Spotted Mandarin Dragonet

[MohrReefs]

I recently obtained a spotted mandarin a few days ago. I'm well aware they are difficult fish but I'm determined to have one. It was eating fine when I first got it. Pecking at copepods non stop. So far I've added about 2 8oz bottles of pods. 1 being tigger pods (mistake since they float to the surface) and now tisbe pods. I have a phytoplankton and copepod breeding kit on the way. I'm committed to not starve this little lady. I'm even attempting to target feed mysis shrimp about 2 times a day to hopefully train her to take them, shes taken one bite so far of that.

My problem is this, I see her hunting but she doesnt seem to be finding any of the pods (including the 8oz of tisbe added today). Should I just be a little more patient? Is she possibly too far gone from the LFS? Is the blue light making the pods hard to see? Just wanted some advice.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Spare time]

I bet the fish is finding the copepods so I wouldn't worry. How big is your tank?

Btw if you breed phyto and dose regularly, I think you won't need to breed copepods outside of the tank. However, it wouldn't hurt and if you don't have a big tank then its a great way to save money.

 

[MohrReefs]

I bet the fish is finding the copepods so I wouldn't worry. How big is your tank?

44 gal with two juvenile clowns and a diamond goby

 

[Spare time]

44 gal with two juvenile clowns and a diamond goby

Ok then yeah then growing copepods will help save you money from buying more bottles overtime. Make sure you add the pods at night so the clowns don't munch on them too much lol. I made that mistake before haha

 

[MohrReefs]

Ok then yeah then growing copepods will help save you money from buying more bottles overtime. Make sure you add the pods at night so the clowns don't munch on them too much lol. I made that mistake before haha

At 18-25$ a bottle of Copes, it was no brainer. Lol

 

[najer]

I recently obtained a spotted mandarin a few days ago. I'm well aware they are difficult fish but I'm determined to have one. It was eating fine when I first got it. Pecking at copepods non stop. So far I've added about 2 8oz bottles of pods. 1 being tigger pods (mistake since they float to the surface) and now tisbe pods. I have a phytoplankton and copepod breeding kit on the way. I'm committed to not starve this little lady. I'm even attempting to target feed mysis shrimp about 2 times a day to hopefully train her to take them, shes taken one bite so far of that.

My problem is this, I see her hunting but she doesnt seem to be finding any of the pods (including the 8oz of tisbe added today). Should I just be a little more patient? Is she possibly too far gone from the LFS? Is the blue light making the pods hard to see? Just wanted some advice.
Thanks in advance!

If she is pecking she is feeding, mysis will be to big, she will take pods almost smaller than you can see, keep pods going in and maybe try small foods like calanus.

 

[MohrReefs]

If she is pecking she is feeding, mysis will be to big, she will take pods almost smaller than you can see, keep pods going in and maybe try small foods like calanus.

That's the thing. The tank is stocked, shes hunting but NOT pecking right now.

 

[najer]

That's the thing. The tank is stocked, shes hunting but NOT pecking right now.

No you need to find a trigger food, a liquid that gets here attention, Ime and I have tried a few rescues if they don't peck they starve!
I know that sounds harsh, my little rescue girl was one of 5 at a shop I went to, I left the other 4 as she was the only one still hunting and pecking!

 

[MohrReefs]

No you need to find a trigger food, a liquid that gets here attention, Ime and I have tried a few rescues if they don't peck they starve!
I know that sounds harsh, my little rescue girl was one of 5 at a shop I went to, I left the other 4 as she was the only one still hunting and pecking!

Okay I'll give that a try. Thanks!

 

[Big G]

These can work. Worth a try.

 

[calvertc425]

Try feeding it frozen bloodworms I’ve not had a spotted mandarin yet that doesn’t eat them then start switcHing to Mysis and such
let me kno if it eats em

 

[MohrReefs]

Try feeding it frozen bloodworms I’ve not had a spotted mandarin yet that doesn’t eat them then start switcHing to Mysis and such
let me kno if it eats em

I'll get some tomorrow thanks!

 

[LisaAP]

If your Mandarin is showing some interest in frozen Mysis then do keep persevering with it. I’ve kept three Spotted Mandarins over the years and all of them have eventually taken to Mysis as a supplement to their copepod diet. I offer the frozen food via a long pipette and my current Mandarin recognises it as soon as it enters the tank. If the food doesn’t appear fast enough he pecks the end of the pipette with impatience. He also loves lobster eggs so that’s something else you could try too.

 

[NS Mike D]

Add the tiggers at night with the pumps off so they can hide and get established. I prefer the tiggers- as the adults they will crawl into the rockwork where the mandarin can pick at the ones that wander out. I'll see of I can find the thread where we discussed pods and why tiggers was the consensus for feeding mandarins.

Do you have a sump with cheato, this can supply the DT with pods. Dose live phyto into the fuge to help the colony expand.

Turn off all your pumps during feeding to give it a chance before the other fish eat up all the food. I turn mine off for 20 minutes - then I have the circulating pumps run 10 minutes to get everything up into the water for the corals and fish to finish it off before turning the sump/filter pumps back on.

I use mysis and brine. While they can't live on brine alone, they are easier to catch and helps develop more aggressive feeding. An appetite for brine should lead to feeding on the smaller pieces mysis. Fully intact mysis can be rejected, Mine recently started to eat the full mysis, but it's obvious it prefers the smaller fragments

Mine loves Reef Nutrition ROE. (eggs) and so did my corals. Plus my LFS sells it next to the Reef Nutrition Tigger Pods and their live Phyto.

Be careful, adding all this food for the mandarin can lead to a nutrient fueled algae breakout.

 

[Jesterrace]

I recently obtained a spotted mandarin a few days ago. I'm well aware they are difficult fish but I'm determined to have one. It was eating fine when I first got it. Pecking at copepods non stop. So far I've added about 2 8oz bottles of pods. 1 being tigger pods (mistake since they float to the surface) and now tisbe pods. I have a phytoplankton and copepod breeding kit on the way. I'm committed to not starve this little lady. I'm even attempting to target feed mysis shrimp about 2 times a day to hopefully train her to take them, shes taken one bite so far of that.

My problem is this, I see her hunting but she doesnt seem to be finding any of the pods (including the 8oz of tisbe added today). Should I just be a little more patient? Is she possibly too far gone from the LFS? Is the blue light making the pods hard to see? Just wanted some advice.
Thanks in advance!

The problem with Mandarins is that you need to have the breeding pod population in place and well established BEFORE adding one. Situations where you try to add one and then attempt to breed their food supply almost always end in failure. Not saying you can't have one, just saying you need to take the time to get a healthy breeding pod population first. Never count on Frozen to fix the problem for you.

 

[MohrReefs]

The problem with Mandarins is that you need to have the breeding pod population in place and well established BEFORE adding one. Situations where you try to add one and then attempt to breed their food supply almost always end in failure. Not saying you can't have one, just saying you need to take the time to get a healthy breeding pod population first. Never count on Frozen to fix the problem for you.

Shes eating mysis now! I noticed she was really active at night when lights were off so hit the tank with shrimp and she swam out to eat it.