New Mandarin

[CindyKz]

I added a mandarin to my 75 gal mixed reef. I have a refugium with cheato and a fair amount of live rock. I don't see copepods at night but I see lots of amphipods...I suspect they are there but I just can't see them. I added a bag of Algen Tisbe pods and will either continue to do so on a regular basis or culture my own, I haven't decided yet. The only competition for the pods is a well fed melanarus wrasse.

From what I've read, I *should* be ok as far as all of this goes. I've read about a couple of different feeders I can make if I want to try to train him to eat frozen. I did add Nutramar last night to my regular routine and it looked like he pecked at some but hard to say.

All of that having been said, what warning signs should I look for to indicate that there isn't enough food available?

Thanks R2R...

 

[ngoodermuth]

Sounds like you are off to a great start! You probably will be fine if you seed the copepods every once and a while, and the nutrimar ova is a great idea.

Signs to look for are a pinched stomach, and overall thin body. A starved mandarin will look more like a tadpole, and a healthy one will be nice and plump all around.

Good luck!

 

[CindyKz]

Sounds like you are off to a great start! You probably will be fine if you seed the copepods every once and a while, and the nutrimar ova is a great idea.

Signs to look for are a pinched stomach, and overall thin body. A starved mandarin will look more like a tadpole, and a healthy one will be nice and plump all around.

Good luck!

thank you!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

In addition to the nutrimar , I feed sprulina brine shrimp and pe mysis.

 

[Oceanwave45]

Sounds like you are good to go!! It's my opinion I would buy a bottle of copepods and reintroduce those every 1-2 weeks to ensure you have enough to feed...

I made the same mistake and I ended up starving mine to death

 

[CindyKz]

In addition to the nutrimar , I feed sprulina brine shrimp and pe mysis.

Thanks! I already use PE Mysis so that's easy. Do you put it in some type of feeder or just add it to the rest of your frozen?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I personally turn off the pumps when I feed and feed just a rotating selection of foods.

Its kind of in line with Melevs feedeing station method.
But imo Mandy's are a bit more like cats and do what they want and feed where ever they want.
But after two years or so , at 7pm there's usually a blue face tapping on the glass. (They can see the clock in the kitchen I guess)

 

[CindyKz]

I personally turn off the pumps when I feed and feed just a rotating selection of foods.

Its kind of in line with Melevs feedeing station method.
But imo Mandy's are a bit more like cats and do what they want and feed where ever they want.
But after two years or so , at 7pm there's usually a blue face tapping on the glass. (They can see the clock in the kitchen I guess)

Too funny....mine all know what time I get home from work. I think they hear my car pull up

 

[Dizzirn]

I have a male Mandarin named Andy and a Panamic Barnacle Blenny named Lipstick... I hand feed them from a pipette... mysis shrimp and sprulina shrimp... they come right up to me... I also turn my pump off while feeding... and yes they know my schedule too

 

[Mkus]

I just got a 1" captive bred one eats all frozen food cute fish!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I just got a 1" captive bred one eats all frozen food cute fish!

Awww.

 

[Oceanwave45]

I just got a 1" captive bred one eats all frozen food cute fish!

I am looking at getting a new one - where did you get yours? Also how did you know that he/she ate frozen? Because mine didn't and that's how he died.

 

[Dizzirn]

 

[jaws789832]

Algae Barn sells captive bred mandys, and they do eat frozen (at least mine did). The picture above is a female. The males have a really long spike coming off the dorsal fin.

 

[Oceanwave45]

Algae Barn sells captive bred mandys, and they do eat frozen (at least mine did). The picture above is a female. The males have a really long spike coming off the dorsal fin.

Aweeee

 

[Mkus]

Im in Ct but the store I got mine from gets them from Florida

 

[Mkus]

My good friend works at this store he was feeding them and the captive bred coral beauties which were about an 1 1/4

 

[justmee]

I've been always afraid of having a mandarin after several unsuccessful tries with these mystic fishes, until I got married and my wife wanted one... man was I happy that I listened to my wife. The first time feeding them was with mysis shrimp held with a large tweezer about an inch away from it, lucky it ate off the tweezer like crazy. After doing that for a month, I starved it for 2 Days, and I noticed it started eating pellets which I feed my other fishes. Oh man I couldn't believe my eyes, I had to take a second look, it actually ate all my pellets on my sand bed. Now, I just switch off feeding mysis and pellets, and now it's fat as a pig. To my experience, I think the best bet is to buy a mature good sized one that is about 2 inch long, cause the small ones are really hard to succeed with. I don't know maybe I was just lucky and got a good one. Anyways, wish you luck. Anyways, here's a picture of mine lounging on one of my chalice coral:

 

[MockandRoll]

I used the Paul B mandarin feeder and BBS. Works great.

 

[Harris3005]

Algae Barn sells captive bred mandys, and they do eat frozen (at least mine did). The picture above is a female. The males have a really long spike coming off the dorsal fin.

Which picture are you talking about? I don't see a picture of a female on this thread? The spike will come as it grows. Females fin looks totally different, almost like a small crown.

My mandarins eat pretty much anything, feeding time is always fun, I've just fed some pellets in this video: