Help Mandarin goby??
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MondoBongo
Community Member
a couple other things you can try...
i feed mine nutramar ova, cyclop-eeze (frozen), and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp nauplii. the nauplii still have a nutritious yolk sac for about their first 24 - 36 hours. while it shouldn't be the only thing they eat, it is a nice supplement.
she also has learned to take live blood worms. they're freshwater critters, so they only live a few minutes in the salt water, but when i squirt them to her feeding spot, she sucks them down like spaghetti noodles.
which brings me to this, the mandy feeder:
i took an old NLS pellet container and drilled a hole in the side, and cut the center out of the lid. replaced the hole in the lid with a nylon stocking. then took some 3/8" rigid airline tubing, heated the end and bent it at a 90 degree angle, and inserted in to the hole i drilled.
i put a small funnel at the top.
i pour the brine shrimp nauplii in here and then wash them down to the container. the nylon stocking over the top keeps them all from coming out at once. my mandy, and all my other little piglets, will sit around and on top of it, snagging shrimpy treats all day long.
since this container doesn't move, my mandy has become accustomed to feeding in this area of the tank. it is an excellent conditioned response because when the pumps go off, she heads towards the feeder. this means that when i want to try her out on new foods, i just start the normal feeding routine and then put the new food in this area. works out fairly well.
i also culture pods and green water that i load the tank with from time to time. it's fairly easy to do.
my mandy now has a ridiculous Buddha belly. which makes me very happy.
-edit-
i also want to mention that i am pretty sure Nutramar Ova is made from black magic and witchcraft. from everything i have seen and read there aren't many fish that refuse. as you've probably realized from watching your mandy eat, they're very benthic. generally only ever eating things directly off the substrate.
i've actually seen mine on several occasions snagging Nutramar Ova directly from mid water, which almost made me about fall over the first time i noticed it. it is an excellent food for picky eaters.
the only fish in my tank that don't go ape over it are my clowns, and with the exception of their pellets, they don't really like much else. they're even luke warm to cyclop-eeze and pe-myses. go figure?
i feed mine nutramar ova, cyclop-eeze (frozen), and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp nauplii. the nauplii still have a nutritious yolk sac for about their first 24 - 36 hours. while it shouldn't be the only thing they eat, it is a nice supplement.
she also has learned to take live blood worms. they're freshwater critters, so they only live a few minutes in the salt water, but when i squirt them to her feeding spot, she sucks them down like spaghetti noodles.
which brings me to this, the mandy feeder:
i took an old NLS pellet container and drilled a hole in the side, and cut the center out of the lid. replaced the hole in the lid with a nylon stocking. then took some 3/8" rigid airline tubing, heated the end and bent it at a 90 degree angle, and inserted in to the hole i drilled.
i put a small funnel at the top.
i pour the brine shrimp nauplii in here and then wash them down to the container. the nylon stocking over the top keeps them all from coming out at once. my mandy, and all my other little piglets, will sit around and on top of it, snagging shrimpy treats all day long.
since this container doesn't move, my mandy has become accustomed to feeding in this area of the tank. it is an excellent conditioned response because when the pumps go off, she heads towards the feeder. this means that when i want to try her out on new foods, i just start the normal feeding routine and then put the new food in this area. works out fairly well.
i also culture pods and green water that i load the tank with from time to time. it's fairly easy to do.
my mandy now has a ridiculous Buddha belly. which makes me very happy.
-edit-
i also want to mention that i am pretty sure Nutramar Ova is made from black magic and witchcraft. from everything i have seen and read there aren't many fish that refuse. as you've probably realized from watching your mandy eat, they're very benthic. generally only ever eating things directly off the substrate.
i've actually seen mine on several occasions snagging Nutramar Ova directly from mid water, which almost made me about fall over the first time i noticed it. it is an excellent food for picky eaters.
the only fish in my tank that don't go ape over it are my clowns, and with the exception of their pellets, they don't really like much else. they're even luke warm to cyclop-eeze and pe-myses. go figure?
