Hi everyone ! I'm currently 30 days into my 90 day fallow period. My tank has flourished with copopads everywhere !! I've always wanted a mandarin. I've read and been told mandarins don't get ich due to their skin texture. My question is can I add a mandarin now during my fallow period or should I wait the full 90 days ??
Mandarin/Fallow question
- Thread starter biga1106
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I think a lot of people don't QT mandarins, partly because they don't really do great with traditional QT methods, especially with medications. However, I would strongly recommend doing so. You could QT and observe and if need be, try using the tank transfer method (TTM) which is often used with very sensitive fish such as wrasses. Of course you have to supply fresh pods for the mandarin to eat while doing this. Read through the links below and hopefully someone with a bit more expertise will chime in. Best of luck!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-qt-and-a-mandarin.244055/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-qt-and-a-mandarin.244055/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/
Keith Hill
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How big is your tank? I have a mandarin in a 90 I cycled for 6 months and it had tons of pods. But after 2 months it looked thin so I did more research and found pod condos. I don't have a refugium but I keep them in my overflow and sump. My mandarin looks great now. Just something to look into.
domination2580
Reef-a-nator
Qt the mandarin. It is true about the mandarin Having more of a slime coat but can still get ich
+1 TTM is the only way to QT a mandarin so you can get them into the DT (where the pods are) faster. I recommend only buying a mandarin trained to eat frozen/pellets. Or be prepared to culture your own pods or buy "pods in a bottle" in order to feed your mandarin during QT.
It really sucks that we can no longer buy Nutramar ova.
Even most wild caught mandys would readily eat that.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
What happened to the Nutramar? My OSFF loved that stuff.
This is the last update I've seen: http://www.qualitymarine.com/News/Company-News/Nutramar-Ova-Not-Available-At-This-Time-(10/07/14)
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Oh, that's major suckage! The peeps who depend on that I'm sure are flailing about. I hope people don't hang on to it longer than they should, not knowing when they can get more. This stuff is high in fat and will have issues with peroxidation sooner than some other items.
Ok ill try to find one that eats frozen or pellets after my fallow period humblefish. Btw I don't know if you remember about my leopard wrasse that got a cloudy eye and you and Melypr1985 helped me out ... The antibiotic didn't help and she died 3 days later [emoji849][emoji19][emoji20]. I'm still bummed about it I really liked her.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Does LRS have eggs now? There's also Rod's food. They have a product with purdy little orange eggs, but I forget which type they are.
I recently trained mine to take frozen, waiting to see if he becomes more "motivated" because at the moment I still have to spot feed as my other fish simply out compete it for food. If you can keep a pod population, do so.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
I think you hit an important point there. My mandarin had zero pods to eat. At some points, they were in a bare bottom tank. He lived eight years like that, so they definitely do not need pods to live a long healthy life. BUT, our mandarin swam up to the surface with the other fish. He knew I was the Grub Hub and came to me. If your fish is either bit shy, it will need that population of pods going on. I believe there's a difference in "taking frozen" and "taking frozen WELL".
Couldn't agree more. Mine is VERY shy, have had him for months and just recently started to explore the upper areas of the rock work; has stuck to the sand bed and caves prior. Even when i do feed him, he's either still getting used to frozen or kind of like well I'm hungry and this smells ok, so sure; he's not excited about it haha
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Keith Hill
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You can buy pods in a bottle but a QT tank usually doesn't have live rock for them to hide. They will be eaten fast. I'm not sure what to tell u on that one. Hopefully someone else will join in on that. How long do u plan on quarenteening them? I'm just wondering because in 2 months mine cleaned out my 90g that was established.
Keith Hill
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Also with a 35g display tank (I think that's the 35g u r talking about) u r going to need to figure out how to produce tones of pods because it will eat so many so fast. I'm the last person who should be saying don't get that fish, etc so I'm not going to. I have read people having them in a 30g and being successful but they either got them to eat frozen or put in bottles of pods every other week. Anyways look up pod condos and just keep an eye on its weight.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
You culture the pods separately and add them to the QT.
