My big, fat and happy Green Mandarin

[drukkosz]

Hello all,

Just wanted to share my success in having a happy (and fat) Mandarin.

About 9 years ago, I saw a Green Mandarin in a public aquarium and instantly fell in love with it. Thus, began my reef journey.

I started with a 30-gallon tank, and three upgrades later, settled on a 125-gallon mixed reef (upstairs) and a 30-gallon sump and 100-gallon tub full of live rock (basement). But, even with the sheer amount of water volume and hundreds of pounds of live rock, my Mandarins (yes, I tried a few times) never got enough food and subsequently starved.

Then, I decided to tried @Paul B's method (live brine shrimp through a small feeder) and now my Mandarin is THRIVING! Paul if you are seeing it you are my hero!

I grow brine shrimp daily and feed them to my fish in the morning and sometimes in the evening. Some days, it's the only food I use. All the fish love it--even my Yellow Tang goes crazy for them.

I have many small fish, and have noticed that after incorporating brine shrimp into the tank, they are happier and fatter than ever. I truly believe that live brine shrimp is a big part of my successful reef.

I also believe that Green Mandarins are just terrible hunters. I added pair of Ruby Red Dragonets last year and observed that while it takes them 2-3 seconds to hunt a pod (they are super fat, too), it takes my Mandarin 10-15 seconds. So, having a feeder allows the Mandarin to get one every few seconds, plus, I believe brine shrimp are much more nutritious than pods.

So, if your Mandarin is skinny or you want to add one to your tank, I highly recommend building a little feeder. I customized mine so only a small opening is accessible. That way, pods stay in the feeder for much much longer and the Mandarin can feed on it for hours.

If you have a similar story, I'd love to hear it! Please share and show me your Mandarin.
""

 

[Peekay]

Hello all,

Just wanted to share my success in having a happy (and fat) Mandarin.

About 9 years ago, I saw a Green Mandarin in a public aquarium and instantly fell in love with it. Thus, began my reef journey.

I started with a 30-gallon tank, and three upgrades later, settled on a 125-gallon mixed reef (upstairs) and a 30-gallon sump and 100-gallon tub full of live rock (basement). But, even with the sheer amount of water volume and hundreds of pounds of live rock, my Mandarins (yes, I tried a few times) never got enough food and subsequently starved.

Then, I decided to tried @Paul B's method (live brine shrimp through a small feeder) and now my Mandarin is THRIVING! Paul if you are seeing it you are my hero!

I grow brine shrimp daily and feed them to my fish in the morning and sometimes in the evening. Some days, it's the only food I use. All the fish love it--even my Yellow Tang goes crazy for them.

I have many small fish, and have noticed that after incorporating brine shrimp into the tank, they are happier and fatter than ever. I truly believe that live brine shrimp is a big part of my successful reef.

I also believe that Green Mandarins are just terrible hunters. I added pair of Ruby Red Dragonets last year and observed that while it takes them 2-3 seconds to hunt a pod (they are super fat, too), it takes my Mandarin 10-15 seconds. So, having a feeder allows the Mandarin to get one every few seconds, plus, I believe brine shrimp are much more nutritious than pods.

So, if your Mandarin is skinny or you want to add one to your tank, I highly recommend building a little feeder. I customized mine so only a small opening is accessible. That way, pods stay in the feeder for much much longer and the Mandarin can feed on it for hours.

If you have a similar story, I'd love to hear it! Please share and show me your Mandarin.
""

Do you have a link to the Paul B feeder method? I have a relatively new Mandarin (and flame hawk) that seems to be eating but the feeder is interesting and I'm raising brine shrimp as well.

 

[drukkosz]

Here is one

good luck

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/thanks-paulb-mandarin-feeder.263752/

 

[ngoodermuth]

I have a 120 with a decent amount of live rock, 40g sump... and I pretty much never supplement my mandy. Every now and then I’ll hatch and broadcast feed bbs just for giggles, as a treat. But other than that my girl fends for herself. Oh, and I have 5 wrasses... including leopards. I’ve had her for going on two years.

 

[Peekay]

I have a 120 with a decent amount of live rock, 40g sump... and I pretty much never supplement my mandy. Every now and then I’ll hatch and broadcast feed bbs just for giggles, as a treat. But other than that my girl fends for herself. Oh, and I have 5 wrasses... including leopards. I’ve had her for going on two years.

Gorgeous! I think my Mandarin is happy for now. (S)he is constantly picking at the rocks and I do have a pretty decent pod population, but would like some alternatives to make sure everyone is fat and happy.

 

[sde1500]

Great video and pictures! I just picked up my girl this past weekend and I'm pumped, its a fish my wife and I have wanted for some time. Dosed the tank with pods a bunch, plus have plenty of spots they can hideaway in the rock so figuring that should suffice for now. Might get back into culturing them, just in case.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Gorgeous! I think my Mandarin is happy for now. (S)he is constantly picking at the rocks and I do have a pretty decent pod population, but would like some alternatives to make sure everyone is fat and happy.

Hey, better to be over-prepared than under. Besides, it’s kind of cool to watch them all use the feeder and newly hatched brine are very nutritious.

Ps. If you look at your Mandy’s dorsal fin you can tell male/female. Mine is round, so I know she’s a she. Males have a spike, like this guy (google image):

 

[Mouse84]

very cool fish

 

[TriggerFinger]

Do you have a video of how you fill the feeder?

 

[justmee]

Here's my mandarin. Luckily mine eats everything, it would eat quite a bit of pellets which makes it easy for me.

 

[PDR]

I have a 120 with a decent amount of live rock, 40g sump... and I pretty much never supplement my mandy. Every now and then I’ll hatch and broadcast feed bbs just for giggles, as a treat. But other than that my girl fends for herself. Oh, and I have 5 wrasses... including leopards. I’ve had her for going on two years.

I've had the same experience. Multiple wrasses, and a mandarin for years, no supplementation and all the fish thrive and still tons of pods. It really makes me wonder what could be different about our tanks where others say the wrasses will out compete the mandarins and decimate the pod population.

 

[GoPitt88]

I just got a beautiful green mandarin a couple weeks ago. I’m hoping my system will sustain her. I have a 3 year old 55 gallon mixed reef with 85 lbs of live rock. I don’t have a sump, but I also added a “POD Chest” (a place for PODs to hide and multiply), and added a small bunch of chaeto. I have tons of PODs....hoping their population stays high enough for the Mandy. Keeping fingers crossed