Mandarin Question

smlarson72 · Feb 28, 2020

I am thinking about getting a Mandarin and everything I’ve read says they need copepods. My question is how do you keep a steady supply so that they don’t starve? I’ve been going back and forth on getting one but I really like they way they look.

ndrwater · Feb 28, 2020

How old is the tank? If under a year, don't do it.. there aren't enough pods or similar life to keep a Mandarin fed. Also, how big is the tank? If you are in a small tank, the Mandarin will decimate the pod population in no time. They are definitely NOT a beginner fish. Unfortunately, they are relatively cheap and readily available.

smlarson72 · Feb 28, 2020

It is about 3 months old right now and 60 gallons. We are in the process of putting up a 100 gallon but I want that one to be a predator tank. I’ve noticed that they are everywhere and haven’t wanted to jump into getting one because I was worried I would do it more harm than good.

Clownfish2 · Feb 28, 2020

I would recommend choosing a different fish and not a mandarin until your rock is a couple years old and has plenty of microfauna and Copepods on it.

lolmatt · Feb 28, 2020

I have raised two biota captive bred mandarins in a nuvo 10 (separately, a year apart, female then male) feeding reef nutrition refrigerated prepared foods. Both ate copepod max and PE calanus as well. They've moved to my 180, I never really see them eat but they're both fat and healthy in a tank with 10 wrasses and I've never seen a pod in the display.

Pricey, but worth it for an otherwise inaccessible fish. Got both of mine from @PacificEastAquaculture

William Mumford · Feb 28, 2020

Some eat mysis and brine shrimp but they enjoy and truly need pods. Some will only eat pods. You can buy them and add them all the time. You can culture them your self. You can hopefully get a good enough population by adding them to your sump and have them reproduce and not get hunted there. It can get very pricey this way I sell them for 15 a bottle and recommend that people raise there own.

smlarson72 · Feb 28, 2020

William Mumford said:
Some eat mysis and brine shrimp but they enjoy and truly need pods. Some will only eat pods. You can buy them and add them all the time. You can culture them your self. You can hopefully get a good enough population by adding them to your sump and have them reproduce and not get hunted there. It can get very pricey this way I sell them for 15 a bottle and recommend that people raise there own.

I had heard you could add them to your sump and they will reproduce there.

OrionN · Feb 29, 2020

60 gal is borderline size for a Mandarin. If you want one you must avoid adding food competitors of Mandarin. Most of the wrasse that are used to control pest need to be avoid. Leopards also are not good tank mate of mandarin in small tanks. Fortunately fairy and flasher wrasse are fine. Small Angels should be avoid also.
you should have refugium and should have tank that are “pod friendly” substrates piles that are coarse with plenty of crooks and crannies that pods can live in and hid from predators. I have piles of small bivalve shells in the tank, on top of the sand. These piles provide perfect environment and protection for pods (until they venture out and be eaten by your Mandarin).
Using these rough guidelines I was able to keep a fat mandarin in a 28 gal cube for many years. This tank only have Crocea clam, small Magnifica, p pair of snowflakes clowns, a marine Beta and a male Mandarin.

I do not think how long a tank have been up have much bearing on it’s suitability for Mandarin, but how Pods friendly is of utmost important. Pods reproduce really fast so the pod population reach equilibrium quickly. No need to wait for years for this to happen.