Would like to have a mandarin in my 55 gallon reef. NO SUMP, 5 large fish,(pajama card, yellow hog, falco hawk, black sailfin, 2 clowns, and large snapper shrimp. Added 16oz copepods. Will I need to feed every month, 6 months, or will they reproduce?
Mandarin?
- Thread starter BKLYN651
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I would suggest finding a captive bred mandarin, from Biota. You would need to add them pretty consistently in a 55 (every couple weeks probably) with a wild mandarin. The CB is worth the price. Also I won't be the tang police today, but they might say something about having a black/sailfin in a 55g.
Miller535
Valuable Member
I recall being told that you need to have a 100+ gallon tank or large attached refugium to support a mandarin and NOT have to keep constantly adding them. I do not know this from person experience, just what I have been told.
I would also recommend buying a captive bred mandarin, with the understanding that captive bred or not, it's main nutrition still should be pods. Getting a mandarin to eat prepared food is like getting a tang to eat mysis. Sure it'll eat it, but it is not it's natural food source and it won't meet it's nutrition needs long term.
I would also recommend buying a captive bred mandarin, with the understanding that captive bred or not, it's main nutrition still should be pods. Getting a mandarin to eat prepared food is like getting a tang to eat mysis. Sure it'll eat it, but it is not it's natural food source and it won't meet it's nutrition needs long term.
NYCMikeM3
Community Member
For what it’s worth I think a captive bred mandarin is worth it. I bought one (captive bred) about 10months ago... when he came, he was an itty bitty baby (tbh I was kind of ticked — I thought they should have indicated it was a baby). Based on how particular mandarins are in general, plus his ultra small size, I was very concerned he wouldn’t make it.
10 months later I’m happy to say “Baby Buzz” is doing super well and grown a ton. He’ll retain the name “baby buzz” regardless of his age though.
I feed him “Dragon Roe” from algae barn (and also frozen cyclops). I will tell you I tried the route of keeping an active pod population in my refugium (I have a Red Sea reefer 350). For the first 8 months I will admit I purchased (monthly) live pods + live phytoplankton to feed the pods. I also grew Chaeto & bought one of those “Pod Hotels” to try and keep an active population of pods...
I don’t think it really worked. Between getting past the skimmer, bubble trap and return pump I can’t say I ever felt comfortable that any pods were getting to the main tank. Maybe they were, but since I couldn’t see any (and I was paranoid about the little guy starving to death despite being captive bred), I spent probably $120-$150/month on live pods and phytoplankton.
I should mention that before baby buzz, I had a wild mandarin (who very sadly did die.. it was impossible to buy enough live pods to feed him with everyone else gobbling them up too).
All that said I’d recap my experiences as follows:
- wild mandarin starved to death despite a fortune in live pods
- captive bred was terrifyingly small (deck stacked against him, or so I thought)
- to be cautious I started him with live pods also. But he’s been super content/happy/cute eating the frozen cyclops & “dragon roe”
...I would never risk getting a wild one after my experience. Especially since Baby Buzz has been an A+ addition to the tank.
best of luck!!
10 months later I’m happy to say “Baby Buzz” is doing super well and grown a ton. He’ll retain the name “baby buzz” regardless of his age though.
I feed him “Dragon Roe” from algae barn (and also frozen cyclops). I will tell you I tried the route of keeping an active pod population in my refugium (I have a Red Sea reefer 350). For the first 8 months I will admit I purchased (monthly) live pods + live phytoplankton to feed the pods. I also grew Chaeto & bought one of those “Pod Hotels” to try and keep an active population of pods...
I don’t think it really worked. Between getting past the skimmer, bubble trap and return pump I can’t say I ever felt comfortable that any pods were getting to the main tank. Maybe they were, but since I couldn’t see any (and I was paranoid about the little guy starving to death despite being captive bred), I spent probably $120-$150/month on live pods and phytoplankton.
I should mention that before baby buzz, I had a wild mandarin (who very sadly did die.. it was impossible to buy enough live pods to feed him with everyone else gobbling them up too).
All that said I’d recap my experiences as follows:
- wild mandarin starved to death despite a fortune in live pods
- captive bred was terrifyingly small (deck stacked against him, or so I thought)
- to be cautious I started him with live pods also. But he’s been super content/happy/cute eating the frozen cyclops & “dragon roe”
...I would never risk getting a wild one after my experience. Especially since Baby Buzz has been an A+ addition to the tank.
best of luck!!
Use mandarin feeder and you dont have to worry as much if you have enough pods.
www.reef2reef.com
www.saltwatersmarts.com
Thoughts on mandarins
Mandarins are not like most fish we keep. Their digestive system is more like a seahorse or pipefish. They don't have a real stomach and can not store food as we, and most fish can. You can tell how often a fish has to eat by the size of it's mouth. A mandarin has a tiny mouth which is not...
www.reef2reef.com
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…
www.saltwatersmarts.com
NowGlazeIT
Happy to help, Ask away.
Mandarin feeder
That yellow/orange one at 9 sec looks like Ricordea florida. Unless I'm looking at the wrong one
Miller535
Valuable Member
Use mandarin feeder and you dont have to worry as much if you have enough pods.
Thoughts on mandarins
Mandarins are not like most fish we keep. Their digestive system is more like a seahorse or pipefish. They don't have a real stomach and can not store food as we, and most fish can. You can tell how often a fish has to eat by the size of it's mouth. A mandarin has a tiny mouth which is not...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…
That feeder is genius
Yes, that is a Ricordea! The sailfin is a lawnmower, not black as I first said.
Thanks for info and video on feeder. I think I will pass on a mandarin!
I apologize, I thought you were saying you had a sailfin tang in there not a blenny! Sorry about that. Your corals look great
Uncle99
10K Club member
I keep this mandarin 3 years in a 65g with a YT, a BT, clowns pair, gramma, anthais
I too have no sump.
I do not supplement PODS. Mature tank and he’s the only exclusive pod eater.
Beezwax404
Community Member
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ive had a mandarin in my 29 gal biocube with 15 gallon sump for over 6 months., he has grown alot and is fat. i have a steady supply of munnid isopods but i think he mainly eats blood worms/brine shrimp/mysis
This guy trains wild mandarins and does not sell them until they reliably eat frozen mysis.
www.aquacorals.com
Blue (Green) Mandarin Dragonets for sale at AquaCorals!
Welcome to AquaCorals! The largest Tank Raised Soft Coral Aquaculture facility in the US! Over 100 Soft Coral species are grown on "Real Rock" here
This is a good read. I'm currently taking care of a baby buzz. He's eating frozen cyclops. He's also living in a breeder box.
Assuming yours doesn't live in a breeder box, how confident are you that the frozen cyclops feedings are making it to the fish ?