Last edited:
Swine
Well-Known Member
^lol! +1 on the black magic and witchcraft ingredients in nutramar ova. I fed it to my target mandarin and he started eating it right away! I literally put my tongs in the tank w/ a chunk of nutramar and the little guy swam up to and grabbed a mouth full once I got close to him
el_ote
Community Member
mondobongo
thats a GREAT idea for feeding the mandy. I have one and am about to start my first batch of bbs. I cant wait ti try this. will any of the wifes nylons work? what size is the container about? looks like 2-3 inch across and an a couple tall. do the bbs all squeeze thru the nylon? how long do they stay in or take to get out? sorry for all the q's, I just really like the idea!
thanks
thats a GREAT idea for feeding the mandy. I have one and am about to start my first batch of bbs. I cant wait ti try this. will any of the wifes nylons work? what size is the container about? looks like 2-3 inch across and an a couple tall. do the bbs all squeeze thru the nylon? how long do they stay in or take to get out? sorry for all the q's, I just really like the idea!
thanks
MondoBongo
Community Member
thanks, i can't take credit for it myself. the first person i saw building one was PaulB.
the wife's nylons should work just fine. the trick is getting the mesh size just right. i find for nylons if you try NOT to stretch it as you cover the opening it works best. the fish food container i used to build it is probably about 3" in diameter, and about 1.5" - 2" tall. i cut most of the top of the lid off to provide the open area, so the lid is really now just a ring that holds the mesh in place.
if i get the mesh size right it takes a few hours for all the bbs to finally squeeze out. they tend to swim towards light, so they usually end up migrating out by the end of the day.
i leave the feeder in there all the time, as i usually add food to it each morning before leaving for work. i do take it out and clean it regularly though. it gets kind of nasty with old egg shells (i try to separate them as best i can when dosing, but some always sneak through), and just the general gunk that collects in a reef tank. usually about twice a week i take it out to rinse it thoroughly and replace the nylon with fresh.
i have seen some people using old fishing nets for the mesh, for me a nylon stocking was easier to get in the correct size. if you find out the openings are too small you can always stretch it a little bit.
my mandy also loves black worms, so i am trying to figure out some kind of feeder for those. since they don't live long in saltwater though it has been challenging.
the wife's nylons should work just fine. the trick is getting the mesh size just right. i find for nylons if you try NOT to stretch it as you cover the opening it works best. the fish food container i used to build it is probably about 3" in diameter, and about 1.5" - 2" tall. i cut most of the top of the lid off to provide the open area, so the lid is really now just a ring that holds the mesh in place.
if i get the mesh size right it takes a few hours for all the bbs to finally squeeze out. they tend to swim towards light, so they usually end up migrating out by the end of the day.
i leave the feeder in there all the time, as i usually add food to it each morning before leaving for work. i do take it out and clean it regularly though. it gets kind of nasty with old egg shells (i try to separate them as best i can when dosing, but some always sneak through), and just the general gunk that collects in a reef tank. usually about twice a week i take it out to rinse it thoroughly and replace the nylon with fresh.
i have seen some people using old fishing nets for the mesh, for me a nylon stocking was easier to get in the correct size. if you find out the openings are too small you can always stretch it a little bit.
my mandy also loves black worms, so i am trying to figure out some kind of feeder for those. since they don't live long in saltwater though it has been challenging.
roadrashpaul
Well-Known Member
Couple of questions for you guys that seem very knowledgeable about these fish.
1. Does the red light on the side of the tank really attract pods? I am very curious about my pod population. Tank is a 125 with a 55 sump that has been running for about 3 months now. The majority of my live rock came from a 4 year old 75 gallon tank so I a lot was very established already.
2. Where are you guys getting these live pods and phytoplankton? I don't recall seeing them at my LFS but I could have overlooked also.
