Mandarin in 10 g

[Luke B]

I’ve had my 10 gallon softy dominated nano running for just shy of a year now (Will be a year at the end of February).

I know mandarins are constantly pecking at pods and need a large supply to be able to sustain themselves.

Would it be possible to have a large enough *self sustaining* population of pods to be able to support the mandarin? The tank has a small fuge at the back with cheato as well as quite a large rock structure. There are currently 2 clowns living happily in the tank but I would rehome them if I was to purchase a mandarin.

Any advice would be much appreciated

 

[muzikalmatt]

It can certainly be done, but I don't think you would be able to have a large enough "self sustaining" population of pods in that small of a tank. You would have to replenish the pods periodically to keep him fed. You'd be surprised how quickly these little guys can deplete the pod population, even with a refugium. A better plan would be to try and find a captive bred mandarin that you have witnessed eating prepared foods (or even frozen if you can't get one that eats pellets of flakes).

 

[jrill]

Get captive bred and just feed pellets and frozen

 

[DE FISH]

10g no way in my opinion its cruel however it’s your tank your choice. Just think about the fishes needs and wether you can provide it what it needs in a tank that size.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I kept one in an Evo BUT I bred copepods and was able to dose 1000 or 2000 weekly along with 5 time a day feedings.
Forgot to mention it was biota

 

[3429810]

I have a wild caught one that I trained to eat frozen. Had him in my coral qt to start because I had tons of pods in there and within a week I got him on frozen. Tried mashed up blood worms at first and that didn’t work so I got frozen mysis and mashed them up into small bits then target fed him with the flow off. Slowly got him eating lrs nano and now he just goes after big chunks of the regular lrs when I feed the tank. I’m not sure if I got lucky but everyone I read that had success with training them on frozen did some minor variation or the same as what I did. Randomly him and my lawnmower blenny are best friends and hang out and even sleep next to each other some nights lol.

 

[Luke B]

Thanks for all the advice. Even if I was to get one eating frozen/prepared foods I wouldnt have the time to give it enough feedings a day.
Think I’ll wait until I have the budget for a bigger setup that i can get running before I try the mandarin.

 

[davidcalgary29]

It's possible to do this with a captive-bred specimen in an Evo -- if you keep macroalgae in the display or turn one of the chambers into a "refugium" and cultivate macro in there. My mandarin accepted mysis and did well in the Evo, but depleted the visible 'pod population before I put halymenia in the tank. Halymenia provides an excellent nursery for all sorts of microbial life, and it's exponentially easier to cultivate copepods if you also cultivate macroaglae.

 

[Jekyl]

I don't think it's a good idea unless you culture your own pods. They eat too much to be self sustained, 10g is too small all together also. Mine never stops moving until the lights go out. While some mat be able to get them to eat prepared foods, mine never has shown interest. It's not what they're meant to eat.

 

[DE FISH]

Thanks for all the advice. Even if I was to get one eating frozen/prepared foods I wouldnt have the time to give it enough feedings a day.
Think I’ll wait until I have the budget for a bigger setup that i can get running before I try the mandarin.

Good decision bud can always tell what a person is like by the way they treat their animals

 

[SlugSnorter]

I’ve had my 10 gallon softy dominated nano running for just shy of a year now (Will be a year at the end of February).

I know mandarins are constantly pecking at pods and need a large supply to be able to sustain themselves.

Would it be possible to have a large enough *self sustaining* population of pods to be able to support the mandarin? The tank has a small fuge at the back with cheato as well as quite a large rock structure. There are currently 2 clowns living happily in the tank but I would rehome them if I was to purchase a mandarin.

Any advice would be much appreciated

its possible, but not *self sustaining* in a tank that small.