Any luck keeping Mandarins in an AIO system?

[One Reefing Boi]

Thinking of getting the waterbox AIO 50.3 but want to keep a mandarin (captive bred, trained to eat frozen/pellet etc) and wondering if I can forgo the fuge setup for a pod population?

 

[Reefer40b]

Most likely will be fine, captive bred do take well to prepared foods, even the wild ones I used to have ate my homemade food without issues. there will also be pods in the tank without a fuge.

 

[KJoFan]

I've got a Ruby Red dragonet in my IM 50 lagoon without issue. It's a bit smaller than a mandarin would be, so less demand probably on the pod population. But it came in very skinny and I was afraid it wouldn't make it but several weeks on and it's doing great. It does also eat Hikari mysis for sure, probably other frozen as well by now.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

I've got a Ruby Red dragonet in my IM 50 lagoon without issue. It's a bit smaller than a mandarin would be, so less demand probably on the pod population. But it came in very skinny and I was afraid it wouldn't make it but several weeks on and it's doing great. It does also eat Hikari mysis for sure, probably other frozen as well by now.

thanks! good to know

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Most likely will be fine, captive bred do take well to prepared foods, even the wild ones I used to have ate my homemade food without issues. there will also be pods in the tank without a fuge.

great -- in a few months when the tank is set up ill be sure to post some updates!

 

[KimG]

Have a pair in a IM SR80 for over a year and a half and two tank restarts. No issues. Non ate frozen food when they arrive (willed caught pair). The female eats everything now (including pellets) male only eats some things (like lobster eggs)

 

[PicassoClown04]

Don’t sweat it! A mesh bag with chaeto in your tank works great as a fuge. You can hide it behind the rocks so you can’t even see it