Mandarin used to eat frozen, now seems to avoid it...

[Rob Minion]

So after setting up a refugium and seeding the holy hell out of it, I decided to pick up a blue/green mandarin that was being given away. I found out that the mandarin was a frozen eater before I took it and I can confirm that when I first added him, he went right after some frozen brine at feeding time.

However, after a few days of picking at pods, he no longer seems interested in frozen. I fear my pod population alone can't sustain him yet. I only took him because I knew he would eat frozen as well.

At the time, I felt like I had a good colony of pods too. 125G display, about 130lbs of rock, refugium, heavy additional seeding and I had tons of pods on the glass. I have always heard "If they are on your glass, they are EVERYWHERE".

However, now I am seeing fewer pods on the glass and I really can't see any on the rock and sand (Though my eyes suck). Can a mandarin get spoiled on pods and start ignoring frozen again? Or will he revert back to frozen if pods become scarce?

I was so relieved when I first saw him eat frozen, but now I don't know...

 

[eatbreakfast]

As long as the tank has been setup for at least 6months the pod population should be self-sustaining, even with a mandarin.

It is very possible that the mandarin will continue to ignore frozen. But that really isn't a big deal because frozen is only a supplement.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It needs time to get used to the surroundings like all fish do.

 

[nereefpat]

I'm not convinced that frozen does much good for them anyway. They don't have much of a stomach.

I agree that the mandarin should be fine, given the maturity and amount of rock and the fuge.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm not convinced that frozen does much good for them anyway. They don't have much of a stomach.

I agree that the mandarin should be fine, given the maturity and amount of rock and the fuge.

I’ve had mandarins for ten years. Yes it does.

 

[nereefpat]

I’ve had mandarins for ten years. Yes it does.

Yes it does what?

Mandarins eat constantly. Time between bites is measured in seconds. They need a constant supply of food. For a mandarin to thrive on only frozen food, a steady stream of really small frozen food would need to be delivered. Do you disagree?

 

[mattgsa]

I'm not an expert, however, based of everything I have read. Mandarins can't survive on frozen food, due to the amount of time between feeding. Mine is constantly pecking at the glass. and the rocks looking for pods, and just to be safe, I'm constantly adding pods. In fact it a shipment coming in form algae barn tomorrow. It makes me nervous when I can't see or monitor the amount of food the fish has to eat. So I want to always ensure he has more then enough to eat.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yes it does what?

Mandarins eat constantly. Time between bites is measured in seconds. They need a constant supply of food. For a mandarin to thrive on only frozen food, a steady stream of really small frozen food would need to be delivered. Do you disagree?

They need supplemental feedings.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm not an expert, however, based of everything I have read. Mandarins can't survive on frozen food, due to the amount of time between feeding. Mine is constantly pecking at the glass. and the rocks looking for pods, and just to be safe, I'm constantly adding pods. In fact it a shipment coming in form algae barn tomorrow. It makes me nervous when I can't see or monitor the amount of food the fish has to eat. So I want to always ensure he has more then enough to eat.

Correct. If you read most any legitimate publication this is true.
They also eat the left over frozen foods.
Between that and a steady supply of bugs and worms this is how they thrive in our tanks.

 

[eatbreakfast]

There are plenty of mandarins that never accept frozen and can still thrive in a mature tank with adequate live rock.

I am unaware of any mandarins that eat frozen food but still thrive without pds.

So how exactly would it be possible to quantify that having a mandarin eat frozen helps in any measurable way?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

There are plenty of mandarins that never accept frozen and can still thrive in a mature tank with adequate live rock.

I am unaware of any mandarins that eat frozen food but still thrive without pds.

So how exactly would it be possible to quantify that having a mandarin eat frozen helps in any measurable way?

Having a pod bug population crash in the tank and seeing the fish suffer and having to supplement with frozen foods to get some weight back on the fish. Actual first person experience. That’s just mandarins.
I’ve had six diffent types of dragonetts at this point and am working hard with a green spotted just this year in my 30 gal.
I’ve spoken to or corresponded with with every major breeder and fish expert during my time with them. I’ve also read books.
They don’t just “eat pods”. That bit of common wisdom is wrong.
An established tank and supplemental feeding is the best answer. That bit of common wisdom is correct.
I don’t not say they will survive on frozen only. That actually theoretically could but you would have to feed several times a day. And you have to leave a lot of food in the tank.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Mandarins don't "need" supplemental feedings, they do need near constant feeding, whether that is pods or frozen.

If there is an adequate pod supply many specimens may never consume frozen. Frozen only becomes important when the pod population is inadequate, i.e. a pod crash, but that is not a common circumstance when mandarins are properly planned for.

It also begs the question of how did the pod population recover? Is it possible the mandarin's weight coming back coincided with the pod population? Was the frozen cause or coincidence? Mandarin's digestive tract is very short. When we think of digestive tracts we often think of the long tracts of meandering intestines that allow for the absorption of nutrients over hours. Mandarins digestive tract is a straight, short line, so feeding frequency is more important than specific foods.

 

[kirstyflash]

Mine eats both frozen and live. I dose gut loaded home hatched brine shrimp every couple of days and the gang go into a frenzy. Plus we have two scooters that love frozen

 

[stevea]

I am having my first mandarin my tank is very mature 5 years put he and a scooter in my 150 Dt with 100 or so lbs of rock I plan to seed fuge fish have been in tank for about 72 hours and have only seen a glimpse of both fish earlier today. Can someone please tell me if that is somewhat normal behavior for these guys to hide a lot or are they merely getting used to the new home Thank You in advance

 

[eatbreakfast]

I am having my first mandarin my tank is very mature 5 years put he and a scooter in my 150 Dt with 100 or so lbs of rock I plan to seed fuge fish have been in tank for about 72 hours and have only seen a glimpse of both fish earlier today. Can someone please tell me if that is somewhat normal behavior for these guys to hide a lot or are they merely getting used to the new home Thank You in advance

Perfectly normal.

 

[steveaus10]

Perfectly normal.

thank you