Green Mandarin Question - Noobie :)

[Marz]

Hey, I have seen a number of green mandarins at the store and in members tanks. They are not only a beautiful fish but seem to have a great personality. Everything I have read suggests an established tank. Stupid question (yet again) but is time a determining factor or if you started with live rock etc?

 

[KBennett]

It has more to do with your tank's ability to maintain a stable pod population. It is also to ensure that you are experienced enough to handle a difficult fish. Unless you buy a mandarin that is a proven eater, you should have a source of live food to slowly wean it onto frozen foods. There was a good article in coral magazine that outlined how to train them on frozen food. It involved keeping it in a breeding net for a few weeks.

 

[scubasteve]

IMO Make sure you spend a couple months establishing a good pod poulation in your fuge i buy the tisbe copepods and acclimate them then add to sump. I also buy and add a bottle to the tank once every few months to help out have had mine a year and wont eat frozen tried many things but they are known to be very picky and many will eat strictly pods. All aside he is very fat and healthy

 

[mark0933]

Hey, I have seen a number of green mandarins at the store and in members tanks. They are not only a beautiful fish but seem to have a great personality. Everything I have read suggests an established tank. Stupid question (yet again) but is time a determining factor or if you started with live rock etc?

Take a look at the spotted version. IME they tend to eat mysis quite readily. I actually like them better than the regular manderins.

Mark

 

[Marz]

The spotted version is also a very attractive fish. I will have to do some more research. I have copepods all over my tank. Will I still have to buy the bottle every few months regardless of spotted or mandarin?

 

[Jewel]

The spotted version is also a very attractive fish. I will have to do some more research. I have copepods all over my tank. Will I still have to buy the bottle every few months regardless of spotted or mandarin?

IMO,You need an established tank, up and running atleast a year. I have never added one to any of my tanks mainly because I don't want to kill it. Interducing Pods to your tank will help. I have an established refugeum and I see pods but not enough to support a Manderin, Remember it's all they eat, Unless you can train them to eat Mysis. Another reason why I don't bother adding one is because in my tank it's more about the Corals than the fish.

 

[jeffopentax]

Sealife seems to end up with a lot of fish that eat mysis (not sure if they get them that way or wean them onto it). I bought a large mandarin from them that went crazy for it. You'd be best to buy one already eating mysis to be safe.

 

[reeferkeeper420]

I was able to get my mandarin eating frozen with a turkey baster and slowly releasing mysis into its face, after he killed the pod pop, he was hungry and got curious and started pickin at them after a bit he started coming right up to me at the top of the tank during feeding time to be fed...then he died...i miss him lol i loved him coming to the top and poking his little.mouth outta the water basically saying feed me a$$hole lol.

 

[Marz]

Lol...I think I will wait for another couple of months. I want to make sure that I can give it a chance to survive while I attempt to train it to eat mysis, etc.
I will say that I like the spotted one very much.

 

[Jewel]

D A big part of having a Reef is being a responsible Owner, There are some inhabitants that we can't keep with out suffering consequenses. Having a bigger system would afford you to have more variety, Either bigger Fish, more demanding Coral or a much bigger Pod population for manderins or Sandsifting Starfish. There comes a point when you have to say no I can't safely keep what ever, It's like an Anenome, Lots of people like that relationship they have with their Clowns, But can your system support the animal? Some don't care and most will actually think and research. I'd wait until you're sure you can support the animal, Just something to think about.

 

[Marz]

Jewel, exactly my thoughts. I hate the idea of putting something in my tank that it can't support, but that I "must" have. One of the main reasons that I turn to this forum is that everyone will be honest based on their experiences. Other than a few bumps, my goal is "slow and steady"