Mandarin fish tips/questions

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Hi guys,

I've got myself a beautiful wild splendid mandarin, I was lucky to choose a healthy specimen that was already eating frozen brine shrimp.

Since getting him I've had him for about a week on a acclimation box in the tank so I can beef him up with frozen food enriched with selcon + all sorts of food.

Are there any strategies to ensure that he eats once he's free in the large tank?

My tank is a 120cm long x 60cm high x 90cm width. I have a Mimic tang, Valentini puffer, 2 clowns, 1 bicolor blenny and 1 female swallowtail angelfish (plus inverts clean up crew). Also it has mix of lps and softies.

I can see when he goes for the frozen food even in the acclimation box he is slow and inquisitive though he eats it. I imagine once I have him in the tank, haha by the time he realizes I put food in, the "hungry dogs" will have gotten to it already.

So, cutting the story short my questions are:

1. If I keep him longer in the box trying to get him familiar and eating dry food at some point - will it help?

2. When I have him in the tank with the hungry dogs what are the tactics to get him to eat or be able to compete?

3. Does he become a bit quicker as he gets used to eating the food I put there? Or he is always slow to go for it?


That's all, I appreciate any other advice. I can see him very fatty in the acclimation box, even though I do have good amount of pods in my tank I want him eating larger food that will provide him more nutritional value (like the vitamin soaked brine shrimp and others).

Will try to take a good pic of him and put in the topic also.

Cheers!

 

[PotatoPig]

Good that he’s taking prepared food - that’s unusual for a wild one.

As you’re noting though, these fish leisurely graze rather than rush to eat. Their natural behavior has them just slowly cruising around the rocks pecking off copepods and small amphipods literally all day long so it can be challenging to direct feed them.

How established is you tank and do you have a refugium?

Best case is you have enough rock for a self sustaining pod population in which case your mandarin will take care of himself.

If you don’t and it’s eating prepared foods you have a shot of keeping it alive, but plan for something like 4+ feedings a day.

Edit: I see you have LPS corals so assuming it’s an established tank. Going by the size there’s a good chance it’ll be just fine on pods, especially if you have a refugium.

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Good that he’s taking prepared food - that’s unusual for a wild one.

As you’re noting though, these fish leisurely graze rather than rush to eat. Their natural behavior has them just slowly cruising around the rocks pecking off copepods and small amphipods literally all day long so it can be challenging to direct feed them.

How established is you tank and do you have a refugium?

Best case is you have enough rock for a self sustaining pod population in which case your mandarin will take care of himself.

If you don’t and it’s eating prepared foods you have a shot of keeping it alive, but plan for something like 4+ feedings a day.

Edit: I see you have LPS corals so assuming it’s an established tank. Going by the size there’s a good chance it’ll be just fine on pods, especially if you have a refugium.

Tank has been setup since 1/11/2021.

I do have a refugium with chaeto. I seeded It a few times with copepods and amphipods. Though I rarely see them in the display and more in the sump - unless I really try look for them.

So I assume from your answer he doesn't get any quicker at getting food, and if he goes to the display the best bet is to have it packed with Live pods instead ?

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

I could also try improvise a hatchery and every once in a while throw some live ones in the display tank on top of the frozen food feeding (which most likely the others will smash most of it).

 

[Lavey29]

I agree with Mr. Potato. You have to have an established sustaining pod population in the tank. I dose pods every 2 weeks for my mandarin and he eats frozen too. He has been in the tank a year and pods are his primary source of food way beyond frozen.

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

I agree with Mr. Potato. You have to have an established sustaining pod population in the tank. I dose pods every 2 weeks for my mandarin and he eats frozen too. He has been in the tank a year and pods are his primary source of food way beyond frozen.

Do you have a separate system to grow the pods ? I do have a heap in my sump but I was thinking of dosing them once in a while on the main tank to make sure he has it.

Also what type of pods? Just copepods or amphipods also good for the mandarin?

And what about your other fish - in regards to eating the pods I supposed he is the only one in your tank?

 

[Lavey29]

Do you have a separate system to grow the pods ? I do have a heap in my sump but I was thinking of dosing them once in a while on the main tank to make sure he has it.

Also what type of pods? Just copepods or amphipods also good for the mandarin?

And what about your other fish - in regards to eating the pods I supposed he is the only one in your tank?

I don't culture the pods but do have a well functioning fuge. I've only seen my mandarin go after copepods but I'm sure he would eat small amphipods too if he finds them. I have 5 wrasses in my tank including a 6 line so some of those eat pests and pods too. This is primarily why I still supplement dose pods in the tank. I have a lot of rockscape and at night I can see pods racing around on the sandbed. My mandarin hunts early in the morning and at sunset. During the day he is cruising inside dark rock caves looking for food and rarely comes out but I have seen him eat frozen and there are some reef nutrition brine shrimp and artic pods he eats also. He also likes roe eggs from reef nutrition.

 

[OrionN]

You need to release him into your tank. You also need to ensure that you have a thriving pod population in the tank. I provide refuge for the pods in my tank so they don’t get eliminated from the tank by hungry fishes. Have piles of small rubbles, 1 cm or less, better if the rubbles have concave surfaces like bivalve shells. These are living quarters for small pods where they can live free from predation by the fishes. These pod population will multiply and feed your fish and mandarin.
Your tank seem large enough and your fishes are not direct competitors to the mandarin for food, he should be OK in your tank.
Here are pictures of my current mandarin pair in a 40 US gal tank, and pictures of my previous Mandarins. I keep fish for 40+ years and always have mandarin in my various tanks