Biota Mandarin Very Small

[Drstevenk]

Just got a female BIOTA captive bred Mandarin. She seems just fine. Can I keep her in a well lit refugium with some rock and Chaeto and plenty of pods until she grows out a little?
Any thoughts?

 

[Crustaceon]

You can so long as the pods also have a place to hide. Part of the reason why combining a mandarin and a refugium works so well is because the mandarin typically doesn’t have access to it and the pods have a safe place to breed.

 

[Drstevenk]

Thanks I am just worried as these Biota guys are SO very small....I have rock and Chaeto in the refugium and I think its a much safer place till she grows up a little .. I can add pods every few days to keep the population up

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Just got a female BIOTA captive bred Mandarin. She seems just fine. Can I keep her in a well lit refugium with some rock and Chaeto and plenty of pods until she grows out a little?
Any thoughts?

That should be fine. The mandarin should do just fine the refugium. If you have a big ball of chaeto, it will be hard for the mandarin to really penetrate in and eat all the pods.

 

[Crustaceon]

That should be fine. The mandarin should do just fine the refugium. If you have a big ball of chaeto, it will be hard for the mandarin to really penetrate in and eat all the pods.

Exactly. With chaeto you’ll be fine. Some people even use old shower loofahs as pod hotels.

 

[njreejer]

Curious how this went, would be nice to get an update. I'm planning on purchasing a pair of mandarins from @AlgaeBarn but at ~.75 inches I'm not sure how well they'd do in my DT with the 10 other fish I have. I was wondering if I could keep the pair in my refugium for a while. It's filled with chaeto, pods, sand, some rock & marine pure blocks. Is the chaeto really enough to protect the pod population in the refugium with the mandarins in there? Obviously I'd be supplementing more pods once in a while & also feed a variety of other foods

 

[Drstevenk]

I purchased one about 4 months ago. Same setup kept him in the tiny refugium for about 8 weeks. Put pods in with sea lettuce and cheat. He's now in the DT and he's bigger and keeps to himself among the rocks . The other fish 2 clowns, 4 fires and a few chromes don't bother him at ll and he seems fat and happy. Good luck...

 

[NashobaTek]

I have 3 in a 125 with a 8"+ pinnatus batfish, Hippo Tang, Gramma and clowns. They've been in there since day 1 8 months ago and no one has ever bothered them. In fact the only aggressive behavior was from the bigger female day 1 to the male who was slightly smaller. He's now the biggest of the 3. They are fine, avoid the nems and hunt the entire tank. They're the smallest ones in the aquarium

 

[njreejer]

I purchased one about 4 months ago. Same setup kept him in the tiny refugium for about 8 weeks. Put pods in with sea lettuce and cheat. He's now in the DT and he's bigger and keeps to himself among the rocks . The other fish 2 clowns, 4 fires and a few chromes don't bother him at ll and he seems fat and happy. Good luck...

I have 3 in a 125 with a 8"+ pinnatus batfish, Hippo Tang, Gramma and clowns. They've been in there since day 1 8 months ago and no one has ever bothered them. In fact the only aggressive behavior was from the bigger female day 1 to the male who was slightly smaller. He's now the biggest of the 3. They are fine, avoid the nems and hunt the entire tank. They're the smallest ones in the aquarium

Thank you guys for the reassurance, just placed my order for a pair on AlgaeBarn

 

[SrBlonde]

What did you stock your tank with for food? I have a 120 and want to put a mandarin in there

 

[njreejer]

What did you stock your tank with for food? I have a 120 and want to put a mandarin in there

AlgaeBarn Copepods & Reef Nutrition Tigger Pods. Was told Podyourreef.com is also a great alternative for pods

 

[NashobaTek]

I have a order in for podyourreef.com for tisbe pods, rotifers and phyto culture.
Every 3 months I add to the pod population in the aquarium just so I know the mandrins stay healthy and fat.