppose the mandarin is probably to much work

 

[locito277]

Mandarin feeder

Paul is this your system?

 

[Empress]

How do you build a mandarin feeder? And what do you put in it? I like that video. I gotta have one just like it!

Thank you Paul B for the link on how to build a Mandy feeder! It looks pretty simple and I will try it.

 

[ruha456]

Can you share that link on D.I.Y. Mandy feeder please.

 

[Empress]

Can you share that link on D.I.Y. Mandy feeder please.

@ Paul B ^^

 

[Paul B]

Paul is this your system?

Yes, that is my system.
You can share that link. I am not sure if I am allowed to link to that being it is another forum, kind of

 

[RJ Harris]

My first tank was a 20 gallon and I put a green spotted mandarin in there and she lasted maybe six months if that slowly starving to death even with supplemental pods to the sump. I moved to a 50 cube and waited for 6 months and tried it with a normal mandarin and he honey lasted 8 months. Eventually I have upgraded to a 75 and had better success and trained my male and female mandarin to eat frozen now I have a 125 and they both ear pods and frozen every night and forage through out the day. I wouldn't ever put a Mandy in anything less than a 50 and your going to have to supplement all the time.

Also in this hobby patients is the key to success as many can attest. I still have a hard time being patient when I have fish in qt. if you really want a Mandy and your budget allows upgrade to a bigger system and do a sump/refugium. It will pay of and Benefit the whole system. I use to run mechanical filters and I never like the results and looks of my tanks. I would also try @Paul B's Mandy feeder my cousin copied it and it's a genius idea. His Mandy sits on it waiting for him to fill it with brine shrimp

 

[brandon4432]

A mandarin has such a short digestive track that it needs to eat hundreds of pods throughout the day to survive. Even if you have a mandarin that eats frozen food like a pig twice a day it will slowly starve because it's body cannot process all the nutrition. Although frozen should still be used as a supplemental food source. A mandarin is so hard to keep and it's such a pain because it's such a beautiful fish! I wish I could keep one too.

 

[RJ Harris]

A mandarin has such a short digestive track that it needs to eat hundreds of pods throughout the day to survive. Even if you have a mandarin that eats frozen food like a pig twice a day it will slowly starve because it's body cannot process all the nutrition. Although frozen should still be used as a supplemental food source. A mandarin is so hard to keep and it's such a pain because it's such a beautiful fish! I wish I could keep one too.

I don't find them to be a pain to keep. If you spend enough time with them and making sure they are healthy they are great to keep. It's all in the mind set I guess. If you don't want to work to keep them don't get one. Even with supplemental feeding every other day my Mandy's have enough pods that they are fat little beasts

 

[brandon4432]

I don't find them to be a pain to keep. If you spend enough time with them and making sure they are healthy they are great to keep. It's all in the mind set I guess. If you don't want to work to keep them don't get one. Even with supplemental feeding every other day my Mandy's have enough pods that they are fat little beasts

Yes but those of us that have smaller systems just have no chance at keeping a Mandarin as they should be kept

 

[Wh00pS32]

Yes but those of us that have smaller systems just have no chance at keeping a Mandarin as they should be kept

I have kept a mandarin in a 14g for the last 18 months. I saw him at a lfs, very thin and thought he's gonna die anyway so decided to give it a shot.
It can be done but it's very expensive to do so, i buy 10 bags of pods a week to supplement the tank (i also breed my own and dump in a few thousand every couple of weeks) and he also eats frozen lobster eggs which go in twice a week. The only other fish in the tank are a pair of clowns.
A lot of people think i am nuts going to this expense for 1 fish but a mandarin was the only fish i ever really wanted to keep and to me it's worth every penny.