So how this mandarin got into my Pico tank is a bit of an embarrassment lol
I impulse bought a blue mandarin at the LFS and didn't even think that I would have to worry about QT. (Normally I buy all my fish full QT from Dr. Reef and just went through hypo on my 90g Fowlr successfully) I have thousands of copepods in my tank and mandarins are one of my favorite fish I've always wanted.
So I brought this one home after 1 week at the store and was like...well I can't risk putting this in my tank now... and honestly I have a starry blenny and I've read several posts on how they may fight. I didn't even think about that.
So I had my little 3g Picotope glass tank kve been storing in my basement for 10 years ;Hilarious
I put the subrate & some mature rock pieces and water from my DT. I setup my aquaclear 20 with filter pad pieces and a bag of mature Biomax from my sump, so pretty much this little 3g is fully cycled instantly and I put the mandarin in. The rock already has copepods on it and I have so many on the glass in my DT that I wipe a pieces of filter floss and collect the pods and seeds the 3g.
But to my luck...this little bugger is already EATING FROZEN 2 DAYS LATER! I can't believe it. Hes still very skinny. Hopefully I can fatten him up a bit. But now do I really want to put him in my DT ? ;Meh I'm still concerned about him carrying something and well...getting eaten. So I might just get a shrimp,some snails and keep my Pico mandarin lol I can't have inverts in my DT. But I also know he would thrive in my bigger thank if he wouldn't get picked on. I heavily considered returning him to the LFS. But I guess I'll keep him but what a weird little adventure that wasn't *supposed* to turn into another tank lol
I impulse bought a blue mandarin at the LFS and didn't even think that I would have to worry about QT. (Normally I buy all my fish full QT from Dr. Reef and just went through hypo on my 90g Fowlr successfully) I have thousands of copepods in my tank and mandarins are one of my favorite fish I've always wanted.
So I brought this one home after 1 week at the store and was like...well I can't risk putting this in my tank now... and honestly I have a starry blenny and I've read several posts on how they may fight. I didn't even think about that.
So I had my little 3g Picotope glass tank kve been storing in my basement for 10 years ;Hilarious
I put the subrate & some mature rock pieces and water from my DT. I setup my aquaclear 20 with filter pad pieces and a bag of mature Biomax from my sump, so pretty much this little 3g is fully cycled instantly and I put the mandarin in. The rock already has copepods on it and I have so many on the glass in my DT that I wipe a pieces of filter floss and collect the pods and seeds the 3g.
But to my luck...this little bugger is already EATING FROZEN 2 DAYS LATER! I can't believe it. Hes still very skinny. Hopefully I can fatten him up a bit. But now do I really want to put him in my DT ? ;Meh I'm still concerned about him carrying something and well...getting eaten. So I might just get a shrimp,some snails and keep my Pico mandarin lol I can't have inverts in my DT. But I also know he would thrive in my bigger thank if he wouldn't get picked on. I heavily considered returning him to the LFS. But I guess I'll keep him but what a weird little adventure that wasn't *supposed* to turn into another tank lol