Another Mandarin question?

J

JeRmZ

New member
I will probably get chewed up and spit out and chewed up again, but it never hurts to ask a question ...

I have a year and a half old 29 gallon tank, at the very least 75-80lbs. of LR (I lost count after the intial 60lbs.) and around a 4" sand bed. I have an HOB style filter with about 2 maybe 3lbs of LR and I'm thinking of adding an AquaClear converted refugium as well .... my question,

Could my tank support a Mandarin? I absolutely love these fish but am so afraid to get one and have it die in my care. I have no other fish that would compete with the Mandarin for food.


From LiveAquaria ...
It should be kept in a well-established 30 gallon or larger aquarium with live rock, live sand, and plenty of hiding places. It is moderately hardy in reef aquariums if given special care. It is not overly aggressive towards other fish, except for conspecifics.
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yeah ... I read your post and actually found a blog from another guy that did a test feeding Roe to his Mandarin in his 10gal NANO!!!!!! The fish is still alive to this day a year and a half later!!!

The only issues he reported was Nitrate issues, but thats nothing some water changes and good tank husbandry won't take care of!
 
Yes, this is all true. Isn't it great what research can do? Not all fish eat the same things, my clown doesn't eat flake food, so it would die if I didn't feed it frozen food, so on so on. in a 29 gal you probably wont have too much of a nitrate prob, as long as you have a good clean up crew, my hermit's eat the left overs...
 
Oh I forgot to mention, even though they eat roe they still graze on the rocks all day as it is their nature. So you may not have a pod population if you add another. Mine normally eats the roe till it’s full, then it will spit the last one out and start grazing the rocks again, that’s when my hermits get their shot at it. Meanwhile the Mandarin will start pulling bugs out of the rocks and spitting them out until it gets hungry again, the pods just go back into the rocks most the time. This has been my experience with Mandarin’s and roe. If it works for you spread the news as it could save a staving Mandarin’s life!
 
well I think the title may be a bit deceiving as this would be my first and only Mandarin in the tank. The question lies as the same .... will my tank support a Mandarin. I don't know the nutritional value of Roe, but I would imagine it contains a lot of vitamins and minerals needed to support life due to the fact they are fish eggs right?
 
I think it's a horrendously bad idea to put a mandarin in a 29g tank.

I don't say this to be rude, but I just felt like someone should say it.

What happens if your particular mandarin happens to NOT eat roe or other stuff? Then you will have a starving mandarin on your hands. I mean...why risk it? There are so many other really awesome fish out there. Freaking everybody has a mandarin.

You should totally check out some of the smaller gobies. If you could add like 5 small gobies instead of a mandarin, wouldn't that be more interesting?

In the long run, odds are a mandarin would not do well in your tank. Exceptions do occur, but really if you look on here enough you can find people doing all kinds of things that should not work but do for them for some reason. I just think it's best to keep the fish's best interests at heart. JMO. Sorry if it offends anyone.
 
Mel ... it certainly does not offend me ... I actually wanted to hear differing opinions on this. As I posted LiveAquaria says minimum 30gal. and a well established tank an some sources I have read say 100gal minimum.

29gal and 30 have nearly the exact footprint and my tank is pretty well established so this is why I was asking. I did add a sand sifting Goby at one point but the little booger sifted so much sand my tank was horrendously cloudy at all times so I had to take him back.

I have just always loved the Mandarins and think they are hands down the most beautiful fish in the saltwater hobby, but I will not risk starving any animal to death for looks.

Anyone else have any thoughts. I know the general consensus is NO ... but exactly what makes a 150gal with 300lbs. of LR different from a 29gal with 80lbs. of LR? Aside from the obvious of the tank being bigger.
 
I just think it's best to keep the fish's best interests at heart. JMO. Sorry if it offends anyone. [/B]
Click to expand...

Very true, I dont think this could offend anyone. Same goes for anenomes or any living creature. But at the same time, taking something from as big as the ocean and putting in a tank isn't really putting its best interests at heart. But your point is very valid.
 
You are totally right Kellyandcarrie.

The difference between a 29g and a 150g is the amount of room/food that will support copepod growth. There is just going to be more stuff for them to munch on with more live rock, ya know?

What I have seen some people do is to set up little copepod piles. Basically it's a pile of rock rubble that the mandarins can't get into. It allows the copepods to reproduce in there. If you had several of these it would go a long way toward keeping the copepod population up, but honestly...I still wouldn't risk it.

Check out the greenbanded gobies. They are bright red and green (pime green stripes on their body)...really cool fish with great personality.
 
I know I know .... I figured if anything I must be asking a question that has been asked 52 million times. Everyone will be relieved to know I visited the LFS tonight and DID NOT bring home a Mandarin, in fact I didn't bring anything home except water for a good healthy water change and some more Turbos!

Although it does saden me to say there were 3 Psychadelic Mandarins in there looking pretty slim. I will just not be the ultimate demise of one of these beautiful fish.


Welp looks like it's time to get a bigger tank and MORE LIVE ROCK!!!!!!
 
I have had my manderine for about 2 years , and mine is eating frozine mysis shrimp, and even spectrum pellets belive it or not.I do also have a refugium attached to my tank so he or she is getting its share of pods.
 
Does a mandarin necessarily have to be plump to be considered healthy and thriving?

I have had a psych mandarin for nearly a year in a 135 gallon, 100+ lb live rock, w/fuge. Of course I cannot say for a 100% certainty that the types of pods mandarins eat are present, but there are all kinds and sizes of pods. It is always pecking here and there about the tank, but the belly is definitely not plump. There is nothing else in the tank to compete with it for food, to my knowledge.
 
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