Bioata Mandarin

Jaybeastin · May 6, 2022

Hello everyone! I have a relatively new system that is 2 months old.

A bioata mandarin is in my future fish list and I’m wondering if I need live copepods? Or can I just feed it frozen food and pellets since it’s captive bred?

Reefing102 · May 6, 2022

Looks like they eat prepared foods based on their website (I have no personal experience)

Our Biota captive bred Mandarins are sustainably and ethically raised on prepared commercial diets that are easily accessible and inexpensive to aquarium hobbyists. Biota Mandarins arrive to you already familiar with foods like Hikari frozen baby brine shrimp, Piscine Energetics frozen Calanus, Easy Reefs Masstick, and tiny pellets such as TDO B2 pellet, and PE Hatchery pellet 400 μm.

thewedge · May 6, 2022

I think consensus is pods are all they will eat. I have one, and he unit eats pods. I mentioned the possibility of frozen to my LFS and the guy laughed at me.
I stocked up my tank with pods from algaebarn on a monthly basis for 5 months before I bought him and I feed phyto 4 days a week. The tank is teeming and he eats all day long. Just take your time. Be patient, do it right. It'll be much more enjoyable watching him get fat and happy then watching him starve.

Fishy212 · May 6, 2022

My personal opinion, I would wait until your tank is more established. I currently have a mandarin and owned a few years ago. I eventually got the wild ones to eat frozen and prepared foods. They are constantly scouring the live rock in search of pods. They eat thousands a day. My current mandarin only eats live copepods. Having a established tank is crucial in my opinion. I also supplement pods to help feed the fish, tank and corals. I currently run a refugium where the pods can thrive without predators. They soon make their way into the main display as her belly is nice and plump.

Jaybeastin · May 6, 2022

Fishy212 said:
My personal opinion, I would wait until your tank is more established. I currently have a mandarin and owned a few years ago. I eventually got the wild ones to eat frozen and prepared foods. They are constantly scouring the live rock in search of pods. They eat thousands a day. My current mandarin only eats live copepods. Having a established tank is crucial in my opinion. I also supplement pods to help feed the fish, tank and corals. I currently run a refugium where the pods can thrive without predators. They soon make their way into the main display as her belly is nice and plump.

Thank you ! I’ll wait to put him last when my tank is established

Slocke · May 6, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Hello everyone! I have a relatively new system that is 2 months old.

A bioata mandarin is in my future fish list and I’m wondering if I need live copepods? Or can I just feed it frozen food and pellets since it’s captive bred?

Hey I got biotas a couple months in from biota too. They are doing great but I feed them a bunch of different things including live food.
-live baby brine everyday (ocean nutrition- INSTANT baby brine shrimp)
-Mirco pellets
-frozen baby brine
-add pods every few weeks

Also don't have a melanarus wrasse like me

They're a handful and its really hard to tell if they eat but they're also awesome fish when happy.

c.poindexter · May 6, 2022

I agree, I would honestly wait a little bit before introducing Mandarins. The ones from Biota are hardy and eat a variety of foods and will be better suited for any aquarium.

Kmst80 · May 6, 2022

Yup wait and get your Tank established.
I 've got a splendid mandarin and she eats only copepods and live baby brine shrimp. I got a 90 gallon system with 50 kg live rock and a fuge. Got pods everywhere so I know my little lady is happy.

NowGlazeIT · May 6, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Hello everyone! I have a relatively new system that is 2 months old.

A bioata mandarin is in my future fish list and I’m wondering if I need live copepods? Or can I just feed it frozen food and pellets since it’s captive bred?

They need time to get used to the food you plan to feed. They make sure they are eating small pellet food(micro 400u) before they ship. I got mine eating calanus and baby brine in a little ten gallon before adding to the display

AZReef13 · May 6, 2022

I have had mine for almost 4 years, She get Algae barn pods monthly. Plus I use PE Calanus, Which was advised is what Biota uses, Mine Now hunts pods and PE Mysis, Plus Algae barns dragon roe. when available

Good luck

Laurosaur · May 8, 2022

I was wondering the same thing. New system (3 months) and interested in biota mandarin. Did you end up getting one?

