Mandarin help.
- Thread starter Jeremy Minervini
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DIY Target Feeder for Mandarinfish (and Pipefish)
We as aquarists tend to keep all sorts of creatures in our tanks, and some of them present a challenge to feed. We know what fish eat, and we know how fish eat, but sometimes the fish’s schedule do…
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jerrod
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Ive had luck training them in a small breeder/frag tank where they are the only fish. I just cut brine up pretty fine then shut off all pumps and after about a week they usually will eat the brine. I have not had luck with feeding them pellets. To augment the copepods and fine cut brine I will also add Cyclops can o pods to help fatten them up till going into the display. These were captive bred and I'm pretty sure thats why I've been lucky.
NS Mike D
In the arena.
I made sure mine ate frozen in the LFS before I pulled the trigger, but when I put him/her in the tank, it was a lost cause since other fish ate the food too quickly.
Over time I developed this following routine
1. thawed a cube of brine and a cube of mysis in a small container with tank water. Mysis can be too big and brine is not as nutritious. I also at times add Reef Nutrition R.O.E as the Mandarin gobbles them up.
2. I turn off all pumps (this is programmed into my apex feed cycle)
3. I note the location of the mandarin
4. The fish recognize when I have my Julius Thing ( reef tank turkey baster) and circle at the top of the tank where I then dose two good squirts of food to start the frenzy
5. I feed the cleaner shrimp directing it away from the mandarin and my nem
6. I then squirt the mandarin
7. I quick squirt at the top to decoy the fish again
8. I spot feed the nem
9. I dump and rinse the container into the tank
10. The mandarin can pick off the food on the bottom for 20 minutes while all pumps are off
11. The DT pumps come on after 20 minutes to kick food as much as possible in to suspension for the coral. The clowns and chromis continue to feed the water column aggressively.
12. 10 minutes later the sump pumps come back on to remove any uneaten food.
This routine has turned into a mandarin life saver as I had to rip clean my tank and am not able to re-establish pod colonies yet. Absent of the pods, the mandarin has been feeding a lot more aggressively to my relief and surprise. I would say it was. fairly passive eater at feeding time, but once the pods were gone, it got a sense of urgency and now goes to town as soon as the dousing of shrimp arrives.
He/she is doing well and appropriately fat, but not an ideal situation since they really need to a eat small bits all day
Over time I developed this following routine
1. thawed a cube of brine and a cube of mysis in a small container with tank water. Mysis can be too big and brine is not as nutritious. I also at times add Reef Nutrition R.O.E as the Mandarin gobbles them up.
2. I turn off all pumps (this is programmed into my apex feed cycle)
3. I note the location of the mandarin
4. The fish recognize when I have my Julius Thing ( reef tank turkey baster) and circle at the top of the tank where I then dose two good squirts of food to start the frenzy
5. I feed the cleaner shrimp directing it away from the mandarin and my nem
6. I then squirt the mandarin
7. I quick squirt at the top to decoy the fish again
8. I spot feed the nem
9. I dump and rinse the container into the tank
10. The mandarin can pick off the food on the bottom for 20 minutes while all pumps are off
11. The DT pumps come on after 20 minutes to kick food as much as possible in to suspension for the coral. The clowns and chromis continue to feed the water column aggressively.
12. 10 minutes later the sump pumps come back on to remove any uneaten food.
This routine has turned into a mandarin life saver as I had to rip clean my tank and am not able to re-establish pod colonies yet. Absent of the pods, the mandarin has been feeding a lot more aggressively to my relief and surprise. I would say it was. fairly passive eater at feeding time, but once the pods were gone, it got a sense of urgency and now goes to town as soon as the dousing of shrimp arrives.
He/she is doing well and appropriately fat, but not an ideal situation since they really need to a eat small bits all day
Last edited:
Crustaceon
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I’ve had luck training numerous dragonets. Green, red, ruby and target varieties. The easiest method is to use a pipet with all of the pumps off for ten minutes and start with a smaller frozen food like nutrimar ova (if you can find it). I’ve tried arctic pods and in my experience I’ve never had a dragonet eat it. Frozen baby brine shrimp can work but in most cases, you can feed a mandarin normal frozen brine right away. Keep in mind, they’re likely only going to take it from the bottom panel and if no other fish are around them. Try to feed your other fish at the surface and in the opposite corner of the tank. While doing this, take the pipet and squirt 2-3 brine GENTLY in front of the mandarin (maybe 2 inches or so). Keep the pipet perfectly still. If the mandarin doesn’t just scoop the shrimp up, barely squeeze the bulb on the pipet to make the brine move ever so slightly. If they take frozen brine, it’ll be much easier each time after that.
Beezwax404
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Well ive had a mandarin in my 29gal biocube for about 6 months. its grown from 1.25inch to about 3 inches. Since the beginning ive been putting brine shrimp and cyclops in the tank. i never saw him eat it but he did keep getting fatter. about 1 month ago I tried blood worms and actually saw him eat blood worms. Now, twice a day he comes to a little clearing in the sand and I shoot some blood worms/brine shrimp/mysis shrimp and sometimes fish eggs and cyclops and he grazes over it. by morning its always gone. and he is getting fat.
