Will a mandarin and pipefish be fine under a 3 day blackout?

[living_tribunal]

Title speaks for itself.

My pipe fish and mandarin obviously consume a substantial amount of food everyday. It also requires them seeing it. As you all know, these two fish don't process food like normal fish and require continuous feedings.

Will they be fine under a 3 day blackout? From what I've seen so far, it's hard for them to see the food but the mandarin is staying asleep for the most part. The pipefish is out and about as always. Nervous on how to proceed.

 

[Lasse]

You can try to have a very, very low light intensity during 4 - 6 hours and feed during that time.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[living_tribunal]

You can try to have a very, very low light intensity during 4 - 6 hours and feed during that time.

Sincerely Lasse

Mine have always fed fine during low blue spectrum. Is 4-6 hours of very low blue and a percent or two of violet enough for photosynthesis or does preventing any light absorption require pure darkness?

Right now, I’m allowing ambient day light in (no cover or anything around the tank).

 

[Lasse]

If you are allowing ambient daylight - it should be enough for them to find food - IMO - they do not need much light for feeding IME.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[living_tribunal]

If you are allowing ambient daylight - it should be enough for them to find food - IMO - they do not need much light for feeding IME.

Sincerely Lasse

Ambient day light isn’t enough for the mandarin and pipe fish to see the small pods and cyclops. They haven’t been able to find much today.

Are blues at 1-2% enough to cause photosynthesis?

 

[sikorskys]

I'm pretty sure 3 days with no food does nothing to fish. Not a mandarin expert though.

 

[living_tribunal]

I'm pretty sure 3 days with no food does nothing to fish. Not a mandarin expert though.

Mandarins nor pipe fish are able to store nutrition like other fish. It’s why they have to eat continuously.

These fish are shipped so I’m sure two days is fine. Would prefer to run blues for 2-3 hours a day though just to be on the safe side.

 

[Lasse]

Are blues at 1-2% enough to cause photosynthesis?

Not so much that it will matter IMO.

According to pipefish - I had one in my aquarium that lived for 2 years with only one feed a day - it works well before he/she visit my clam.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[living_tribunal]

Not so much that it will matter IMO.

According to pipefish - I had one in my aquarium that lived for 2 years with only one feed a day - it works well before he/she visit my clam.

Sincerely Lasse

I might turn blues on 3 times a day for 30 minute intervals at 5%. I doubt that could cause anything to grow.

 

[sikorskys]

Mandarins nor pipe fish are able to store nutrition like other fish. It’s why they have to eat continuously.

It's just three days. I've bought a mandarin recently, it survived my LFS much longer.

 

[Lasse]

What´s the reason for darkness? Cyanobacteria or algae?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[ThRoewer]

Well-fed mandarins can go a few days without food and will not take harm, especially if the tank is dark enough for them to be sleeping. Same goes for most pipefish. Which species do you have?
If the ambient light is enough for them to wake up then it should also be enough for them to hunt. Keep in mind that in the wild, they are primarily out hunting during dusk and dawn while trying to keep a low profile during the day.