green mandarin

[big deddy]

I have been doing a lot of research on the green mandarin. I understand the whole feeding problem. I have a refugium for cheato and growing pods. I also have a ton of pods in dt. I have added a lot of pods with my live rock that I started with. I have also accumulated a bunch in my cheato. And lastly I have added 3 16oz bottles of pods to seed dt and fuge. They are definitely breeding. My biggest concern is that with 1 mandarin, with what I have will they be able to reproduce fast enough to support the little guy? Also I have ampiphods and copeopods. Will the mandarin eat the larger ampiphods?

 

[KorL]

What size tank? How long has the tank been running?

 

[big deddy]

Dt is 75 gallon. Sump/fuge is 23 gallon. Been running around 5 months.

 

[rayr18]

I have a similar size tank 75 g display with 20 g sump and 20 g refugium and my green mandarin only lasted about 1.5 years. Tisbe pods were heavy at the start but disappeared over time and I had at least 5o pounds of live rock in my tanks, probable more. I would try to find one that eats food other than pods. From what I have been told the mandarin will only eat the smaller copepods. I will try again if I find one that eats processed food o when I get my 320 g tank up and running..Hope this helps.

 

[big deddy]

That's my big thing. I have a ton of copeopods. But equally as many amphpods. I added the copes but the amphpods came in cheato purchase. If a mandarin will eat both, I have enough to feed a mako shark. If not I don't know that I wouldn't have to keep adding every 3 or 4 weeks

 

[runzwithscissors]

I've only had one mandarin and he did well. My liverock was well established which I believe helps and once to twice a year I would restock pods. I actually saw my mandarin eating the small version of mysis. Good luck, they are a very kool fish for any aquarium.

 

[rayr18]

A bag or two weekly won't keep up with the hungry Mandarin .... They can probably eat that in a day. A bag is usually 500 or so pods..Mandarins feed continuosly while lights are on. 2 pods per minute x 60 min = 120/ hr x10 hr = 1200 per day...Thats about 2.25 bags per day...The pods have to replenish on their own, but I would add some occasionally to expedite the increase in you pod population.

 

[big deddy]

So if he won't eat the amphpods, then what am I going to do with them? Just let them keep reproducing?

 

[rayr18]

Agreed they are cool fish that are very disease resistant and if you can get keep your pod population high or get them to eat something other than pods than I think they can live a long time. The amphipods will stop reproducing if they don't have anything to eat..by the way your larger amphipods will snack on you copepods as well.....Good luck...I wish you the best.

Copepods= bottom of food chain in the reef tank

 

[Sabellafella]

1 mandarin can take down down 1000 gallon system full of pods in litterally a week, alot faster then ur fuge can restock your display theres 3 ways to do it if there not eating pellet mysis ect either put a couple bioballs in ur fuge and take them out often and shake, there like little condos lol, 2 shake ur macros off in display or 3 spot feed with live brine

 

[Sabellafella]

Same thing applys with cleaner wrasse, they do horrible in captivity unless u supply them with there main pray in the wild , they wont survive only on flake pellet mysis ect

 

[big deddy]

I am considering maybe setting up another tank just for pods growing. I have a couple 10 gallon and 2 brand new 40 breeders. A 40 breeder full of cheato could probably keep a few coming

 

[Sabellafella]

Lol you dont need to go that crazy ive had mated pair of the green spotted ones in a 30 gallon for the last 3 upcomming 4thyear , ive realized that feeding live brine gutloaded with selcom has done the trick , would feed 3 4 times aweek with a baster and still have thousands of pods runnin around

 

[big deddy]

The only problem I have is where I'm located our local fish stores pretty much have nothing. So live food is hard to come by

 

[ReeferBob]

The only problem I have is where I'm located our local fish stores pretty much have nothing. So live food is hard to come by

Immaterial. You can't keep a mandarin alive by buying its food. You either breed its food or it dies. Brine is easy and cheap but only the newborn have any nutritional value. You can look into a live brine hatchery along with breeding pods that you are already doing. They are continuous feeders so food needs to be available all day. Same with most blennys.

 

[cmanning317]

Same thing applys with cleaner wrasse, they do horrible in captivity unless u supply them with there main pray in the wild , they wont survive only on flake pellet mysis ect

Ive had a cleaner wrasse and a red mandarin in my 125 for 3 years...im calling bs

 

[Sabellafella]

Ive had a cleaer wrasse for 6 years in my 200 i also had 35 fish for it to tend to , they do not do well in captivity at all and whay i mean by captivity is not a fish in a tank for 3 years buddy

 

[cmanning317]

Ok buddy my point is almost anything is possible if your intelligence is larger than your mouth...as a whole they dont do well in captivity no...but it IS possible...and 3 years is a good indication that they are well cared for and will thrive for many more years

 

[29biotrial]

I found one at my lfs and they said it ate frozen food so I asked to see it. It did I have had it for 3 years now and has done great. I think they said he was from Ora fish farm they tank breed and food trained before you get them. This would be you best bet to keep one happy imo.

 

[29biotrial]

I was also told it would not survive. Not saying it's easy I also add pods once or twice a month. He hunts those as well , but is always ready for frozen mysis.