Green Mandarin Dragonette

[KirstenB]

Thank you all again. I am still weighing my options until my day off on Wednesday. Was wondering if anyone knew of the cheapest... i mean cheapest food to buy online... links appreciated. I see most are $20 on up! Like without growing your own any food for him for under $10 per month shipped? Or dreaming here. My work just cut my hours. Fun when u have 4 dogs and w saltwater tanks. Any links are very appreciated!!!

 

[OrionN]

There are tiny crustaceans in your tank. If you start with LR, you will have them. Looking for these micro crustacean in difficult if you don't know what you are looking for. I think your Mandarin will be fine in there. Two or three flasher wrasses with a Lubbock Fairy wrasse would be fine in your tank, just make sure that your tank is escape proof. These wrasses can be remarkable in finding a hole to jump through.

 

[Paul Sands]

There are tiny crustaceans in your tank. If you start with LR, you will have them. Looking for these micro crustacean in difficult if you don't know what you are looking for. I think your Mandarin will be fine in there. Two or three flasher wrasses with a Lubbock Fairy wrasse would be fine in your tank, just make sure that your tank is escape proof. These wrasses can be remarkable in finding a hole to jump through.

She didn’t start with live rock. She started with a man-made dry rock that has bacteria added into the mix. Unless I’m misunderstanding.

 

[OrionN]

She started with LR. No LR or corals were dipped ( whatever that mean). I presume that this was a treated process to remove/kill any hitch hikers

 

[Paul Sands]

She started with LR. No LR or corals were dipped ( whatever that mean). I presume that this was a treated process to remove/kill any hitch hikers

No she started with Caribsea LIFE rock. It’s a man made product. See her third post. She specifically stated that it wasn’t live rock.

 

[OrionN]

I just saw that she use LR. Regardless, she also use LS. This should added plenty of source for these fauna.
For intank Refugium. you can add a layer of 1/2-1 inches of crushed shell of size about 1/4-1/2 inch. This layer of shell have a lot of crevices and crack which have protect these crustacean from predators.
Using this method I was able to keep a healthy and fat Green Mandarin in a 20 gal cube for years.

 

[Hermie]

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[bluprntguy]

I just saw that she use LR. Regardless, she also use LS. This should added plenty of source for these fauna.
For intank Refugium. you can add a layer of 1/2-1 inches of crushed shell of size about 1/4-1/2 inch. This layer of shell have a lot of crevices and crack which have protect these crustacean from predators.
Using this method I was able to keep a healthy and fat Green Mandarin in a 20 gal cube for years.

Agreed that she should have plenty of places for pods, but it’s getting the pods established that might take some time.

 

[OrionN]

@KirstenB. Your tank is 2 year old and only have a pair of clowns and now the Mandarin. 65 gal with some man made rock but with LS. This tank should be OK for a Mandarin. I would but a layer of coarse rubble on top, use small shells instead of crush corals. The concave, thin shell will leaves a lot of space for pods to live in. Coarse corals will provide some space but not anywhere near the space from thin layer of the small shell (or crushed shells)
Your Mandarin will be fine, if he start to loose weight, you can take him out if it come to this. Once you have a layer of shell in your tank, I am sure you can keep a mandarin pair in that 65 gal tank.

 

[KirstenB]

I can't add crushed shells as i have a thick layer of black course sand as my substate. It wouldn't go w the tank. [emoji17]

 

[KirstenB]

I am going to the LFS today and will get more copepods and some baby brine shrimp. I already have phytoplankton. How much in a ml syringe should I add daily or weekly to the tank? I currently add 3 ml twice weekly is all.

 

[OrionN]

Good luck with your Mandarin, but he will be fine.
A picture to bring life and fun to the thread.

 

[OrionN]

I am going to the LFS today and will get more copepods and some baby brine shrimp. I already have phytoplankton. How much in a ml syringe should I add daily or weekly to the tank? I currently add 3 ml twice weekly is all.

I don't think you need to but the cheapest would be buying decapsulated brine shrimp eggs and hatch them yourself and put it into the tank. Does not cost much for a huge amount of decapulated brine shrimp eggs. Hatch them is easy. Just a coke bottle with air pump, and salt water.
8 oz for 13.95. You will never run out of this much eggs.
https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/decapsulated-brine-shrimp-eggs-non-hatching-8-ounces

 

[bluprntguy]

I am going to the LFS today and will get more copepods and some baby brine shrimp. I already have phytoplankton. How much in a ml syringe should I add daily or weekly to the tank? I currently add 3 ml twice weekly is all.

Depends what phyto you have. I assume you have the concentrated dark green phytofeast as that's what most LFS's sell. I usually put in 10-15 drops a few times a week in my system. 20 drops is a ML. You'd probably be fine with a ML in your system, but there is a fair amount of ammonia in these concentrated phyto bottles, so you may want to ramp up to make sure that your biofilter can process it. I usually put this in my sump right before I turn the pumps off for feeeding. That allows the pods in the sump to eat the phyto while you are feeding your fish in the DT.