3. I am assuming mandarins cant really be QT'd because of their specific diet. Is there no risk of ich or any other diseases when introducing them?
1. Does the red light on the side of the tank really attract pods? I am very curious about my pod population. Tank is a 125 with a 55 sump that has been running for about 3 months now. The majority of my live rock came from a 4 year old 75 gallon tank so I a lot was very established already.
2. Where are you guys getting these live pods and phytoplankton? I don't recall seeing them at my LFS but I could have overlooked also.
3. I am assuming mandarins cant really be QT'd because of their specific diet. Is there no risk of ich or any other diseases when introducing them?
rworegon
Active Member
Mandarins, and dragonette's in general have a very thick slime coat and are generally pretty disease resistant. Thats not to say they are immune, but don't seem to be as suseptable as most other fish to ich or other parasitic infestations. You can qt them if you feed them live pods in their qt. Personally I've always waited till my LFS has had a good looking one for a while and watch it closely before I bring it homw. My LFS doesn't put Mandarins in with the general for sale fish population. They put them in their invert systems with cheato balls and pods. This keeps them isolated from tangs and other ich magnets.
MondoBongo
Community Member
my LFS had both pods and live phyto. you can also order them from various sites online if your LFS does not stock them. i used AlaGen pods and phyto as starters for my cultures, but there are plenty of other brands available too.
i did not QT my mandy. if your QT tank is correctly established and loaded with enough pods, and your mandy is eating prepared reliably already then it is possible i suppose. as rworegon stated, these fish do tend to be more resistant to external parasites like ich. keep in mind that they do not tolerate copper well, and should not be treated with it, or placed in tanks that have been treated with copper and not properly cleansed.
i did not QT my mandy. if your QT tank is correctly established and loaded with enough pods, and your mandy is eating prepared reliably already then it is possible i suppose. as rworegon stated, these fish do tend to be more resistant to external parasites like ich. keep in mind that they do not tolerate copper well, and should not be treated with it, or placed in tanks that have been treated with copper and not properly cleansed.
roadrashpaul
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info guys. My qt is just bare bottom with pvc pieces so there would be nothing in there. I don't mind just putting one in but I was just curious about it. I will look at my fish store for phyto and pods or order online. I am hoping to have my tank ready for one of these by the summer.
MondoBongo
Community Member
My Mandy is the only thing that was wet that I didn't QT. I would have preferred to QT it, but I wasn't sure how well it would cope in the system.
I would love to hear any successful techniques for quarantining them though. At some point in the future I would like to get a male and try my hand at breeding them, but would prefer to be able to QT any new ones
I would love to hear any successful techniques for quarantining them though. At some point in the future I would like to get a male and try my hand at breeding them, but would prefer to be able to QT any new ones
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
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Rock Pool Reef Keepers
My wife now has these big round holes in her nylons, I told her we must have moths.
uke:
Paul B
10K Club member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Article Contributor
Rock Pool Reef Keepers
There is a little problem with that set up. It is clear glass and the shrimp are attracted to the light so they will swim to the sides of the glass and not to the screen where you want them. Find something much flatter like a plastic case electrical tape comes in.
Great idea. From the pic, I can't see where there is an air line is. What kind of a jar is it? Can you show me a pic of the set up was before you put it in the tank or reply with a short description of what you did? Thank you very much in advancea couple other things you can try...
i feed mine nutramar ova, cyclop-eeze (frozen), and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp nauplii. the nauplii still have a nutritious yolk sac for about their first 24 - 36 hours. while it shouldn't be the only thing they eat, it is a nice supplement.
she also has learned to take live blood worms. they're freshwater critters, so they only live a few minutes in the salt water, but when i squirt them to her feeding spot, she sucks them down like spaghetti noodles.
