Mandarin Emergency! Please help

MCooper · Oct 15, 2016

Okay, so I purchased a bonded pair of Biota Captive Bred Mandarins! The reason I got them was because they are supposed to be eating frozen, pellets and live food. Added them to my 29 gallon QT tank on Thursday and have not seen them eat a thing. I have given live pods, Cyclops, live brine, frozen mysis, you name it and NADA.
Question is do I continue to try in QT or move them into the display tank with pods and established reef tank?

DLHDesign · Oct 15, 2016

I'd give them time in the QT, personally. You can respond to any issues better that way.

raultsu · Oct 15, 2016

Following along. I'm planning on ordering a pair too. Hopefully you can get them to eat soon

NanaReefer · Oct 20, 2016

Any updates?

MCooper · Oct 20, 2016

Yes, they did start to eat a bit and I transferred them into my main tank yesterday. So far so good!

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 20, 2016

DrCooper said:
Yes, they did start to eat a bit and I transferred them into my main tank yesterday. So far so good!

theyre like cats. (sorry pretty dog), even though they like it or eat it all the time is nor reason they will now.

mandarins have quite a bit different needs from a standard QT. there not susceptible to ich but can likely carry it. Wild caught can have internal parasites, but that's wicked hard to get them comfortable enough to eat anything in a standard QT w hob pipe pvc qt. Imo they need sand and rocks and pods, then slow frozen foods conditioning, then hopefully parasite meds. I lost a little girl mandy just this year from it and Ive had Mandys the entire time Ive been reefing. its tough.
Glad for the breeding program.