How to get a tank Mandarin ready?

[Paul B]

I think a mandarin is one of the easiest fish to keep but you do need a large tank and you need to feed them. If you keep a dog you also have to feed him. They are also one of the easiest fish to get to spawn as they spawn constantly, but only if you feed them every day. The only way I have found to do that is with a mandarin feeder. It is almost free to build and anyone can do it. The brine shrimp eggs are also cheap and easy to hatch. I hatch them every day. If I did not I could not keep mandarins, ruby reds, queen anthius and pipefish. You need to do a little work if you want to keep certain fish.

 

[RJ Harris]

I think a mandarin is one of the easiest fish to keep but you do need a large tank and you need to feed them. If you keep a dog you also have to feed him. They are also one of the easiest fish to get to spawn as they spawn constantly, but only if you feed them every day. The only way I have found to do that is with a mandarin feeder. It is almost free to build and anyone can do it. The brine shrimp eggs are also cheap and easy to hatch. I hatch them every day. If I did not I could not keep mandarins, ruby reds, queen anthius and pipefish. You need to do a little work if you want to keep certain fish.

Exactly what I said and if you want it bad enough the work to keep them won't be an issue

 

[brandon4432]

I have kept a mandarin in a 14g for the last 18 months. I saw him at a lfs, very thin and thought he's gonna die anyway so decided to give it a shot.
It can be done but it's very expensive to do so, i buy 10 bags of pods a week to supplement the tank (i also breed my own and dump in a few thousand every couple of weeks) and he also eats frozen lobster eggs which go in twice a week. The only other fish in the tank are a pair of clowns.
A lot of people think i am nuts going to this expense for 1 fish but a mandarin was the only fish i ever really wanted to keep and to me it's worth every penny.

I guess if you are committed to spending an enormous amount of money to keep the fish healthy that's okay! As long as your supplying thousands of pods. After all, these creatures are our pets!

 

[Leslie Tabor]

Madarins were my dream fish as well, spent tons of time building a system to keep them and now spending $$$$ on pods to keep my pair fat and happy. I wouldn't do anything at risk to these beautiful creatures, make sure you can afford the time and budget for proper care. The wait and attention is totally worth it.

 

[Paul B]

I guess if you are committed to spending an enormous amount of money to keep the fish healthy that's okay! As long as your supplying thousands of pods. After all, these creatures are our pets!

I have been keeping mandarins since they started importing them and I never bought a pod in my life. Brine shrimp eggs, which I hatch every day probably cost less then $20.00 a year.

 

[Evan West]

Hmmm so it sound possible but like a lot of work and money and being a semi-broke extremely busy college student im gonna say I likely dont have the time to properly care for one of these guys. Unfortunate but that seems to be the case.

 

[mdlc805]

If it helps I got a 60 gallon cube that's been up for 4 months. When I went to the lfs they had one that was eating frozen foods been in the tank for 2 weeks now and doing great. The frozen food makes up for the lack of pods

 

[Dashiki]

If it helps I got a 60 gallon cube that's been up for 4 months. When I went to the lfs they had one that was eating frozen foods been in the tank for 2 weeks now and doing great. The frozen food makes up for the lack of pods

The problem is you have only had the fish for a couple weeks. which is not a sucess at this point. they cannot get all nutrition they need by eating mysis or other prepared foods which why a healthy mature pod population is a must. they die a slow painful death starving for the food they need when we dont do what we need to do to keep them in a suitable environment.

 

[mdlc805]

The problem is you have only had the fish for a couple weeks. which is not a sucess at this point. they cannot get all nutrition they need by eating mysis or other prepared foods which why a healthy mature pod population is a must. they die a slow painful death starving for the food they need when we dont do what we need to do to keep them in a suitable environment.

I feed twice a day and I see him eating the frozen food that with the pods I already have and that still isn't enough? The only reason I bought him was because he eats frozen foods

 

[Dashiki]

for whatever reason mandarin fish cannot adapt completely to a diet not consisting primarily of pods. they have short digestive tracts so the amount of frozen or prepared food needed to be in the aquarium throughout the day would foul the water. you should be adding a refugium and I'd recommend seeding/supplementing the pod population to ensure they are reproducing enough to not be wiped out completely by the mandarin.

They are a lovely fish that is very misunderstood in the hobby. especially with people just getting going. I understand people wanting them but not many follow the warnings and end up starving them.

The reason your tank needs to mature is that you need to have several generations of pods to have reproduced in the aquarium or when the mandarin is introduced they will wipe out all the pods in the first month then no long thrive.

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I feed twice a day and I see him eating the frozen food that with the pods I already have and that still isn't enough? The only reason I bought him was because he eats frozen foods

It is great that it eats frozen, but what is being said is the fish does not get the nutrition it need from the frozen food. For example, yes a kid is eating if it only eats oreo cookies but that child wont be healthy and wont thrive. Your tank is not big enough to support the pod population needed, from what I have found in researching these fish, and at only 4 months old the tank is not established enough to have sustainable pods. You would need to be adding pods. There are LOTS of places (AlgaeBarn has been great) you can buy pods or people grow cultures of them so you dont have to keep buying them. I personally dont want the hassle, so I just buy pods every 1-2 months.

 

[Wh00pS32]

I feed twice a day and I see him eating the frozen food that with the pods I already have and that still isn't enough? The only reason I bought him was because he eats frozen foods

It's like Dashiki has said, they have a short digestive tract so all they do is constantly eat, mine must spend 20 hours a day hunting for food, hence the need for food to always be present. You could have a look at making one of Paul B's feeders, that would help.

 

[Susan Bates]

I know I know "wait at least 6 months" ive heard it all over the place but gosh darnit im impatient! My tank has been up for 3 months and I have dumped one 8oz thing of algagen pods tisbe in the tank already in an attempt to spur on the pods population but is their any other way to help? I would love a refugium but I am sump-less and dont really want a hang on. Also lastly how do I know when the tank is ready besides just "wait 6 months" like how can I tell via a quantitative observation.

I have 1 in my tank after 1 year i feed him lobster eggs and has grown so fat, also scooter and green one, all fat and growing

 

[Chrisfish]

I have had one for 7 mos. and she is fat and happy. Not only does she have pods but she also loves live black worms which I found that out right when I got her and I was feeding them to my other fish. She's right up there at the turkey baster getting her fair share. But just to make sure I feed my tank pods at least once a month.

 

[mps026]

I waited 6 months by then i had pods everywhere i looked. When i got the mandarin i added a bag of pods just in case. I dose phytoplankton twice a week. I have so many pods still several months later and now hes eating brine. I turn off the pump so they go to the bottom for him.

 

[mps026]

I have a 50g all in one. Its plenty big to support the pods. The back is a cryptic zone lots of feather dusters and sponges. I made a couple places in the tank 'rock pile' where the mandarin cant get to to foster the pod growth

 

[lowellb]

Those 8oz of pods should last an adult mandarin an afternoon and I would also forget that 6 month thing. I would wait a year and build a feeder. Just my opinion of course.

8oz pods go to work making new ones too. My mandarin is very fed, they are even on my filter sponges. I added live brine for colonization as well.