Prep for Mandarin?

[govolsguy31]

I would love to keep a Mandarin. I've put the research time in on reading about their feeding habits and number of pods they can consume in a day. Some folks have success with getting them to eat mysis or brine shrimp, but this appears to be the exception, not the norm. I have a 90G DT with a 20G sump, no fuge. The sump is setup as three chambers, simply moving left to right. Chamber 1 has the drain hose with filter sock and skimmer in it. Chamber two is a narrow chamber (6" or so) that was originally for bio-balls. I have some filter floss currently in there. Third chamber is the largest and holds the return pump and two heaters.

Would the middle chamber work ok for a "makeshift" refugium? Is the best thing to do to prep for getting a mandarin at some point is to put some cheato in there and a pod population? Also, there is no light currently in my cabinet where the sump is. I'm guessing I need to get one and put on a timer once I get cheato in there, or can that stay in the dark?

Any other tips to preparing for getting a mandarin? I do have one solaris wrasse in the tank as well. Will he compete for pods with him?

Thanks guys and gals!

 

[Mike_J]

The makeshift fuge in the middle chamber would certainly suffice. Like you said, I would throw some chaeto in there and seed with some pods. Let that pod population really explode and then wait even longer before adding a mandarin. Plan on it only eating pods but certainly trying to train it to eat frozen mysis or even better, brine (tiny mouths) would be good to supplement the diet. Even still, pods should be the primary source of food. Seeding the colony of pods every so often is highly recommended. A light source will of course be needed to sustain the chaeto. I picked up an LED from Home Depot which is plenty for the purposes of a refugium. Keep on an alternate light schedule from your DT to help with PH stabilization. Keep in mind that the mandarin will compete for pods, as a lot of fish will pick at pods, some more than others, the wrasse too. Good luck!

 

[govolsguy31]

The makeshift fuge in the middle chamber would certainly suffice. Like you said, I would throw some chaeto in there and seed with some pods. Let that pod population really explode and then wait a even longer before adding a mandarin. Plan on it only eating pods but certainly trying to train it to eat frozen mysis or even better, brine (tiny mouths) would be good to supplement the diet. Even still, pods should be the primary source of food. Seeding the colony of pods every so often is highly recommended. A light source will of course be needed to sustain the chaeto. I picked up an LED from Home Depot which is plenty for the purposes of a refugium. Keep on an alternate light schedule from your DT to help with PH stabilization. Keep in mind that the mandarin will compete for pods, as a lot of fish will pick at pods, some more than others, the wrasse too. Good luck!

Thanks! Good info!

Is there any concern with mechanical filtration (the filter sock, for instance) that gets changed every three days or so, of pulling the pods out? How do you go about maintenance on that?

 

[Dvara78]

I did the same....Added a fuge with chaeto and seeding that with pods.

I then waited a month before adding the mandarin.

Luckily my mandarin begin eating frozen foods and pellets after a month in the tank

 

[Saltine]

Thanks! Good info!

Is there any concern with mechanical filtration (the filter sock, for instance) that gets changed every three days or so, of pulling the pods out? How do you go about maintenance on that?

Unfortunately I've killed my fair share of pods. It gets to the point where they are all over and in your socks... not much you can do, I just throw mine in the washer with some bleach.

Salt