how to get mandarin to eat prepared foods?

[Neros503]

A couple months back our lfs was selling a ORA mandarin, and since I was already looking into getting one, I bought it. I asked the lfs what they fed it and they said they were feeding frozen brine, but in my excitement, I forgot to ask them to feed it while I was there. The mandarin was around 3/4 inches when we bought him and now, he's a little over an inch. He seems to be doing great, but he doesn't eat prepared foods. If you have a mandarin that eats prepared foods, how did you get it to? I don't mind buying pods, but it is getting expensive.

 

[T-J]

Grow pods in your sump, or in another small aquarium and save yourself some $$$$.

My Mandarin ate prepared brine as well. I didn't do anything special. It just decided to eat it when I fed the other fish. It was just an occasional snack for the fish, but then I started adding it daily to feedings since I saw the Mandarin liked it.

 

[Jekyl]

Grow pods in your sump, or in another small aquarium and save yourself some $$$$.

My Mandarin ate prepared brine as well. I didn't do anything special. It just decided to eat it when I fed the other fish. It was just an occasional snack for the fish, but then I started adding it daily to feedings since I saw the Mandarin liked it.

Agreed. Ive seen mine take a bite here or there of other foods. However that's not what they're accustomed to. A good pod supply is the only way to go if you want to keep mandarin

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Firstly I would start feeding your pods phyto. Watch the numbers blow up.

Secondly, try spot feeding the mandarin with a dropper while your other fish are eating. Mine only eats brine. Won't touch anything else frozen. Took months for him to actually commit. Now, he's fat and happy with a lot of pods, and backup brine.

 

[jazzfisher]

If you don't turn off your pump/wavemakers when feeding, try that. The mandarins can't catch food as fast as the other fish. Both of my mandarins eat frozen & pellets. They especially like LRS Nano Reef Frenzy, mysis and brine shrimp. If he is growing he is eating something.

 

[dhnguyen]

You can try what this guy did

 

[Neros503]

Sorry for the late response, my notifications haven't been working. I've been dosing phyto daily. I don't usually feed with pumps off because then the other fish don't eat when there off, but I can try that. I have lrs reef frenzy, frozen brine, pe 1mm mysis pellets, new life spectrum pellets, and flake foods. recently I've been trying the melev's reef way with a jar with food in it, but I've only seen him go in once, and the crabs usually steal all the food.

 

[Neros503]

You can try what this guy did

I've seen this before, and I might try something like this soon if nothing else works.

 

[Jekyl]

A good pod population is all that is needed for a mandarin. Mine is about a year and a half old now and I've never fed it before.

 

[Neros503]

A good pod population is all that is needed for a mandarin. Mine is about a year and a half old now and I've never fed it before.

My tank is only 29 gallons, so it doesn't have the most pods, and that's why I wanted to supplement it with something else to.

 

[NashobaTek]

My tank is only 29 gallons, so it doesn't have the most pods, and that's why I wanted to supplement it with something else to.

You can also make a target feeder for mandrins like PaulB, and hatch fresh brine shrimp babies every day for them.
Just a suggestion.

 

[dmward1978]

A good pod population is all that is needed for a mandarin. Mine is about a year and a half old now and I've never fed it before.

How do you qauntify a "good" population?

 

[vahegan]

I weaned a number of wild caught mandarins (both varieties) to eat live blackworms. I have kept a spotted mandarin along with a pair of striped mandarins for years in a 20-gallon tank, and have witnessed spawning dances many times (the male and female touch with their bellies near the bottom and spiral up to the top - although I have never seen actual eggs which are supposed to be released when they part near the top). I used to put a small clump of live blackworms in a small container (without water), put a couple of drops of Selcon over it (to add the essential HUFA which such freshwater foods are lacking), let it stand for 15 minutes to soak in. Initially I was spot-feeding these near the newly arrived mandarin's nose to entice him to try. It usually takes them 2-3 days to understand that this is food and to start looking for it - after that I used to dump the worms in the tank at feeding time and everyone has a go at it (all the fishes as well as palythoa polyps loved the blackworms). The downside, however, is that it has quickly increased the phosphates in the 20-gallon. Should not be an issue in a larger tank with good skimmer and algae filter.

 

[Appoloreefer]

A couple months back our lfs was selling a ORA mandarin, and since I was already looking into getting one, I bought it. I asked the lfs what they fed it and they said they were feeding frozen brine, but in my excitement, I forgot to ask them to feed it while I was there. The mandarin was around 3/4 inches when we bought him and now, he's a little over an inch. He seems to be doing great, but he doesn't eat prepared foods. If you have a mandarin that eats prepared foods, how did you get it to? I don't mind buying pods, but it is getting expensive.

I had purchased a Mandarin and I just kept giving him brine shrimp and mysis (frozen) and was very patient and eventually he started eating them. I do believe that I was lucky or fortunate because I know not all will unless they are bred and raised to accept prepared foods. Patients is key and keep trying

 

[Appoloreefer]

I weaned a number of wild caught mandarins (both varieties) to eat live blackworms. I have kept a spotted mandarin along with a pair of striped mandarins for years in a 20-gallon tank, and have witnessed spawning dances many times (the male and female touch with their bellies near the bottom and spiral up to the top - although I have never seen actual eggs which are supposed to be released when they part near the top). I used to put a small clump of live blackworms in a small container (without water), put a couple of drops of Selcon over it (to add the essential HUFA which such freshwater foods are lacking), let it stand for 15 minutes to soak in. Initially I was spot-feeding these near the newly arrived mandarin's nose to entice him to try. It usually takes them 2-3 days to understand that this is food and to start looking for it - after that I used to dump the worms in the tank at feeding time and everyone has a go at it (all the fishes as well as palythoa polyps loved the blackworms). The downside, however, is that it has quickly increased the phosphates in the 20-gallon. Should not be an issue in a larger tank with good skimmer and algae filter.

I have heard that blackworms work as well

 

[AlgaeBarn]

My tank is only 29 gallons, so it doesn't have the most pods, and that's why I wanted to supplement it with something else to.

Have you tried can o cyclops? It's available in our mandarin feeder kit or to be purchased individually and mandarins usually love it as well as your other fish!

Can O' Cyclops

Can O' Cyclops by ZooMed provides excellent nutritional value for small fish, such as the Biota Captive Bred Mandarin. These preserved copepods are similar in appearance and size to live adult copepods; therefore, encouraging a fantastic feeding response.

www.algaebarn.com

 

[Neros503]

Have you tried can o cyclops? It's available in our mandarin feeder kit or to be purchased individually and mandarins usually love it as well as your other fish!

Can O' Cyclops

Can O' Cyclops by ZooMed provides excellent nutritional value for small fish, such as the Biota Captive Bred Mandarin. These preserved copepods are similar in appearance and size to live adult copepods; therefore, encouraging a fantastic feeding response.

www.algaebarn.com

Thanks! I think I might have to get some of this soon.

 

[Leo_ian]

How do you qauntify a "good" population?

when you see the pods cover large areas of your tank sides