I don't agree with the only way to have a mandarin is to have a second tank setup to culture pods. Before I got my mandarin I had a healthy breeding population of pods, when I bought mine I also bought a 500 pack of pods to add some diversity. Since getting the mandarin he has fattened up nicely and my pod population seems to have exploded. I check every night to see how my pods are doing and every time they are crawling on the glass, sand, rocks literally every where! Mandarins will constantly feed and I observe mine feeding every couple of seconds, so they do need lots of pods.
I do feel that the best way to keep a mandarin is to get it eating frozen, but it isn't a necessity. I would buy some packs of pods and stock your tank, give them a month or so to start breeding before you introduce the mandarin. As stated it is best to not have any other fish that will eat pods. If you don't have a sump then build up some rocks/shells in a corner to give the pods a place to hide and do their thing. Also having very porous rock gives them a place to hide and breed as well.
Just take your time and make sure you have a large pod population before introducing the mandarin. You can also look for a mandarin that is already eating frozen but as stated earlier there is no guarantee that when you get it, it will continue to eat frozen. You need to be prepared to stock pods if you see your population falling or if the mandarin won't eat frozen foods. Good luck and as always research, then research some more and GO SLOW!
