Need help getting my Green Mandarin Goby eating!

[Bear Claw]

I've had my Green Mandarin Goby now for 3 weeks. I've noticed she has been eating the food off the bottom instead of when it floats by her. Is that ok? Also how do you get them to come out of hiding?

 

[Mjrenz]

Mandarin gobies typically won’t eat the food you give them. They eat copepods and you need to have a decent population of them in your tank for her to survive and not starve. It’ll take time but once she’s comfortable enough with her surroundings she’ll come out on her own

 

[Bear Claw]

Thank you so much! Very helpful!

 

[Mjrenz]

Thank you so much! Very helpful!

You’re welcome

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

to be honest, they dont really hide, they are out all day searching for pods to eat. They don't have a stomach so they cant get full, they need to eat small amounts constantly all day. If yours is hiding and not coming out to look for pods, then there might be no pods left to eat and it may be starving to death. It is a difficult fish to keep, and needs proper research to care for it properly

 

[dhnguyen]

Need more info about your system. How big is your tank and how long has it been running? How much live rock do you have? Are they new live rocks or established ones?

Mandarins (well dragonets in general) will only feed off the rock and sand surface so letting the food floating in front of them won't help.

What are you feeding her?
You CAN train them to take frozen and even pellets but it takes time and pods to do so.

 

[Bear Claw]

Need more info about your system. How big is your tank and how long has it been running? How much live rock do you have? Are they new live rocks or established ones?

Mandarins (well dragonets in general) will only feed off the rock and sand surface so letting the food floating in front of them won't help.

What are you feeding her?
You CAN train them to take frozen and even pellets but it takes time and pods to do so.

My tank is 32.5 gallons. I don't have any live rock, just dry rock. I've had the tank running for about a month and a half now. I did add some pods about a week and a half ago so she's been eating that and the food I'm feeding my clowns which is LRS Nano reef frenzy frozen food. Thank you!

 

[dhnguyen]

That's a rather small tank for a mandarin but if you can train her to eat frozen and pellets then you might be ok.
try feeding her TDO pellets and frozen bloodworms also.

 

[Bear Claw]

Mandarin gobies typically won’t eat the food you give them. They eat copepods and you need to have a decent population of them in your tank for her to survive and not starve. It’ll take time but once she’s comfortable enough with her surroundings she’ll come out on her own

I added 3000 copepods about 2 weeks ago and she definitely found them. Every time I look at her she's eating LOL. Thank you!

 

[Bear Claw]

I added 3000 copepods about 2 weeks ago and she definitely found them. Every time I look at her she's eating LOL. Thank yo

Mandarin gobies typically won’t eat the food you give them. They eat copepods and you need to have a decent population of them in your tank for her to survive and not starve. It’ll take time but once she’s comfortable enough with her surroundings she’ll come out on her own

She also is very active now and not timid at all

 

[Fish&coral72g]

get copepods they are ment to eat it if you don't want to add in copepods then don't have a dragonet

 

[Bear Claw]

get copepods they are ment to eat it if you don't want to add in copepods then don't have a dragonet

Yeah I have copepods

 

[My1k]

Hi. I have to train my mandarine to eat frozen brine and mysis shrimps. Adding pods on monthly basis just to keep fish busy and healthy. My training was boring and playful but worth it. Every day I feed my fish with a pipette and now my goby loves to eat shrimps.