Time for a Mandarin?

[Pdandy]

If I have pods visibly crawling on the glass of my tank would it be ok to add a mandarin?

Main tank is 265 gallons with 325lbs of live rock. Sump is two 40 breeders with a 20 gallon refugium that has chaeto and another 50 lbs of rock. The chaeto is covered in pods too. The only competition for food in my tank would be a diamond goby, a melanurus wrasse, and a sixline wrasse.

 

[Baby Ray]

If I have pods visibly crawling on the glass of my tank would it be ok to add a mandarin?

Main tank is 265 gallons with 325lbs of live rock. Sump is two 40 breeders with a 20 gallon refugium that has chaeto and another 50 lbs of rock. The chaeto is covered in pods too. The only competition for food in my tank would be a diamond goby, a melanurus wrasse, and a sixline wrasse.

How old is the tank?

 

[Pdandy]

How old is the tank?

The tank it self has been set up for just over 8 weeks. But about 1/3rd of the rock and the chaeto came from an established tank that had been up for years. So it was loaded with pods. When my lights come on in the morning the glass is covered with pods. Thousands upon thousands.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

It's too early for a mandarin, let the tank mature for at least 6 months.
Six lines & mandarins don't mix. The six line will probably still kill the mandarin even in a tank that large.

 

[Javen]

I have a mandarin goby and six line wrasse and they have never had a problem and just be careful adding him. if the tank is stable than I think it is fine. I have a small refugium where I breed my copods and it really doesn't take a lot

 

[Javen]

I have a 125 gallon so if the wrasse don't like the mandarin the mandarin will probably just find somewhere else to live. In a tank that size it probably doesn't matter

 

[dark waters]

Oh boy this is my kind of thread I have gone full circle with these animals....

1. Tank- make sure you have a place like a sump or separate tank where that pods can breed heavily. The mandys and other animals will eat them all day and night....YOUR TANK IS TO NEW IN MY OPINION...6 MONTHS IS A RULE OF THUMB...because the pods need to get to a high enough level to feed everyone, make it through your plumbing, and filtration system meaning skimmers, media, socks and what not.... these things kill pods

2. I recommend a separate tank for the mandys themselves... my reason... EVERY ANIMAL IN MOST TANKS LOVE PODS.... they have the natural fats and oils etc. That they need.... my blennies, coral beauty and flame angel gorge on them....everyone looks pregnant and always are pooping lol.... the mandys are so freaking slow and will sit there and starve as the other animals eat all there pods

3. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING...never accept a mandy or dragonet that is emaciated meaning there body and jaws are sunken in.... yes they are alive but once they are sunken in there livers and internal organs rearly recover....meaning mandy heaven and your cash at the pet shop...

4. I have spent a lot of cash to learn about these animals because they are my favorite animals in the trade now.... please listen to me and enjoy your mandys...good luck

5. Your tank can house several mandys I would love to see all four species in a tank your size , BUT they are aggressive toward each other if they dont have plenty of space and hiding spots to claim a territory..... DO NOT PUT THEM IN A TANK WITH A BUNCH OF POD EATERS.....THEY WILL JUST STARVE SADLY.... as a side note.... big tanks like ours tend to have big powerheads..sadly I lost a couple by them swimming to close to the blowers so be cautious....

6. Keep dosing life phyto here and there for the pods to absorb because they don't have true mouths....you don't want them to starve and you have all those crutateans die off in your system

Here is my thread on the subject....

MANDARINS- ANYONE HAVE SUCCESS WITH THEM | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mandarins-anyone-have-success-with-them.236462/

I'M ROOTING FOR YOU LOL...GO MANDYS

 

[Baby Ray]

You could also feed them enriched baby brine shrimp along with pods. If you enrich the. It is a great way for them to get nutrient that they need

 

[Pdandy]

Added a big fat mandarin last week. He is doing great. There are literally millions of pods in my tank for him to eat. My refugium is crawling with them. So far no aggression towards him from any other fish in my tank.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Good to hear. Its gonna get FAT.

 

[Pdandy]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh he's a healthy one. Gonna need a girlfriend though.
congrats.
Do look into getting them on frozen too, or live brine if your full contact.

 

[gar732]

He looks good, I think starting with a healthy one makes all the difference. I tried with Ora mandarins in 75 and it ended miserably twice. I never tried again.

 

[brittany.ann.burleigh93]

My mandarin eats frozen brine every one tried to scare me when I got him and told me he wasn't going to make it he's been going strong now for almost 3 months. I've been trying to find a girlfriend for him though

 

[Luke Schnabel]

My tank is 9 months old and I'm going to be getting one at the year mark. I'm also going to be growing out pods with my cutler system. I've read that's the sure way to keep a pair of these guys.

 

[dark waters]

My tank is 9 months old and I'm going to be getting one at the year mark. I'm also going to be growing out pods with my cutler system. I've read that's the sure way to keep a pair of these guys.

With a pair of mandy

Added a big fat mandarin last week. He is doing great. There are literally millions of pods in my tank for him to eat. My refugium is crawling with them. So far no aggression towards him from any other fish in my tank.

I'm so glad you only excepted a fat healthy one.... good for you....

 

[dark waters]

My mandarin eats frozen brine every one tried to scare me when I got him and told me he wasn't going to make it he's been going strong now for almost 3 months. I've been trying to find a girlfriend for him though

This is a priceless pic right here....

 

[Scottsquatch]

Forgive my lack of knowledge, but what's a cutler system?

 

[dark waters]

Forgive my lack of knowledge, but what's a cutler system?

Providing a separate area where something can grow...in our case copepods.... mandarins thrive on them and they are an important nutrients for most marine life....especially at most marine life's larvae stage..

 

[dark waters]

MANDY FUSE UPDATE.... ADDED THE FIRST OF THE MACRO ALGAE.... this is dragons tongue...