How to prepare tank for Mandarin Goby ?

[M4rtin]

About to start my cycle on reefer 250 and mandarin is one fish that I really want to introduce into my system.
I read that tank has to be well established for mandarin, but is there something that I can do to help or speed this process along, and not wait a year ?

 

[JoshH]

Well right after the cycle is complete your best bet is to seed the tank with a TON of pods. Also as you have a new system making sure you have ample rock either live or dry in your aquascape is ideal. This gives your Mandy a ton of grazing space and lots of area for your pods to thrive. Are you planning on a fuge for your setup at all?? And remember, nothing good in this hobby usually happens fast. Taking your time and setting up your system the right way will benefit you and your Mandy in the long run.

 

[Shep]

I would like to emphasize a TON of pods, check out some of the vendors on here who sell pods and just stock up and be prepared to add more on a regular schedule just to be on the safe side

 

[MaiReef]

I would build a mandarin feeder. The pod population will not keep up if any other fish in a tank that size eat them. I feed mine baby brine hatched every other day to supplement frozen and pods in the tank. @Paul B has a template. I used a small Tupperware container in place of the old tape holder, but it works well. Bending the hard airline tubing was pretty easy with a hair dryer and I used frag holders to keep it down. Small funnels can be found on Amazon BPA free. I actually just drain the hatched brine through the setup a bit at a time. A fat Mandarin is a happy one and baby brine have the nutritious egg sacs attached.

 

[TheNano]

Yes definitely get tons of pods!

 

[hyprc]

You're gonna need to feed pods regularly as long as you have him in that size of a tank if you want him to stay healthy. Gorgeous fish.

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

I honestly wouldn't even consider adding a mandarin to a tank less than six months old; better a year. Adding a ton of pods can help, but there's a lot going on in a new aquarium and the ecosystem needs time to develop; for populations to establish. Rushing is almost always a bad idea in this hobby...

 

[Maggie321]

Look into breeding pods yourself and phytoplankton to feed the pods. Do all this months in advance of getting the mandarin. If you can't produce pods for an extended period, you might wait till you can. Phyto just needs bottles of lower salinity fertilized water, air and light, pods need the phyto (although some people feed them tank water with detritus from previous water changes), a bit of water movement from an air line and a tank, tub or bottle to multiply in. I am using an unoccupied 10g, but they prefer something dark I think. And plastic, I hear they do better in plastic like a blue Lowe's bucket. Then every couple days you harvest some for your tank. You'll also need micron filters to filter them out of the water. Search and read. Most of the battle with mandarins I believe is keeping them fed. I want one too. I have started with the phyto and pods just last week!