which brings me to this, the mandy feeder:
i took an old NLS pellet container and drilled a hole in the side, and cut the center out of the lid. replaced the hole in the lid with a nylon stocking. then took some 3/8" rigid airline tubing, heated the end and bent it at a 90 degree angle, and inserted in to the hole i drilled.
i put a small funnel at the top.
i pour the brine shrimp nauplii in here and then wash them down to the container. the nylon stocking over the top keeps them all from coming out at once. my mandy, and all my other little piglets, will sit around and on top of it, snagging shrimpy treats all day long.
since this container doesn't move, my mandy has become accustomed to feeding in this area of the tank. it is an excellent conditioned response because when the pumps go off, she heads towards the feeder. this means that when i want to try her out on new foods, i just start the normal feeding routine and then put the new food in this area. works out fairly well.
i also culture pods and green water that i load the tank with from time to time. it's fairly easy to do.
my mandy now has a ridiculous Buddha belly. which makes me very happy.
-edit-
of what you did? Thank you
i also want to mention that i am pretty sure Nutramar Ova is made from black magic and witchcraft. from everything i have seen and read there aren't many fish that refuse. as you've probably realized from watching your mandy eat, they're very benthic. generally only ever eating things directly off the substrate.
i've actually seen mine on several occasions snagging Nutramar Ova directly from mid water, which almost made me about fall over the first time i noticed it. it is an excellent food for picky eaters.
the only fish in my tank that don't go ape over it are my clowns, and with the exception of their pellets, they don't really like much else. they're even luke warm to cyclop-eeze and pe-myses. go figure?
Hi, this might be a dumb question so bare with me. How can you tell the sex? Thanks in advance. I just started this forum today.
What is QT?
I get most of mine from Amazon.
I just got a manderin and clown goby today. Ilet them get used to their surroundings for a bit. I use julians thing and I really like it and one thing it does makes targeting foods to the fish. I mixed some Dr.G's Copepods MAX (Liquid Arctic Cyclops Highly Concentrated, Long Shelf Life,a couple other things you can try...
i feed mine nutramar ova, cyclop-eeze (frozen), and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp nauplii. the nauplii still have a nutritious yolk sac for about their first 24 - 36 hours. while it shouldn't be the only thing they eat, it is a nice supplement.
she also has learned to take live blood worms. they're freshwater critters, so they only live a few minutes in the salt water, but when i squirt them to her feeding spot, she sucks them down like spaghetti noodles.
which brings me to this, the mandy feeder:
i took an old NLS pellet container and drilled a hole in the side, and cut the center out of the lid. replaced the hole in the lid with a nylon stocking. then took some 3/8" rigid airline tubing, heated the end and bent it at a 90 degree angle, and inserted in to the hole i drilled.
i put a small funnel at the top.
i pour the brine shrimp nauplii in here and then wash them down to the container. the nylon stocking over the top keeps them all from coming out at once. my mandy, and all my other little piglets, will sit around and on top of it, snagging shrimpy treats all day long.
since this container doesn't move, my mandy has become accustomed to feeding in this area of the tank. it is an excellent conditioned response because when the pumps go off, she heads towards the feeder. this means that when i want to try her out on new foods, i just start the normal feeding routine and then put the new food in this area. works out fairly well.
i also culture pods and green water that i load the tank with from time to time. it's fairly easy to do.
my mandy now has a ridiculous Buddha belly. which makes me very happy.
-edit-
i also want to mention that i am pretty sure Nutramar Ova is made from black magic and witchcraft. from everything i have seen and read there aren't many fish that refuse. as you've probably realized from watching your mandy eat, they're very benthic. generally only ever eating things directly off the substrate.
i've actually seen mine on several occasions snagging Nutramar Ova directly from mid water, which almost made me about fall over the first time i noticed it. it is an excellent food for picky eaters.
the only fish in my tank that don't go ape over it are my clowns, and with the exception of their pellets, they don't really like much else. they're even luke warm to cyclop-eeze and pe-myses. go figure?
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