I don't think you need to but the cheapest would be buying decapsulated brine shrimp eggs and hatch them yourself and put it into the tank. Does not cost much for a huge amount of decapulated brine shrimp eggs. Hatch them is easy. Just a coke bottle with air pump, and salt water.
8 oz for 13.95. You will never run out of this much eggs.
https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/decapsulated-brine-shrimp-eggs-non-hatching-8-ounces

These are the non-hatching decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. They won't hatch. It says so right in the name of the product. They are meant for feeding directly to corals and fish. My mandarin eats these like candy. Turn all the pumps off because they are tiny and get blown around with any water movement.

You'll want regular brine shrimp eggs for hatching. This is the hatchery I think I mentioned in a previous post. It doesn't require airline and separates the baby brine shrimp from the eggs (the baby brine swim towards the open area in the center as they are attracted to light. It comes with enough eggs for about a month: https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/hatchery-dish

 

[KirstenB]

Depends what phyto you have. I assume you have the concentrated dark green phytofeast as that's what most LFS's sell. I usually put in 10-15 drops a few times a week in my system. 20 drops is a ML. You'd probably be fine with a ML in your system, but there is a fair amount of ammonia in these concentrated phyto bottles, so you may want to ramp up to make sure that your biofilter can process it. I usually put this in my sump right before I turn the pumps off for feeeding. That allows the pods in the sump to eat the phyto while you are feeding your fish in the DT.



These are the non-hatching decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. They won't hatch. It says so right in the name of the product. They are meant for feeding directly to corals and fish. My mandarin eats these like candy. Turn all the pumps off because they are tiny and get blown around with any water movement.

You'll want regular brine shrimp eggs for hatching. This is the hatchery I think I mentioned in a previous post. It doesn't require airline and separates the baby brine shrimp from the eggs (the baby brine swim towards the open area in the center as they are attracted to light. It comes with enough eggs for about a month: https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/hatchery-dish

Ty! That looks like my dream feeder...easy...easy easy! He put a scoop in that feeder from that bottle which seemed to produce a lot of live babies with just that scoop. Id imagine that whole container would last many months?

 

[KirstenB]

Depends what phyto you have. I assume you have the concentrated dark green phytofeast as that's what most LFS's sell. I usually put in 10-15 drops a few times a week in my system. 20 drops is a ML. You'd probably be fine with a ML in your system, but there is a fair amount of ammonia in these concentrated phyto bottles, so you may want to ramp up to make sure that your biofilter can process it. I usually put this in my sump right before I turn the pumps off for feeeding. That allows the pods in the sump to eat the phyto while you are feeding your fish in the DT.



These are the non-hatching decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. They won't hatch. It says so right in the name of the product. They are meant for feeding directly to corals and fish. My mandarin eats these like candy. Turn all the pumps off because they are tiny and get blown around with any water movement.

You'll want regular brine shrimp eggs for hatching. This is the hatchery I think I mentioned in a previous post. It doesn't require airline and separates the baby brine shrimp from the eggs (the baby brine swim towards the open area in the center as they are attracted to light. It comes with enough eggs for about a month: https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/hatchery-dish

Order placed and tyvm!! Big hugs!!

 

[bluprntguy]

Ty! That looks like my dream feeder...easy...easy easy! He put a scoop in that feeder from that bottle which seemed to produce a lot of live babies with just that scoop. Id imagine that whole container would last many months?

Yes. I do three scoops (they are tiny) and use the brine for two or three days. The bottle of brine shrimp eggs will definitely last a long time.

I forgot to mention that you can use table salt or regular reef salt to mix the water for the hatchery (I think the directions are for table salt). I've found the yields are FAR better with reef salt, so I just fill a 2 liter bottle during water change and use it for a few weeks.

 

[KirstenB]

Yes. I do three scoops (they are tiny) and use the brine for two or three days. The bottle of brine shrimp eggs will definitely last a long time.

I forgot to mention that you can use table salt or regular reef salt to mix the water for the hatchery (I think the directions are for table salt). I've found the yields are FAR better with reef salt, so I just fill a 2 liter bottle during water change and use it for a few weeks.

Tyvm!!! Appreciate your help!!!

 

[Phil D.]

I got lucky and my LFS trains mandarins to eat frozen. I have had General Iro, (Avatar the Last Airbender), for over a year now and he's doing great. It's so much fin to watch him stalk and pounce on the frozen, (thawed), brine shrimp and mysis. He also has taken to eating fish eggs.

 

[OrionN]

Depends what phyto you have. I assume you have the concentrated dark green phytofeast as that's what most LFS's sell. I usually put in 10-15 drops a few times a week in my system. 20 drops is a ML. You'd probably be fine with a ML in your system, but there is a fair amount of ammonia in these concentrated phyto bottles, so you may want to ramp up to make sure that your biofilter can process it. I usually put this in my sump right before I turn the pumps off for feeeding. That allows the pods in the sump to eat the phyto while you are feeding your fish in the DT.



These are the non-hatching decapsulated brine shrimp eggs. They won't hatch. It says so right in the name of the product. They are meant for feeding directly to corals and fish. My mandarin eats these like candy. Turn all the pumps off because they are tiny and get blown around with any water movement.

You'll want regular brine shrimp eggs for hatching. This is the hatchery I think I mentioned in a previous post. It doesn't require airline and separates the baby brine shrimp from the eggs (the baby brine swim towards the open area in the center as they are attracted to light. It comes with enough eggs for about a month: https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/hatchery-dish

Thanks.
I am glad you caught this. I would not want to give advice that does not work.