Mandarin help

DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
mike1970 said:
Ok I just seeded my tank with 2000 pods from reefs2go anyone ever use these?
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I have & I was pleased with the Amphipod population that I received from them.
I couldn't tell how many Copepods there were because they are just too teeny-tiny to see. You need to get a strong magnifing lens & have fun looking for them on the glass. I use the lens from a torn up gun scope & it works great.
I was startled a few times at seeing an Amphipod through it. If they were as big & wicked as they look under magnification, I'd fear putting my hands in the tank. :D Good Luck with your BUGS!! :fingerscrossed:
 
LakeLivin

LakeLivin

Active Member
I think everyone who has gotten into the saltwater hobby has either tried or wanted to try to keep a Mandarin and few that do try are successful. Establishing a good population of pods is the easy part if you don't use filter socks. The hard part is getting the Mandarin to seek out and eat them. Unlike other living things that fight for survival Mandarins seem to be perfectly content starving themselves to death.
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
LakeLivin said:
I think everyone who has gotten into the saltwater hobby has either tried or wanted to try to keep a Mandarin and few that do try are successful. Establishing a good population of pods is the easy part if you don't use filter socks. The hard part is getting the Mandarin to seek out and eat them. Unlike other living things that fight for survival Mandarins seem to be perfectly content starving themselves to death.
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Some good points made Tim! Mandarins are a "special needs" fish....very pretty but more to worry about than most fish because of their eating (or NOT EATING) habits.
 
lbiminiblue

lbiminiblue

Well-Known Member
mike1970 said:
I hope it works out for me:)
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Another thing you might want to try is baby brine shrimp.

They're copepod sized, and have lots of oils and fats that are good eating. What you do is take a large PVC endcap, about 2-3 inches in diameter. You get a fine fish net (very fine-pellets shouldn't be able to slip through) and glue it over the endcap.

You drill a hole in the side of the endcap, and put a clear plastic hose running from it to the surface of your tank. This whole contraption is usually buried under sand, with only the net mesh showing.

If your dragonet ever needs a boost, you hatch some shrimp, then squirt them down the air hose to the endcap. They're stuck in there, but will cling to the net. Eventually, your dragonet should learn to venture there for some free and easy meal. Their mouths should let them nab baby shrimp through the tiny holes.
 
bazmackem

bazmackem

Active Member
I've just added a mandarin (see my thread!) and was looking at this

http://www.phytoplus.co.uk/#!product/prd1/1518513015/live-copepods-culture-kit-d

Or this

http://www.reefphyto.co.uk/all-products/copepod-culture-pack.html

...as a way of having my own pods on hand to pop in the tank. Anyone used these. I added 2 packs of live pods yesterday when I bought the fish (tank already seemed to have a decent amount, that I could see with the naked eye!) so hopefully these will up the population for now. Also the LFS sold me some fine pellets, but not sure the mandarin is interested.... Any ideas how to tempt him? He is feeding well off the rocks so far so hopefully that is a good sign!
 
M

mike1970

Active Member
tell you the truth I don't know. mine is a RSM 250 with 65lb. of rock I added 2k of pods from reefs2go. my next order I think i'm going to add 4k
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
Video of feeder. All these fish have been spawning for years.

These also enjoy the feeder and that queen anthius is very hard to keep without one of these
 
lbiminiblue

lbiminiblue

Well-Known Member
Paul! I remember you as being that Mandarin guru: quick question. Do you think aiptasia on the rocks would hurt a mandarin to the point of killing it? Thanks!
 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
@lbiminiblue
Aiptasia like many anemones have nematocyst (stinging cells) in their tentacles. And I've read that the aips nematocyst is strong enough to hurt fish (not us). But, I've also watched my fish brush by the aips tentacles w/o showing any indication that it stung them. So, this might not be something you need to worry about. Why do you ask? Having issues with your mandarin and aiptasia? Did you mandarin look like it was stung?
 
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