Mandarin too skinny?

[CindyKz]

I have this mandarin in my 75 gal, with a refugium with cheato and extra LR. As added insurance I had been feeding him Nutramar twice daily, which I recently cut to once daily due partly to my work schedule and partly because I noticed that he wasn't eating the morning feeding anyway. I've been watching him to make sure this hasn't been detrimental to him.

Further bad news, this past week my LFS told me they wouldn't be getting any more Nutramar due to supply issues. Apparently production has stopped again

In the meantime, can the experienced mandarin keepers tell me if you think he's getting too skinny? He looks it to me, but I might be paranoid.

Thanks!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

He looks good Cindy.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Mix a tiny bit of the nutrimar with a tiny bit or another food.
You may need to wean him a bit. He may just gobble it.
Spirulina brine is my main food form hikari.

Have you done the swapping favorite rocks back and forth from the sump? And clump of chato from time to time?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Looks okay, mine looks about the same and I'm also wanting to fat it up.

Mine will eat LRS reef frenzy, but it has a a difficult time with larger chunks. So I'm going to try a "Mandarin diner" similar to the one Marc levenson's has in his video and chop it up into smaller chunks.

 

[CindyKz]

Mix a tiny bit of the nutrimar with a tiny bit or another food.
You may need to wean him a bit. He may just gobble it.
Spirulina brine is my main food form hikari.

Have you done the swapping favorite rocks back and forth from the sump? And clump of chato from time to time?

Thanks Salty!

I've been mixing my remaining Nutramar with Oyster Feast and PE Calanus. He seems to be eating it.

I shake the sponge I keep in the sump into the DT once in a while, but switching rocks out is a great idea I will use

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Looks okay, mine looks about the same and I'm also wanting to fat it up.

Mine will eat LRS reef frenzy, but it has a a difficult time with larger chunks. So I'm going to try a "Mandarin diner" similar to the one Marc levenson's has in his video and chop it up into smaller chunks.

That's a very effective technique.
After a time I became a bit more casual. So they work more on my time. Like training a cat. Easy!!

 

[Flippers4pups]

I've trained one in the past to eat mysis shrimp by target feeding them using a syringe and a long piece of acrylic tubing. Worked very well, but became a chore. Would rather have a feeding diner that I just place in the tank and let it feed as it wanted when it wanted, then remove until next day.

 

[DSC reef]

Thanks for sharing that @Flippers4pups gonna try that for sure.

 

[drtrash]

Try masstick, mine loves it

 

[CindyKz]

Try masstick, mine loves it

This looks like an interesting option. Does it mess up your parameters at all? Looks like it stays in the tank for a while.

A concern with this would be that my other fish (notably my PITA melanarus wrasse) would just outcompete the mandy for it Has that been an issue for you?

 

[drtrash]

Attach to a small rock and place in back where manderin hides and feed tank at same time for distraction, you dont use alot size of a pea

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Lol. I still have the masic sample.

I do just use a turkey baster. But Bubba Fatso does have me trained.

Gratuitous Mandy pic

 

[CindyKz]

Lol. I still have the masic sample.

I do just use a turkey baster. But Bubba Fatso does have me trained.

Gratuitous Mandy pic

Your Mandy is a fatty!

So far I've been using a baster type feeder also. And yes, I am well trained too

But options are good to have, and my mandarin doesn't seem to be as choosy as some.

 

[code4]

Just a thought, you could put it in a small tube, or anything a mandarin can get into that other fish cannot.