Preparing for life with a Mandarin

[GucciYoni]

Hey guys, posting in relation to my 2.5 month old 55 gallon reef tank. Just to give an idea of stability regarding water params, the tank is faring well, and so far Heliofungia and some other sensitive LPS corals are doing well, signifying to me a constant, stable ecosystem.. My fish seem quite happy as well!

I've been looking at Mandarins for ages, and I truly find them beautiful. I live in Sydney, AU, and our Mandarins come straight from the Great Barrier Reef! My tank cycled with live sand and live-rock. The sand bed is shallow (40kg), and I've got approximately 22 kg of live rock in there as well. I haven't really noticed pods or such in the tank, and have really been keen on keeping a Mandarin (juvenile initially), but don't want it to starve.

What should I do? Do I have enough pods in the system? If I do, where are they hiding? Should I seed my tank? How does that work? If I add pods, will they multiply? Will the mandarin deplete the pods, if so, how can I achieve a balance?

Whoever can take the time and effort to answer all of my questions and not only 1 or 2 is a true champion, and will be rewarded with a flurry of likes from me and the gang.

Cheers, Gucci

 

[Jeepguy242]

you dont have enough pods.....

wait till your tank is at least a year old

 

[NB Reefer]

Without seeding your tank and ramping up a pod population your future mandarin will more than likely not thrive in your current tank. It is too young for the pod population to currently support addding a mandarin, even a juvenile. The common anecdotal knowledge is to wait a year. You can shorten that time by adding pods and phyto for them to eat. Typically a LFS will have both of these products available. They are also available online. Algaebarn.com is one great source I have used in the past. You can periodically add pods into your tank, preferably at night to bolster the community and get them making more. I hope that helps.

 

[GucciYoni]

LFS here never has. Only online

 

[najer]

Defo start loading pods and adding phyto as above.
If you have a sump / refugium then load that as well.

 

[Yas]

This answer is very easy. Years ago, I struggled and failed, too, and thought it impossible, but now it's very easy for me.

Feed frozen mysis or brine shrimp. Once the frozen dice is melt, stop or weaken your wave pump for 10 mins, twice per day. Mandarin will pick a couple of them for sure. Remember if you don't turn down your wave pump, those shrimps pass by too fast in front of them. But once they find those shrimps on the bottom sand, they'll sloooowly approach and shoot one.

Mandarin was one of my dream fish, too. They look beautiful, and hovers like a helicopter in water. So unique, so nice, so peaceful!

Enjoy!

Regards,

Yas

 

[GucciYoni]

This answer is very easy. Years ago, I struggled and failed, too, and thought it impossible, but now it's very easy for me.

Feed frozen mysis or brine shrimp. Once the frozen dice is melt, stop or weaken your wave pump for 10 mins, twice per day. Mandarin will pick a couple of them for sure. Remember if you don't turn down your wave pump, those shrimps pass by too fast in front of them. But once they find those shrimps on the bottom sand, they'll sloooowly approach and shoot one.

Mandarin was one of my dream fish, too. They look beautiful, and hovers like a helicopter in water. So unique, so nice, so peaceful!

Enjoy!

Regards,

Yas

I heard that they dont do as well whilst eating frozen food, since their metabolism is so high! How long have you kept your Mandarin Yas?

 

[Yas]

Two months, GucchiYoni. It's not fat, but looks ok.

Yas

 

[Claus84]

Two months, GucchiYoni. It's not fat, but looks ok.

Yas

Sorry but you say it is easy keeping a mandarin fed on frozen twice per day yet you have only had it for 2 months plus it only looks 'ok', I don't really think this proves you have been sucessful and your intial post is maybe a bit misleading, it can take several weeks to months for them to slowly dwindle away and starve.

Long term they are highly unlikely to thrive or even survive for any length of time without either constant access to copepods or another live food source. My Biota mandarin is in a 90g, it gets fed frozen brine/mysis using the same method as you a couple of times a day but spends every other waking second hunting pods which I occasionally add to ensure the population stays high enough. I have had it for 16months so far.

@GucciYoni as other posters have said patience would be the best option, give it a year for the tank to mature and then add, seeding also wouldn't hurt. Another option would be to keep constantly producing baby brine shrimp and use one of these feeders designed by forum member PaulB. (http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/)

Nick

 

[Dtfnemo]

I had pods all over my tank, all over it, I had some huge ones and some tinny ones. You could see them walking on the sand and rock it was crazy. ( i think my pod population exploted becaouse I had to get rid of all my fish beacouse they were messing with my corals)
I figure one little Mandarin will be ok with all those pods for ages but he depleted most of the pods in my system in two weeks. My LFS ran out of live pods so they gave me some phyto frozen food that he loves. He literally swims to my turkey blasters and eats right out of it. I feed him 2 to 3 times a week and try to add pods once a month.

 

[Dtfnemo]

That's what I feed him mainly, he loves it

 

[Paul B]

Forget dead foods for a mandarin. That fish should live about ten years and it will not on dead foods as it needs to eat all day.
All of the fish in this video have been spawning for years using that feeder every day.

 

[Dtfnemo]

Forget dead foods for a mandarin. That fish should live about ten years and it will not on dead foods as it needs to eat all day.
All of the fish in this video have been spawning for years using that feeder every day.

Share more on that

 

[jwshiver]

Share more on that

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

A sump with cheato and some rubble will help keep a mandarin feed. Your tank is young, but you seeded with fresh live rock. You may have some good pods already. Feed them with some phyto. when you take a flashlight to your tank at night and see tons of pods in the sand and on the rock you know you will be ready for a mandarin. Some will also start to eat frozen foods as a supplement. I would not rush it.

 

[Yas]

Sorry but you say it is easy keeping a mandarin fed on frozen twice per day yet you have only had it for 2 months plus it only looks 'ok', I don't really think this proves you have been sucessful and your intial post is maybe a bit misleading, it can take several weeks to months for them to slowly dwindle away and starve.

Long term they are highly unlikely to thrive or even survive for any length of time without either constant access to copepods or another live food source. My Biota mandarin is in a 90g, it gets fed frozen brine/mysis using the same method as you a couple of times a day but spends every other waking second hunting pods which I occasionally add to ensure the population stays high enough. I have had it for 16months so far.

@GucciYoni as other posters have said patience would be the best option, give it a year for the tank to mature and then add, seeding also wouldn't hurt. Another option would be to keep constantly producing baby brine shrimp and use one of these feeders designed by forum member PaulB. (http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/)

Nick

Hi Nick,

Honestly, if I can make him fat, I would love to. So, yes, I can only say it has been ok for two months, nothing more. I'm seriously thinking to make a feeder. It looks so nice!

Yas

 

[Apotack]

The feeder Paul B designed in his post above is simple easy and works perfectly. I have a 125gal with plenty of pods,I would not keep a mandarin without one.

 

[GucciYoni]

Thats awesome guys thanks heaps!