Mandarin getting him to eat

[vcnt]

Tank been set up for nearly 2 years, I have a cooepod population (I see them all around the sand bed, where sand meets glass, when I turn the lights on) and I can see a bunch right now on this pump.

Mandarin is just ignoring the mysis/brine that floats rights by him, and he isn’t pecking at the rocks. I have 2 other “rock peckers,” and they are pecking at the rocks, one was just introduced and already going at it.

Today I introduced 3 new fish. Small fire fish, small mandarin and small tiger looking wrasse

What is the best way to help mandarin start eating?

 

[vcnt]

Copepods always up here

 

[DSC reef]

This is something you're going to have to keep at for some time and very consistently. Sometimes mandarins might not take frozen at all. It took a year to get my mandarin to eat other foods and after a long run that fatty ate even pellets but loved LRS and reef nutrition foods. I even built him a little cave where I could feed him from the back of the tank and no other fish could steal his food. I noticed with mandarin that he didn't like to compete with the other fish for food. It was well worth all the time and hard work that was put in because after a decade he grew quite big and was so beautiful cruising the tank.

 

[W31Olds]

The good news is your Mandarin (female) does not appear to be thin. The bad news is it looks to me like she has Ich so may not be eating for that reason.
I have one and they will rarely pick food out of the Water Column because they like to inspect every bit before eating it. You must Target feed right in front of her and if you're lucky she will pick it off the rock or substrate.
Post a couple of more pics to be sure of Ich as it is not all the common with Mandarins.
@Jay Hemdal
@vetteguy53081

 

[vcnt]

This is something you're going to have to keep at for some time and very consistently. Sometimes mandarins might not take frozen at all. It took a year to get my mandarin to eat other foods and after a long run that fatty ate even pellets but loved LRS and reef nutrition foods. I even built him a little cave where I could feed him from the back of the tank and no other fish could steal his food. I noticed with mandarin that he didn't like to compete with the other fish for food. It was well worth all the time and hard work that was put in because after a decade he grew quite big and was so beautiful cruising the tank.

Currently I only have brine shrimp cubes I feed once a day usually, and sometimes I put a sheet of nori for algae blennt and blue tang.

What other foods should I get if any?

 

[vcnt]

The good news is your Mandarin (female) does not appear to be thin. The bad news is it looks to me like she has Ich so may not be eating for that reason.
I have one and they will rarely pick food out of the Water Column because they like to inspect every bit before eating it. You must Target feed right in front of her and if you're lucky she will pick it off the rock or substrate.
Post a couple of more pics to be sure of Ich as it is not all the common with Mandarins.
@Jay Hemdal
@vetteguy53081

I really don’t think it’s ich as this evening I didn’t see those spots, and one they other picture there is none.

99% sure is just an odd pic, but will update on morning

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/urgent-does-my-mandarin-have-ich.763151/

Pretty sure this person is same situation as me

 

[W31Olds]

It's very possible this is particulate matter stuck on her. Mine never has that on her but maybe your substrate is different. They should start to hunt rather quickly if you have Pods and I would be a little concerned if she's not pecking away tomorrow.

 

[vcnt]

It's very possible this is particulate matter stuck on her. Mine never has that on her but maybe your substrate is different. They should start to hunt rather quickly if you have Pods and I would be a little concerned if she's not pecking away tomorrow.

As the evening went on the pecking seems to have increased

My sleeper goby always stirs stuff up so it’s likely sand

 

[MasterClassReefs]

Copepods always up here

That seam.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tank been set up for nearly 2 years, I have a cooepod population (I see them all around the sand bed, where sand meets glass, when I turn the lights on) and I can see a bunch right now on this pump.

Mandarin is just ignoring the mysis/brine that floats rights by him, and he isn’t pecking at the rocks. I have 2 other “rock peckers,” and they are pecking at the rocks, one was just introduced and already going at it.

Today I introduced 3 new fish. Small fire fish, small mandarin and small tiger looking wrasse

What is the best way to help mandarin start eating?

This appears to be grains of sand but revisit tomorrow and confirm that there is less or no dots. If more, please posy another pic or two using same lighting intensity.

 

[vcnt]

That seam.

What?

 

[MasterClassReefs]

That seam.

What?

 

[vcnt]

That’s just the part of the gyre magnet holder, there’s an air pocket stuck

Is there something I’m missing?

 

[MasterClassReefs]

That’s just the part of the gyre magnet holder, there’s an air pocket stuck

Is there something I’m missing?

Oh good. that bubble made me anxious! Im jumpy from past leaks.

 

[DragonWrasseFan]

I trained my mandarin to eat frozen mysis, frozen brine, and frozen copepods by turning off all pumps and wave makers and placing the food in the same spot in the tank every feeding. My female mandarin learned that that was going to be the feeding spot, and she learned as soon as the pumps were off that it was feeding time. Sometimes, I would also feed both frozen copepods and live copepods at the same time, as well as live and frozen brine at the same time. When there’s both frozen and live in the tank at the same time, eventually, the mandarin will start putting the frozen in its mouth. It might spit out the frozen at first, but eventually, it should learn that it’s food and it should start accepting the frozen food. Mysis shrimp became my Mandarins favorite food. I would do frozen brine and frozen copepods in the morning and then I would feed frozen mysis shrimp, and frozen copepods in the evening. I did also make sure I had a steady population of live copepods in the tank though, and would dose live copepods frequently since they like to graze all day. Apparently you can sometimes keep a mandarin going on frozen only, but it requires several feedings throughout the day.

 

[DSC reef]

Currently I only have brine shrimp cubes I feed once a day usually, and sometimes I put a sheet of nori for algae blennt and blue tang.

What other foods should I get if any?

Brine shrimp unless gut loaded have very little nutritional value. LRS reef frenzy, reef nutrition has some nice products you can look at like roe, mysis,etc. Dr. G's has a good product called roe. My reef tank ate better than I did. Lol
Like I said, it took time and consistency but it was worth it. Id make sure you keep up with your copepods too.

 

[vcnt]

Brine shrimp unless gut loaded have very little nutritional value. LRS reef frenzy, reef nutrition has some nice products you can look at like roe, mysis,etc. Dr. G's has a good product called roe. My reef tank ate better than I did. Lol
Like I said, it took time and consistency but it was worth it. Id make sure you keep up with your copepods too.

I got the hikari sheet of mysis

 

[vcnt]

Hi guys

I’m thinking of order/going to store to get some pods

What kind and how many oz should I get?

Stock -
1 Clownfish
1 BlueTang
1 Small firefish
1 Small Mandarin
1 Yellowtail Cores- I think, its a guy thats orange with white stripes, and a bit of purple
1 Yellow-headed sleeper goby
1 Algae/Lawnmower Blenny

110 Tank

Small sump, no refuge in