Mandarine question

[recess62]

I know these are picky eaters and prefer copapods. I have a bio cube 29 with a Refugium which I have seeded with copapods How frequently would people suggest I restock the tank with fresh copapods? I was thinking once a month. Is this too long?

 

[Cment]

Hard to tell, keep an eye on the mandarian if it becomes skinny that's a good indicator. How big is the fuge? IMO I feel these guys need at least a 75g tank with a large fuge for long term success. Not saying it can't be done and hasn't, but it becomes difficult over time to keep them healthy. I would look into culturing your own pods and add them every week. It's not that hard and a lot easier on your wallet. In a tank that size, mandarians can knock the pod population out pretty quick. I would try and add pods every 2 weeks if culturing your own is out of the question

 

[Shep]

It depends how how many you stock it with and how well they survive in the tank. Assuming your tank is stable, has lots of live rock and the pods are added at night, I think once a month should be ok

 

[Baby Ray]

You could always try to find one at your LFS that eats frozen foods. I am waiting for one at my LFS right now

 

[YoCamron]

i got mine to eat mysis. but even feeding mysis twice a day isnt enough sometimes, so i put copepods in the tank once every 2 weeks

 

[shoelaceike]

You can culture your own and then add whenever you want.... It is very easy.

 

[Shep]

You could always try to find one at your LFS that eats frozen foods. I am waiting for one at my LFS right now

To be honest, I would not count on that, very rarely lasts or even works well enough to keep the fish alive. If you get one plan on having to supply pods.

 

[malira]

You can also feed brine shrimp and put them in a feeder. Paul B feeds his mandarin and copperband that way.

 

[Baby Ray]

To be honest, I would not count on that, very rarely lasts or even works well enough to keep the fish alive. If you get one plan on having to supply pods.

If I do get a mandarin that eats frozen foods I will make sure to target feed him a least once a day and spike the tank with pods every month

 

[horseplay]

Your mandarin will not have enough pods to eat unless you keep your tank dirty so the pods have something to eat. You can feed phyto and grow algae so the tank will have a suitable environment for pods to multiply. Buying pod for feed the mandarin is not be viable long term.

 

[malira]

Check out Paul B and his brine shrimp feeder. I've got the brine shrimp started tonight and I am setting the brine shrimp feeder tomorrow.

Instead of a tape case I am using a spice jar lid and panty hose glued on top. It's for my 10g nano.

 

[malira]

I know these are picky eaters and prefer copapods. I have a bio cube 29 with a Refugium which I have seeded with copapods How frequently would people suggest I restock the tank with fresh copapods? I was thinking once a month. Is this too long?

Here is the link to the feeder.

I will use this to supplement the pods.

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

 

[moulton1853]

Check out Paul B and his brine shrimp feeder. I've got the brine shrimp started tonight and I am setting the brine shrimp feeder tomorrow.

Instead of a tape case I am using a spice jar lid and panty hose glued on top. It's for my 10g nano.

Careful about the spice jar lid. I wouldn't recommend using anything material that will rust.

 

[malira]

Careful about the spice jar lid. I wouldn't recommend using anything material that will rust.

It's a plastic lid.

 

[Baby Ray]

Your mandarin will not have enough pods to eat unless you keep your tank dirty so the pods have something to eat. You can feed phyto and grow algae so the tank will have a suitable environment for pods to multiply. Buying pod for feed the mandarin is not be viable long term.

I would put most of the pods in the sump that is VERY dirty. I would also introduce them at night to increase their chance to live. I would probably add phyto every once and a while also.

 

[sundog101]

I have a mandarin in my biocube with PaulBs feeder. I would also get some white worms. There really easy to culture and mandarins love them.

 

[Tahoe61]

Your typical brine shrimp are not gut loaded and will probably not provide adequate nutrition. Brine shrimp is like pop corn, not a lot of nutritional benefits unless gut loaded.
PaulB's tank is larger and very established with significant algae growth, the mandarins are able to pick and choose., I believe he also feeds worms.

Feed your zooplankton (pods) phytoplankton to increase their populations, provide a chaeto ball or other algae area for the zooplankton to inhabit.
Mandarins feed only on smaller zooplankton types and they eat all day long, constantly, not all pods will provide a food source.

Avoid adding other fish such as Wrasses that will compete for zooplankton.

I have seen a lot of fat and happy Mandarins in smaller tanks, but they are exception not the rule.

Good Luck

 

[malira]

Your typical brine shrimp are not gut loaded and will probably not provide adequate nutrition. Brine shrimp is like pop corn, not a lot of nutritional benefits unless gut loaded.
PaulB's tank is larger and very established with significant algae growth, the mandarins are able to pick and choose., I believe he also feeds worms.

Feed your zooplankton (pods) phytoplankton to increase their populations, provide a chaeto ball or other algae area for the zooplankton to inhabit.
Mandarins feed only on smaller zooplankton types and they eat all day long, constantly, not all pods will provide a food source.

Avoid adding other fish such as Wrasses that will compete for zooplankton.

I have seen a lot of fat and happy Mandarins in smaller tanks, but they are exception not the rule.

Good Luck

If you feed newly hatched, then they do provide nutrients. Brine shrimp are easy and cheap to do.

Also gut loading isn't hard.
But what I plan to do is once my ruby red dragonet starts to eat from the feeder I will then slowly introduce frozen brine on top of the feeder. Then gradually introduce other more beneficial frozen food sources on top of the feeder. All the while replenishing the pod population.

Eventually he will be moved to my son's 90g tank. Probably in a year.

 

[JaihWill]

I have a mandarin in my biocube with PaulBs feeder. I would also get some white worms. There really easy to culture and mandarins love them.

What kind of net did you use? I am in the process of building one but the netting seems too large.

Also where'd you order your white worms from?

 

[sundog101]

The net is a nylon stocking. I ordered the white worms from angelsplus.com. They come as a small starter culture. I used an old ice cream tub filled with soil to hold them. You can feed them dry cat food or instant mashed potatoe flakes. Also it took my mandarin a while to realize that food was in the feeder. I started dropping white worms on top of the feeder and eventually he started eating from it. Hope this helps