Mandarin feeding

Earl Karl · Oct 2, 2018

So I've kept this certain mandarin for a year now, and he is the most pickiest eater I have ever seen. Doesn't touch tisbe pods. He only eats tiggers and surprisingly LRS fish eggs. However, I ran out of LRS Fish eggs and now he got a bit skinny. And the lfs that I work at doesn't sell them. He eats a whole bottle of tiggers in a week, which is too expensive. Luckily I have a refugium, but it's almost enough to feed him for the day, but not enough. One supplement feeding will keep him happy and fat (remember I've been doing this for a year, I know his personality and such). I asked my coworkers about this, and so far, they suggested PE Calanus, San Francisco Bay Fish Eggs, Reef Nutrition Arcti-pods, and brine shrimp.
Do you guys have experience with these foods with mandarins? He completely ignores mysis. Trust me, he's really picky.
If there is any other food out there, please list it and tell me about your experience.
If anything, I will try special ordering LRS fish eggs if I have too, but trying new foods that my store already sells is more convenient in the long run.

408Dartfish · Oct 2, 2018

I haven’t tried it but some mandarins will eat the zoo med can o cyclops. https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/aquarium-supplies/foods/dried/can-o-cyclops/

Earl Karl · Oct 2, 2018

I used something similar, cyclopeeze, but he never glanced at it.

NS Mike D · Oct 2, 2018

i think mine is eating rods frozen coral blend. I mix it with either mysis or brine and (using juliens thing) after turning off the pumps and dumping enough at the top of the tank to keep the fish occupied i'll blast some into the rock work for the mandarin to find before the CUC does. the corals also seem to be liking the what gets circulated when i turn the pumps back on

Earl Karl · Oct 2, 2018

Ooh, I'l definitely try the coral blend.

sghera64 · Oct 3, 2018

4 out of 5 of mine in the past have eaten blood worms.

DSC reef · Oct 3, 2018

Look into reef nutrition roe, copepod max and tiger pods. LRS reef frenzy and small TDO chroma boost pellets is what are mandarin lives on for 5+ years.

Evan28395950 · Oct 3, 2018

My isn’t that picky, so I have about 3 types of pods that he eats. But I also did notice when I shot rods food into some corals, some fell on the sand, and he ate only certain pieces of food.

Sorcha2 · Oct 3, 2018

Nutremeva ova is what mine eats for a little extra fattening up once or twice a week but I also heavily feed my pods to keep their population higher. I don't have a refugium and he's been doing well for almost 10 months. Admittedly it's a 65g with no other pod eaters.

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

sghera64 said:
4 out of 5 of mine in the past have eaten blood worms.

I tried feeding bloodworms to him. My CBB ate it, but not my mandarin.

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

DSC reef said:
Look into reef nutrition roe, copepod max and tiger pods. LRS reef frenzy and small TDO chroma boost pellets is what are mandarin lives on for 5+ years.

I use LRS Reef Frenzy Nano. Never really examined it eating, but I'll try to spot feed it. I will also try the roe as my store has it. Tigger pods is a no brainer. I'll be dammed if he ate pellets.

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

Evan28395950 said:
My isn’t that picky, so I have about 3 types of pods that he eats. But I also did notice when I shot rods food into some corals, some fell on the sand, and he ate only certain pieces of food.

Lucky, my mandy only eats tiggers. I ordered some amphipods tho, hopefully he likes those. I don't really use Rod's since my fish likes LRS better, but I'm definitely going to try their Coral Blend.

Nmb · Oct 3, 2018

I have tried several foods and mine will only eat nutramar ova. It seems to be the favorite of all my fish.

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

Sorcha2 said:
Nutremeva ova is what mine eats for a little extra fattening up once or twice a week but I also heavily feed my pods to keep their population higher. I don't have a refugium and he's been doing well for almost 10 months. Admittedly it's a 65g with no other pod eaters.

Well I got a six line that's been with me for 4 years. My refugium is just enough to feed the wrasse and the mandy as long a supplement feed the mandy and regularly feed the six line. I dose Phyto to make sure my pods get their food. I can't get rid of the six line cause he is a great utility fish for my sps tank and he is IMPOSSIBLE to catch anyways. This tank 36x24x12 shallow 45 gallon with a 20 gallon refugium.
However, I'll try Nutramar Ova, people seem to have success.

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

Nmb said:
I have tried several foods and mine will only eat nutramar ova. It seems to be the favorite of all my fish.

I'll try Nutramar Ova, as people seem to have success with it.

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

Ok, so I made a slurry with RN Arcti-pods, PE Calanus, and SFB Fish Eggs.
He spits out the fish eggs, but at least he tried them. Usually he ignores the food.
I can't tell if he's eating the calanus because they're the same color as arcti-pods. I'm hoping he ate some.
He eats the arcti- pods, which is good. Sort of expensive, but they will last A LOT longer than tiggers, which he pretty much ate the whole bottle in a day.
One food that he does love that I tried is Rod's Coral Blend. Cheapest option available and such a great food for him.
I learned that he loves the color orange and red, so foods within that color spectrum is good.
Rod's Coral Blend will be my #1 option however, he eats it better than the LRS fish eggs. Last a long time too, very cost effective.
Next step is to add mysis to the mix.

Apotack · Oct 3, 2018

Check out the Paul B feeder

Earl Karl · Oct 3, 2018

I've seen the Paul B Feeder a long time ago when I was breeding mandarins. However, I find it a hassle. I just turn off my vortechs (back then I didn't have to do that since I was breeding them and barely had flow) and put it in a dead spot with a baster.

After adding selcon, he now eats the SFB fish eggs.

Should have added selcon in the first place. Now I'm gonna try mysis.

Reef Nutrition · Oct 11, 2018

Earl Karl said:
So I've kept this certain mandarin for a year now, and he is the most pickiest eater I have ever seen. Doesn't touch tisbe pods. He only eats tiggers and surprisingly LRS fish eggs. However, I ran out of LRS Fish eggs and now he got a bit skinny. And the lfs that I work at doesn't sell them. He eats a whole bottle of tiggers in a week, which is too expensive. Luckily I have a refugium, but it's almost enough to feed him for the day, but not enough. One supplement feeding will keep him happy and fat (remember I've been doing this for a year, I know his personality and such). I asked my coworkers about this, and so far, they suggested PE Calanus, San Francisco Bay Fish Eggs, Reef Nutrition Arcti-pods, and brine shrimp.
Do you guys have experience with these foods with mandarins? He completely ignores mysis. Trust me, he's really picky.
If there is any other food out there, please list it and tell me about your experience.
If anything, I will try special ordering LRS fish eggs if I have too, but trying new foods that my store already sells is more convenient in the long run.

Our pelleted food, TDO Chroma BOOST, is being used as another diet option for mandarins. The palatability is one of it's most powerful attributes. It's a diet that is currently being applied in aquaculture, especially by clownfish breeders. You can feed it to fish and corals. Thanks for supporting us!

Chad

DSC reef · Oct 11, 2018

Reef Nutrition said:
Our pelleted food, TDO Chroma BOOST, is being used as another diet option for mandarins. The palatability is one of it's most powerful attributes. It's a diet that is currently being applied in aquaculture, especially by clownfish breeders. You can feed it to fish and corals. Thanks for supporting us!

Chad

Our mandarins absolutely loved this stuff!