My mandarin eats NLS pellets!

[Maximus]

Wow, if I wouldn't have seen it from own eyes, I would have never believed it. Over the past couple days, my mandarin would keep pecking at the bottom glass. I always thought that he was eating pods. Well, I looked at him closer and it turns out that he's eating the NLS pellets! Even then, I thought it was some fluke so I paid close attention to him again while I fed the pellets and sure enough, he's gorging himself on them! I'm stocked! Btw, this isn't one of the ORA captive bred ones. It's a wild caught one of the "Target" variety.

 

[AquaWorldPSC]

Nice, Great to hear, def. a lucky one!

 

[Michael7979]

I too have the 'target' type of mandrain.
And not long ago I caught him eating some frozen food that I had fed! Have had him for 3+ years and just saw him doing it.
Really cool to see yours is doing so well.

How long have you had it?
Wonder if you can keep them for a time that they will start to accept prepared foods?

 

[MimicOcto8]

You lucky duck! I love mandarin. When I first started this hobby and knew nothing about anything. Saw a mandarin and fell in love took it home and would u believe it, it was eating frozen foods. I thought it was normal for him to eat that stuff...never again have I been able to get a mandarin to eat frozen foods

 

[aalvarado87]

thats awesome i had one and he didn't last very long it was rather depressing. my tank was established for about 7 months i scooped on up and in a few days he was gone. i decided to never try again. glad to hear your having such good luck... cheers

 

[Maximus]

I've had him (or is it her?) around 4-5 months. I really never paid any attention to him eating as he's always pecking around the bottom of the tank. I suppose he's been eating nls pellets the whole time!

 

[m and m]

Wow great job your very lucky this fish is such a trap many newer reefers buy them and lose them if all where as picket as you.

 

[aalvarado87]

i agree with m and m they are such beautiful fish they are hard not to want. I see them go in and out of stores constantly i always wonder how many people successfully keep them alive. I for one failed miserably. But i guess thats part of the hobby you live and you learn.

 

[Paul_N]

I have had a target for almost 2 years. He loves Spectrum pellets.

 

[jonzee2006]

wow your super lucky I tried and tried to get mine to eat anything other then pods to no avail

 

[Maximus]

I have had a target for almost 2 years. He loves Spectrum pellets.

Sweet! It's not a fluke then!:) I wish he were more visible but I guess it is a treat when I get to see him. Funny thing is I have been a reefkeeper for the past 15+ years and this is my first mandarin. Boy, it seems that I lucked out!:tongue:

 

[m and m]

i agree with m and m they are such beautiful fish they are hard not to want. I see them go in and out of stores constantly i always wonder how many people successfully keep them alive. I for one failed miserably. But i guess thats part of the hobby you live and you learn.

I would say most of them dye, most people dont have the pods to keep one long term, also doesnt ORA have one that eats everything?

 

[Maximus]

I hear the ORA ones can be hit or miss. I've read that a lot of them don't eat prepared foods.

 

[Paul_N]

Sweet! It's not a fluke then!:) I wish he were more visible but I guess it is a treat when I get to see him. Funny thing is I have been a reefkeeper for the past 15+ years and this is my first mandarin. Boy, it seems that I lucked out!:tongue:

Yours will come out more. Mine even comes out when I feed now. In the beginning I never saw mine or when I had my hands in the tank he would hide. It takes a few months for them to get comfortable.

Not sure if it was true but someone I talked to in person said he read that the target mandarins are more likely than the other mandarins to eat frozen or pellets, dunno, not sure if I buy it but many of the success stories for wild captured ones seem to be target. Anyone else heard anything like that.

 

[Mantis]

My lfs, actually posted this on my local forum the other day that target(spotted) was eating frozen food... The day before, I saw that he had both mandarins (green and target) . And only posted that the target ain't frozen . So you guys might be on to something...

Good luck, and that's awesome news...

 

[FishLipz]

I have a green going on 2 years now that my LFS trained onto spectrum and mysis. Well worth the few extra bucks I paid. He's very bold too.

 

[Just Clownin Around]

my friends is out all the time. comes up to the glass and primps itself. mine justs bounces about all day long