Keep in mind that mandarins are also captive bread. The captive bread mandarins learn from the start to eat pellets and other dead food. Wild caught mandarins usually don't adapt to eating pellets and other dead food. Most wild caught mandarins end up starving b/c of this.
Sometimes you won't know if you are buying a captive bread mandarin or not. Here in the states, most of the captive bread mandarins sell for more $$ then wild-caught ones b/c they are already eating pellets and thus have a better survival rate.
Now, there are exceptions to this. But, the exceptions are few and far between. Just b/c someone says that they had been able to get their mandarin to start eating pellets, doesn't mean that you can as well. And there are many more that aren't able to get their mandarin to transition from live food to pellet and end up loosing their mandarins.
I wish you and the fish the best of luck. But, at this point you will need to focus on getting a never ending supply of pods up and running for that fish. It can take a lot of work and time to do so. Many tire of this extra work. Or decide to give the mandarin up (back to the lfs or to someone who knows how to keep them alive w/a larger well established tank).
Sorry I'm such a Debbie Downer here. But, I have seen too many not be able to keep their mandarins alive. And this goes for the little scooter blennies as well.
Oh and that shrimp of yours, it does eat pods and so do the clowns (many fish do). So the mandarin will have competition for food. You may not see the shrimp or clowns eat pods, but the shrimp is doing so as it is in their natural diet. My male clown goes for pods all the time, so yours may as well.
Interesting read offsite
here.
