MANDARINS- ANYONE HAVE SUCCESS WITH THEM

[dark waters]

I didn't read al these posts but mandarin problems seem to be a common theme on many forums. I really don't know why there are so many problems with this fish as they are an easy fish to keep and spawn if you just allow them to eat like they were supposed to eat. I also see that so many people spend so much on tiger pods and that is an expensive meal. A healthy mandarin will eat an entire bottle of those in an hour. Brine shrimp eggs are so cheap and easy. I have been spawning mandarins for decades and they just require a little different feeding methods than many fish but I di feed my pipefish, and ruby reds the same way and they are all spawning.
If you just let the mandarins eat natural pods in your tank, and your tank is not old or large, they may live a few years, but they will never be healthy enough to spawn and a healthy mandarin is a spawning mandarin because they spawn constantly. Here is an article I wrote about feeding them.
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

And a video

Thank you for your post.... you are saying that they are successful in a young and small tank? Going to read the article in a bit... funny... I dosed my sump with three types of pods and dose phyto.... my tanks 300 gal and 75 is super populated.... if you are a breeder of these beautiful animals where have you been? lol.... thank you for your input wish you posted about 12 pages earlier.... lol....

 

[dark waters]

@Paul B ... hey there ....great article.... i think it your post you meant to say having a old tank and large tank.....in your article it says your old tank houses the mandys well.... I like your dosing technique but it is not pretty lol... but as a breeder you have an excellent concept....hope your info helps someone who loves the mandys....

 

[dark waters]

UPDATE...ON MOHAWK THE MANDY....this guy is doing great... I chose a laid back and sexy type of environment for him.... the beautiful flame algae houses the pods along with the small piles of rock rumble...plus the macro algae help process waste....not to mention it looks good... I call the big wine glass he eats pods out of his refrigerator lmbo I only dose phyto to keep my tanks pod population strong....also I don't change to much water at one time....this kills to many of the pods imo.....

 

[Dextereef]

I feed add one bottle of reef nutrition tigger pods once a month and a couple times a year I will buy a bag of live copepods to seed the tank and sump/refugium. I personally do not like to add the lionshare of the pods to the sump as I believe they dont have a good chance to live going through the return pump.

 

[dark waters]

Mandy fuge update.... finally the last step.... I just need to some type of substrate that goes well with the beautiful macro algae.....

 

[dark waters]

I feed add one bottle of reef nutrition tigger pods once a month and a couple times a year I will buy a bag of live copepods to seed the tank and sump/refugium. I personally do not like to add the lionshare of the pods to the sump as I believe they dont have a good chance to live going through the return pump.

Good point thanks for sharing.... luckily mine caught on.... also we lose pods with skimmers and filter bags...the keys is to have sooo many that they breed regularly I think....

 

[Dextereef]

Good point thanks for sharing.... luckily mine caught on.... also we lose pods with skimmers and filter bags...the keys is to have sooo many that they breed regularly I think....

I'm sure we lose some to skimmers but I don't think they can wipe out a population. Personally I got all the pods out of my socks (when I had them). No socks any longer. Some critics are against or favor one type of pod or another, but I have had success with all types as long as you shut off all pumps/powerheads when you add them to the tank. This way they have time to get to the rock, algae, whatever before they get sucked down the overflow or a pump. Good luck!

 

[Paul B]

Thank you for your post.... you are saying that they are successful in a young and small tank? Going to read the article in a bit... funny... I dosed my sump with three types of pods and dose phyto.... my tanks 300 gal and 75 is super populated.... if you are a breeder of these beautiful animals where have you been? lol.... thank you for your input wish you posted about 12 pages earlier.... lol....

I have been spawning them for years but I don't raise them. All my paired fish spawn and If I wanted a full time job, I would raise them. But I don't want to do that. I am happy just to know they are spawning.

 

[dark waters]

I have been spawning them for years but I don't raise them. All my paired fish spawn and If I wanted a full time job, I would raise them. But I don't want to do that. I am happy just to know they are spawning.

Oh cool I understand.... thanks for sharing your knowledge though....

 

[dark waters]

I'm sure we lose some to skimmers but I don't think they can wipe out a population. Personally I got all the pods out of my socks (when I had them). No socks any longer. Some critics are against or favor one type of pod or another, but I have had success with all types as long as you shut off all pumps/powerheads when you add them to the tank. This way they have time to get to the rock, algae, whatever before they get sucked down the overflow or a pump. Good luck!

Yep...that seems to be the concensus.... thanks for sharing....

 

[reynaldoramon]

Oh cool I understand.... thanks for sharing your knowledge though....

Maybe you don't know, but Paul B is basically a legend in the saltwater community.

 

[dark waters]

Maybe you don't know, but Paul B is basically a legend in the saltwater community.

I truly don't know why my comment of thanks for sharing your knowledge warranted this comment.....please explain.... I made this post to help people come together who really like the mandys...so a LEGEND bringing solid knowledge is great..... like I said earlier in this post I don't get into the cheerleading and polotics...get what really works... if it was easy for mandys to be kept then so many would not be sold starving.....

 

[reynaldoramon]

Didn't mean anything horrible by it. I just said it because it didn't seem like you knew who he was, and thought you'd appreciate knowing. That's all. No harm, no foul meant.

 

[dark waters]

Didn't mean anything horrible by it. I just said it because it didn't seem like you knew who he was, and thought you'd appreciate knowing. That's all. No harm, no foul meant.

Truly understand..... no worries

 

[Paul B]

OK, lets stop this legend stuff. I am a bald, old fish geek

 

[dark waters]

OK, lets stop this legend stuff. I am a bald, old fish geek

Lol...to funny....But I agree...thanks for sharing that is what it is all about sir...

 

[Maritimer]

OK, lets stop this legend stuff. I am a bald, old fish geek

Ahh, but a bald, old fish geek surrounded by supermodels is nothing short of legendary! (~_^)

~Bruce

 

[dark waters]

lol ... it is so ironic that we are talking about mandarins that starve in captivity most of the time and Paul B is being praised for being in the company of supermodels that starve themselves lol..... America's since of human beauty sucks on every levels...

Ahh, but a bald, old fish geek surrounded by supermodels is nothing short of legendary! (~_^)

~Bruce

 

[dark waters]

Update on MOHAWK....looking amazing....

 

[Paul B]

I have been trying to build a feeder for Supermodels but it seems they can survive by just spraying them with a little chicken soup once or twice a day.