RileyM.
New Member
Hello!
So I'm not really new to saltwater fishkeeping in general as I've been running a saltwater tank for about 7 years- but I don't have experience with this particular fish, so I'm curious and hoping this is the right place to ask!
Just a couple days ago I bought a Target mandarin goby along with multiple invertebrates and added them to my 55 gal tank- it's low on fish stock right now as I have a pair of ocellaris clowns who've been together for about 3 years and a bicolor blenny, although they're comfortable and established with each other so i'm tentative to keep more than 4-5 fish. I read up a lot about him beforehand and learned that they only eat live foods and occasionally starve to death when first introduced, so I'd like some input from others who are more experienced with this fish to let me know the best ways to deal with this. I got a bottle of live tigger copepods to put in the tank to make sure there were extra supplements in the tank and I've noticed pecking behavior on the live rock from her (I believe it's a female, though not 100% sure) but I'm curious to know if she's healthy or looks like she's eating enough- is there a physical sign i should look for if she starts starving? Also is there a way I can ensure she's being fed, like with a pipet? Recommendations for any other live foods if necessary? Thanks for any advice!
Second, is there any particular ways you might know to reduce nitrate levels in the water? I've started a secondary 30 gal invertebrate tank and i'm careful to try and change half the water in the tank every two weeks like with my bigger one, but the nitrates seem to get unusually high very quickly so I'd love to know if there's any other methods I could try.
Thanks!
Also here i've included some pictures of the mandarin for reference. I tried to get them clear, but it was a bit difficult as they're still quite shy of me.
So I'm not really new to saltwater fishkeeping in general as I've been running a saltwater tank for about 7 years- but I don't have experience with this particular fish, so I'm curious and hoping this is the right place to ask!
Just a couple days ago I bought a Target mandarin goby along with multiple invertebrates and added them to my 55 gal tank- it's low on fish stock right now as I have a pair of ocellaris clowns who've been together for about 3 years and a bicolor blenny, although they're comfortable and established with each other so i'm tentative to keep more than 4-5 fish. I read up a lot about him beforehand and learned that they only eat live foods and occasionally starve to death when first introduced, so I'd like some input from others who are more experienced with this fish to let me know the best ways to deal with this. I got a bottle of live tigger copepods to put in the tank to make sure there were extra supplements in the tank and I've noticed pecking behavior on the live rock from her (I believe it's a female, though not 100% sure) but I'm curious to know if she's healthy or looks like she's eating enough- is there a physical sign i should look for if she starts starving? Also is there a way I can ensure she's being fed, like with a pipet? Recommendations for any other live foods if necessary? Thanks for any advice!
Second, is there any particular ways you might know to reduce nitrate levels in the water? I've started a secondary 30 gal invertebrate tank and i'm careful to try and change half the water in the tank every two weeks like with my bigger one, but the nitrates seem to get unusually high very quickly so I'd love to know if there's any other methods I could try.
Thanks!
Also here i've included some pictures of the mandarin for reference. I tried to get them clear, but it was a bit difficult as they're still quite shy of me.
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