Been thinking about getting a mandarin any advice?

[Talon33]

Hello I have been thinking about getting a mandarin but everything I have read people advise against it as they usually starve. My tank is a 125 with 100 lbs live rock and sump with refugium with live rock and chaeto. I see lots of pods in my tank but idk if a mandarin will clean them out. Any advice would be great

 

[Bearjohnson]

With a tank of that size and a well established pod population you should be fine.

 

[sicksnoopy71]

Just make sure that you can keep the pods spawning. You'll be fine with tank that size.:LOL:

 

[DianaKay]

Keep a good population of pods in your refugium and I bet your tank will have a happy healthy Mandrian resident. I've seen pods for sale on-line but I've never bought any. Good Luck if you try it, they are beautiful, fun to watch little fish

 

[whippetguy]

This is the best mandarin article I've read. I'd suggest reading prior to buying. I think it will help your decision greatly.

Coral - November/December 2011

 

[DaveK]

I would also add that if you get a mandarin you must be careful not to add any fish or other live stock that will out compete the mandarin for the pod population. This would include fish like wrasses. Other than that you should be all set to go.

Since you have a large tank, you might want to consider a pair, getting one male and one female. As slow as mandarins swim, two mandarin males will fight, and it's kind of comical to see these two slow moving fish chasing each other. However, it's not good for the fish.

 

[DianaKay]

Geezzz, after reading that article...I doubt I ever want one of those pretty little fish. :bugout:
Poison?? I had no idea!

 

[PSU4ME]

All good advice above. I had 2 males in my 120 and DaveK is dead on, they will "chase" each other abliet really slow lol. I now have one. I also have 2 wrasses and my pod population is present, just not is large amounts so they definitely affect the food supply. Mine eats frozen (sparingly) and NLS pellets (a whole bunch) so "if" you can get one that eats food other than pods then i think it helps your chances.

If you suspect he is getting skinny from not eating, have a friends tank in mind - they are easy to catch. Such a beautiful fish, don't let it slowly starve to death.

 

[Talon33]

Thanks for all the info very helpful. Having a pair sounds pretty cool just worried my tank couldn't support two.

 

[frisbee]

If the mandarin is not eating prepared foods from the start, (this does happen) I would pass. They're really not that cool of a fish to begin with IMO.

 

[intricateart]

We have a pair we got around christmas and they are doing great. Mind you we live on the gulf, but if you have enough pods that you see them all the time, you should be good. I've seen the live copepods at the store and they are expensive but healthy, and for most brands there is a little hunk of macro with it so they are well fed too. They do eat ALL day, then go to sleep either on the ground or in a shell at night. Awesome fish and you have what sounds like the right tank, just keep an eye on the pods.

 

[Talon33]

So do you all think or would be ok to get a mandarin yet, tank had been running almost 6 months and pods were introduced about 3 months ago and like I said 125g tank 100lbs live rock 30 gallon sump/fuge with rock and chaeto. If you all think I need to wait longer then I will I have been taking stocking super slow anyways

 

[54seaweed]

Melevsreef.com - Mandarin Care

 

[Talon33]

That's a good article but I would like to hear some personal opinions from some experienced with dragonetts

 

[HotWill]

Definitely had success with training my mandarins to eat frozen. The article is awesome, gone are the days where a 4foot tank is needed per mandarin. I have a 3foot tank and I have 3mandarins. A psychedelic, green and a scooter. They are all obese and eat frozen mysis/brine. Scooter will smash pellets too. Started off with one fish at a time in a netted enclosure. Fed them with brine soaked in garlic and vitachem. Kept them in there and fed daily for about 2-3 weeks before letting them go into display tank. Initially, they feed very slowly, now they swim up and attack the shrimps. If you find your other tank mates are eating up all the food, you can feed an extra cube or create a feeding station using a small plastic container or a glass bottle. It is important to choose a fat boy at the lfs to start. This is to give you a bit more time to get him to eat. Mandarins are notorious for starving themselves to death.

For those who think 3x is too many for my tank size, fear not.. i have a rsm650s coming in a week. Plus, they are really fat and chunky.

Will

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Tapatalk 2

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Hi HotWill,

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics

and congrats on the new 175 gallon

 

[DianaKay]

Definitely had success with training my mandarins to eat frozen. The article is awesome, gone are the days where a 4foot tank is needed per mandarin. I have a 3foot tank and I have 3mandarins. A psychedelic, green and a scooter. They are all obese and eat frozen mysis/brine. Scooter will smash pellets too. Started off with one fish at a time in a netted enclosure. Fed them with brine soaked in garlic and vitachem. Kept them in there and fed daily for about 2-3 weeks before letting them go into display tank. Initially, they feed very slowly, now they swim up and attack the shrimps. If you find your other tank mates are eating up all the food, you can feed an extra cube or create a feeding station using a small plastic container or a glass bottle. It is important to choose a fat boy at the lfs to start. This is to give you a bit more time to get him to eat. Mandarins are notorious for starving themselves to death.

For those who think 3x is too many for my tank size, fear not.. i have a rsm650s coming in a week. Plus, they are really fat and chunky.

Will

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Tapatalk 2

Hi Will
:welcomera Welcome to Reef Sanctuary!
Sure hope you will start a RSM Forum tank thread and share your new tank build with us
Lots of FUN, BEST WISHES :biker

 

[Talon33]

Anyone ever seen the Caribsea reef rock? They sell it at pet smart I know but it's like five pounds of rock in

 

[Talon33]

Plastic netting, what if I just used these as pod condos as is in the netting? Good or bad idea?

 

[Talon33]

Sorry supposed to be just one post