Need help about mandrin dragonet

[Muney Mun]

Yes I just bought a mandrin dragonet and had to order me some copepads but they won't be here for a few days and was wondering can I feed him some Kent phytoplex, Kent zooplex, or reef snow to hold him over for a few days until Copepoda come in.


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[mikewilder]

You should start growing brine shrimp immediately. How old is your tank?

 

[Muney Mun]

About 4 to 5 months and do u have to have another tank to raise them in?


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[NanaReefer]

What kind of research have you done on keeping Mandarins?


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[c_healy]

Some can be trained to eat frozen foods, other won't accept it. You need to be prepared to have a constant stock of copepods in the tank. If your tank doesn't have a breeding population be prepared to spend a good amount of money on copepods. That's if you aren't able to train it over to frozen foods.

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[mainereefer]

I recommend everyone that gets a mandarin to make it eat live food before its released into your system.
mandarins spend every minute there alive looking for food so,get a plastic fw breeder box that hangs on the tank put the mandarin in it and throw a few pieces of pellet food in with it. with nothing to do or look at except pellet food it will start eating prepared food in no time.

 

[devolette]

our spotted mandarin did wonderful in the 29 gallon we used to have and just eventually started eating the mysis other fish were eating. (we stocked with tigger pods from time to time to make sure he was eating and to keep the other pods alive) we would target feed by squirting it at him with a dropper, so you should get some frozen mysis, if there's a kind with vitamins i'd always recommend it, and suck it up into a dropper (defrost with tank water first) and shoot it at him. ours eventually started attacking the dropper and would pull the little shrimps through the tip haha. good luck! the spotted ones tend to be easier to train by the way.

 

[c_healy]

I'll have my new mandarin tomorrow! Can't wait to see the little guy, I have always wanted one.

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[c_healy]

Here she is, tucked in the corner sleeping the night away.

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[harriszm]

You can get pods in a plastic container from your lfs,tisbe or tiger would be best, Orange bottle I think

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[mainereefer]

nice little male mandarin! is it starved at all? (belly shrunken in) again feed him pellets and or blood worms get him eating prepared foods

 

[c_healy]

Thanks! I thought it was a female as it has a shorter dorsal fin. I could be wrong as I'm new to mandarins. I'm so excited to finally have the fish I've always wanted, beautiful fish!

It's stomach is not as full as I'd like but its not nearly as shrunk as most of the mandarins I've seen at stores.

I bought extra pods to stock the tank even though I already had a large breeding population. More can never hurt!

I noticed this morning that it was picking away in the corner of the tank where it hangs out. Once it gets settled in I will start to attempt getting it to eat frozen/pellets.

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[NanaReefer]

See the spike on the dorsal fin? Definitely male :) I disagree with feeding him blood worms. The best frozen foods you can feed your little guy is NutraMar Ova, Reef Frenzy and Rods Complete. My Scooter Dragonet loves all three :)


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