Would you keep a Mandarin?

[Paul B]

Also, what's going on in that picture @Paul B

Im not trying to offend anyone or be unpleasant or rude, I do want to clarify that it wasn’t meant that way.

What tank?

I feel offended, unpleasant and beeing ruded at.

I can't wait to see your invention.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

You posted a picture with a seahorse dipping it’s head in some blue liquid that a plant is growing in and there is a controller for something. There’s seems to be a lot going on.

I’m sorry I ruded you. I’m the designer and aquarist of our group, I can’t wait to start building prototype 1 today.

 

[BlueCursor]

Not sure what the debate is all about. Train your fish to eat frozen food and keep it alive and healthy for a long time. Mine has been in my tank for 3 years doing great. Eats mysis and brine shrimp; attacks blood worms like there is no tomorrow.

In the same 3 years, I have had a 2 wrasse and a clown fish die for unknown reasons. Go figure.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

The real question is, what can I build it out of. I'm also in charge of construction and have worked with both wood, pvc, and even glass but never plastic. I'm not really sure where to start, I know to avoid the use of PET plastics (1 time use) (http://spec-tanks.com/aquarium-safe-plastics/). I can't use any acrylic or glass (mainly because that stuff is expensive, and I do funding too, I'll likely use some for the end model, but not for a prototype that [if it works] will just end up sitting on my shelf or something).

 

[wesman42]

Normally Universities have patent attorney on call or even their own patent office. You might be able to get it patented for free. Mine does, and I have patented various other designs I've made...including certain ambulance technologies.

 

[fish farmer]

The real question is, what can I build it out of. I'm also in charge of construction and have worked with both wood, pvc, and even glass but never plastic. I'm not really sure where to start, I know to avoid the use of PET plastics (1 time use) (http://spec-tanks.com/aquarium-safe-plastics/). I can't use any acrylic or glass (mainly because that stuff is expensive, and I do funding too, I'll likely use some for the end model, but not for a prototype that [if it works] will just end up sitting on my shelf or something).

It sounds like you need investors...ha ha. I'm assuming your school doesn't have an aquaculture/fisheries program where it could be funded as a research project. I worked with a professor and two other student at obtaining a grant from a salmon federation for a research study on tagging juvenile salmon. It paid for everything we needed, we even had money left over that we sent back. We did however have the basic equipment for keeping the fish alive already at our disposal( on site research facility).

 

[Auquanut]

Would this be something that would work in a refugium? Or do the Mandarins need direct access to it? Just considering tankmates that might "guard" the food supply.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Prototype 1 isn't happening today, went to lowes and couldn't get materials, they weren't available.

 

[HawaiianReef]

If I did for that size tank, I would make sure he was captive bred and that his diet was already on foods frozen mysis and brine shrimp.
Come to think of it, I would do that for any size tank for that fish.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I would too, but many new people wouldn't, we are trying to fix that problem

 

[C-Reefer]

Would this be something that would work in a refugium? Or do the Mandarins need direct access to it? Just considering tankmates that might "guard" the food supply.

Interested in this as well.

 

[cracker]

I'm very interested We all have to wait until he breaks it out. I don't blame the guy for holding his cards close .

 

[steveaus10]

I have two and a pod farm do see them eating frozen as well! in 180 gallon tank

 

[code4]

Well as long as you have enough water to keep their face in the water, they should be fine.
I keep my seahorse in my one ounce nano like that.

As always you make me laugh Paul. I was keeping those gals in that tank because they were an impulse buy. They were starving. I told the shop keeper they were almost dead, true. I said I would buy one if he gave me the other free. He did. And they lived.

 

[Joshua2598]

Not sure what the debate is all about. Train your fish to eat frozen food and keep it alive and healthy for a long time. Mine has been in my tank for 3 years doing great. Eats mysis and brine shrimp; attacks blood worms like there is no tomorrow.

In the same 3 years, I have had a 2 wrasse and a clown fish die for unknown reasons. Go figure.

Not every fish will take to frozen so well as yours

 

[Paul B]

I am also not sure what the debate is about. But I have a Reverse undergravel filter that is always mobbed with pods because it is oxygenated all the way through so the pods breed in the entire thing and my mandarins and pipefish require no extra food.
I moved to this new house over three months ago and still have not put my feeder in yet. My 8 year old mandarin just signed up for Jenny Craig because he is so fat and my pipefish are spawning so much that they are looking into an adoption center to take the fry. (he could be 10 or 12 as I lost his birth certificate)

You just need a place for the pods to hatch and whatever you do, don't have a sterile tank. You need some growth on those rocks. Throw some sinking pellets behind the rocks to feed the pods.
You want healthy fish, stop cleaning everything. Your pods probably hate you.

Put on a Speedo and jump in the ocean, look at the bottom. Is it clean? If it is, you are in your bath tub. And I bet you don't see any mandarins in there. If you do, move. They may be roaches!!



Female mandarins should always be pregnant. Just don't let her hear you say she is fat.





I took this off a remote Island in Hawaii. How clean does it look? (there is a moray eel hiding in there)


All pod eaters should always be full of eggs with no help from us. They just need the proper tank set up.


I realize everyone here and even some people in Tibet hate reverse undergravel filters, but they solve all these problems with lack of pods, problems feeding tiny fish and vacuuming detritus because you don't get any with a UG filter (run the right way).

Fish come here to the Florida Keys to spawn, and maybe sample the Pina Colada's. They don't spawn on your kitchen floor. They need growth on the rocks to grow pods.


You never have to buy pods. I never bought one. But if I did, I would have them shipped in bulk.


This stuff is very easy if we keep it natural and don't listen to old wives tales. Just talk to young wives but disregard the stuff about diapers, stretch marks and hair coloring.

To get back to the original thread question. Yes, you can keep a mandarin in a 10 gallon tank. With a lot of work.

 

[Paul B]

You posted a picture with a seahorse dipping it’s head in some blue liquid that a plant is growing in and there is a controller for something. There’s seems to be a lot going on.

You can keep a whaleshark in your bathtub as long as you keep his head underwater. But I am not sure how you would clean that tub after he dies from "athletes Tail"

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I was just asking what actually going on, whats the blue liquid, why is there plant in it, etc? I was curious.

We are getting our prototype underway now though, we've had it custom built from a supplier on here (who I will say once we finalize the transaction).

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

Paul B I really like your idea on keeping fish like that, always being pregnant, I really like your tanks too, I hope we can make an invention that helps everyone have mandarins so happy.

 

[Paul B]

My Nano tank has aromain algae problem now and a blue water issue even though I have Vodka dosing, skimmer with ozone, a lighted refugium and a pod for a clean up crew.