Mandarin Gobys

[DillyP]

I had a spotted mandarin in my fluval 13.5 for about a year before he got upgraded, established pods already in there and 3 separate 1 gallon containers for cultivating pods. Even with the 90 he's in now I still wouldn't do it without my Refugium and the pod cultures split and added bi monthly. If you see your mandarin out he should be hunting and eating pods almost constantly!! (Wild caught of course)

I have another 3 gallon tank I could use to breed pods. Would you say it was a lot of work. Also do you think it would be a good long term home for him. As I wouldn’t be able to upgrade for 3-4 years at the earliest.

Not much work at all maybe 10 minutes a week. I definitely wouldn't recommend doing it all in the 3 gallon as if 1 crashed your kinda screwed. I use 1g lemonade/liquid dispensers and run an airline hose in each. In your situation I'd recommend using the 3 gallon to culture phyto and a couple separate containers for the pods themselves. You could just buy phyto from algae barn ect but it definitely adds up...

 

[DillyP]

I had a spotted mandarin in my fluval 13.5 for about a year before he got upgraded, established pods already in there and 3 separate 1 gallon containers for cultivating pods. Even with the 90 he's in now I still wouldn't do it without my Refugium and the pod cultures split and added bi monthly. If you see your mandarin out he should be hunting and eating pods almost constantly!! (Wild caught of course)

I have another 3 gallon tank I could use to breed pods. Would you say it was a lot of work. Also do you think it would be a good long term home for him. As I wouldn’t be able to upgrade for 3-4 years at the earliest.

In terms of the time it would take to upgrade I would only get a captive bred and I'd say max 2 years in the 13.5

 

[MrMeanyHead]

In terms of the time it would take to upgrade I would only get a captive bred and I'd say max 2 years in the 13.5

Will it out grow the tank. Also did you have it with any tank mates

 

[MrMeanyHead]

Not much work at all maybe 10 minutes a week. I definitely wouldn't recommend doing it all in the 3 gallon as if 1 crashed your kinda screwed. I use 1g lemonade/liquid dispensers and run an airline hose in each. In your situation I'd recommend using the 3 gallon to culture phyto and a couple separate containers for the pods themselves. You could just buy phyto from algae barn ect but it definitely adds up...

This may be stupid but how did you take care of the phyto and copepods in the smaller tanks, I’m assuming just a light and keep stable parameters for all the tanks but I’m assuming that’s harder than it sounds for such smalle tanks

 

[hbboarder87]

The Mandarin I have from biota is eating my sis and new life spectrum pellets the smallest ones. The ones that come from biota are pretty small. I honestly don’t think you’ll have an issue in a nano with one.

How long have you had it and in what tank size. I just don’t think a 13.5 gallon will be enough

I’ve had it about a month. In a 55 gal

 

[Uncle99]

Not less than 30, preferred 50-75.
Lots of rock. At least 6 months wet, 12 better.
If it’s the only exclusive POD eater, population will feed it without intervention by you.

This guy I have never feed in 3 years.