Jaybeastin · May 8, 2022

Laurosaur said:
I was wondering the same thing. New system (3 months) and interested in biota mandarin. Did you end up getting one?

Nope going to wait until my tank about a year old.

((FORDTECH)) · May 8, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Nope going to wait until my tank about a year old.

Posiden reef makes a phyto and pod culture setup. If you do it right you buy 1x and every week harvest lots of pods and phyto that you would dump into your tank. For small systems I feel something like this is only way to go to ensure enough pods for mandarins

desertrat505 · May 9, 2022

Something to consider depending on the tank mates; they may compete for food with the mandarin and ultimately starve.

SlugSnorter · May 9, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Hello everyone! I have a relatively new system that is 2 months old.

A bioata mandarin is in my future fish list and I’m wondering if I need live copepods? Or can I just feed it frozen food and pellets since it’s captive bred?

I would still have pods for them. What size tank? maybe wait till the tank is older to get a mandarin either way. They are not un-hardy but they are not hardy if that makes sense.

Theulli · May 9, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Hello everyone! I have a relatively new system that is 2 months old.

A bioata mandarin is in my future fish list and I’m wondering if I need live copepods? Or can I just feed it frozen food and pellets since it’s captive bred?

Just a heads up, they are generally trained to eat prepared fish foods, but Biota ships them absolutely TINY. Do not assume they will be big enough to eat mysis for example. I have found that even with the assurance that they are conditioned to aquariums they are very challenging to target feed because of their size

SeaHorseQueen · May 12, 2022

Theulli said:
Just a heads up, they are generally trained to eat prepared fish foods, but Biota ships them absolutely TINY. Do not assume they will be big enough to eat mysis for example. I have found that even with the assurance that they are conditioned to aquariums they are very challenging to target feed because of their size

If they claim to have them on the foods listed above how are they eating them if they can’t eat mysis? I know copepods and maybe BBS would be an option.

bnord · May 12, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Nope going to wait until my tank about a year old.

Ditto on the please wait - so many other interesting options

john92708 · May 13, 2022

Jaybeastin said:
Hello everyone! I have a relatively new system that is 2 months old.

A bioata mandarin is in my future fish list and I’m wondering if I need live copepods? Or can I just feed it frozen food and pellets since it’s captive bred?

I say go for it. I got my pair directly from Biota in Dec right after my tank cycle. They're doing great and almost double in size now. They are the only fish in my 14 AIO nano reef but I'll be adding my yasha goby soon after he finish QT. I'll get a pistol shrimp later and maybe a firefish or orange storm clownfish too. Mine ate TDO B2 pellets the next morning after I got them and I trained them to eat out of a seashell now. They come very tiny so you might want to put them in a breeder box if you have other fish in your tank and if you have a large system. I seed my tank with EcoPods from AlgaeBarn for biodiversity but I mostly feed them pellets. it's better if you feed them a variety of diet including frozen and live pods but not necessary to have live food in my experience with the Biota one.

Laurosaur · May 13, 2022

john92708 said:
I say go for it. I got my pair directly from Biota in Dec right after my tank cycle. They're doing great and almost double in size now. They are the only fish in my 14 AIO nano reef but I'll be adding my yasha goby soon after he finish QT. I'll get a pistol shrimp later and maybe a firefish or orange storm clownfish too. Mine ate TDO B2 pellets the next morning after I got them and I trained them to eat out of a seashell now. They come very tiny so you might want to put them in a breeder box if you have other fish in your tank and if you have a large system. I seed my tank with EcoPods from AlgaeBarn for biodiversity but I mostly feed them pellets. it's better if you feed them a variety of diet including frozen and live pods but not necessary to have live food in my experience with the Biota one.

Nice to know you've had success in a new system. How many times a day are you feeding them, and do they pellets need to sink to the bottom before they'll eat?