New Mandarin Dragonets

[Roots]

I'll find some rigid tubing somewhere. I went to Wal Mart, Petco and Petsmart last night. Today I will go the one of the 2 LFS in town. One of them should at least have them like you said, in an under-gravel tube kit. As for the jerk that blew me off after promising me a female, well, it's par for the course. I'm over it. I was heated at the time, but after a little time to cool off, I have moved on. He will not build a thriving business treating people like that. I don't know how it is everywhere, but it seems like a lot of LFS owners are either complete idiots when it comes to fish or corals or both and are decent at customer service, or they are knowledgeable and keep healthy fish and clean tanks but lack people skills and customer service. There are some good honest people in the business too, but over the past few days I have dealt with a lot of LFS owners looking for my female Mandarin and it was astounding how many of them were just clueless and the other half seemed bothered that I had a specific request.

On a good note. My new Mandarin is starting to come out of his hiding place in the QT and explore a little bit in search of more pods to munch on. I'm gonna try and get a couple pics later. I'm gonna work on getting teh Brine Shrimp hatchery going tonight as well as construct the feeding station as best as I can. I'll post pics once I get everything done.

 

[Roots]

I am trying to figure out what kind of mesh to use that will be large enough allow the baby brine to get out slowly but not just let them all pour out into the tanks current and be filtered out. Baby Brine are about 500 microns I think so any suggestions on what kind of mesh to buy and where to buy it, I would appreciate it.

 

[Roots]

Alrighty... I made a DIY feeding station based on the one in the linked thread. It's similar enough I think.

The suction cup works great to keep it where I want it.

Here is the beginning of my DIY Brine Shrimp Hatchery.

I put some live pods in it and although the screen is a little too fine to allow them to crawl out, I poked several larger holes in the screen and they started to find their way out and the Mandarin definitely took notice. Just before I took these pics he was sitting right in front of the feeding station checking it out closely and eating any pods that crawled off of the edge after escaping through the holes in the mesh.

Ohh yeah, I forgot to mention that I talked with my LFS guy about my EPIC STRUGGLE to find a female and he called his supplier while I was standing there and told him that we needed a Female Mandarin and the wholesale rep told him he would check specifically for a female and if they had one he would send it out to him immediately. Well, my LFS guy called me today and my female is on it's way from the wholesaler and will be here tomorrow! So if there haven't been any mistakes made in sexing this new female I am finally going to get a Female Mandarin!

:smoking:

 

[dmatt88]

Great work! Fake coral?

..........I live my life as a warning to others.

 

[Conway Corals]

Great work! Fake coral?

..........I live my life as a warning to others.

think he said that was a qt tank.

Also, on the rigid tubing, go to petsmarts website and they have it there. Get it site to store and pick it up the next day. It's cheap too.

......insert clever sign off here.....

 

[Roots]

Yeah, the fake corals are in my QT. Eventually he will go live in the DT.


The feeding station works PERFECTLY! I love it. I know my Mandarin will survive and thrive now that he can be fed continually a constant supply of live foods.

 

[N83259]

Within the past year, CORAL MAGAZINE had a great article on training Mandarins to feed on frozen brine & mysis shrimp by transissioning from live brine shrimp,. It may really help you out. PM me if you can not find it on the web. Good luck!

 

[Roots]

Within the past year, CORAL MAGAZINE had a great article on training Mandarins to feed on frozen brine & mysis shrimp by transissioning from live brine shrimp,. It may really help you out. PM me if you can not find it on the web. Good luck!

Hey thanks. I'll search that info out. This feeding station works like a charm. My Mandarin just glides on over to it and perches on top of it and just snacks away. I'm going to make one for my buddy at the LFS so he can feed his Mandarins in store and fatten them up while they are waiting to go to a new home.

 

[StirCrayzy]

I wish more LFS would fatten up theirs.
with 10-15 in a 300g frag setup, they start wasting away.

 

[Roots]

I wish more LFS would fatten up theirs.
with 10-15 in a 300g frag setup, they start wasting away.

I know what you mean. I'm trying to enlighten and educate my LFS guy as we are becoming friends. I told him I was gonna bring him a feeding station that would make his live feed he gives to his in store mandarins would go further and do more good instead of being swept away in the current just seconds after being put in the tank. He liked the idea of selling healthier animals and making his reputation better in the process as well as saving money on wasted food.

I FINALLY GOT MY FEMALE MANDARIN!!!!

I'll post pics later after she's acclimated.

 

[lionfish]

Congrat on the female

 

[dmatt88]

Nice grab dude. Long time in the making.

..........I live my life as a warning to others.

 

[landshark]

please post a pic of the female when you get a chance. how is the male doing ???

 

[jjmoneyman]

Yeah we need update pics

 

[lbiminiblue]

Alrighty... I made a DIY feeding station based on the one in the linked thread. It's similar enough I think.

The suction cup works great to keep it where I want it.

Here is the beginning of my DIY Brine Shrimp Hatchery.

I put some live pods in it and although the screen is a little too fine to allow them to crawl out, I poked several larger holes in the screen and they started to find their way out and the Mandarin definitely took notice. Just before I took these pics he was sitting right in front of the feeding station checking it out closely and eating any pods that crawled off of the edge after escaping through the holes in the mesh.

Ohh yeah, I forgot to mention that I talked with my LFS guy about my EPIC STRUGGLE to find a female and he called his supplier while I was standing there and told him that we needed a Female Mandarin and the wholesale rep told him he would check specifically for a female and if they had one he would send it out to him immediately. Well, my LFS guy called me today and my female is on it's way from the wholesaler and will be here tomorrow! So if there haven't been any mistakes made in sexing this new female I am finally going to get a Female Mandarin!

:smoking:

*gasp* at begginning of post- looking at a thread with someone looking at a thread in a picture!!