any luck with mandarins?

[bst5017]

just wondering if anyone had experience keeping mandarins and how they are doing.

 

[JCR's Reef]

You want your tank set up at least 6 months with a good pod population, and about 75#'s of good porus liverock for long term survival. With a 40gal you might be pushing it unless you have a refugium teaming with pods and a very good amount of rockwork in there, and no other fish in there to compete for food. I have heard green spotted ones are easier to get to eat the frozen foods, but I have never saw any proof of it. Scooter blennies are also mandarins.
I have a blue mandarin that eats brine shrimp I keep in my frag tank, but thats just luck. Most wont eat frozen or artificial foods.

Here's a link http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3

 

[Gondore]

I wouldn't suggest getting one in your size of tank. Even if you can get them to eat prepared foods, which is pretty rare, I have heard there is a good chance they will still starve. I had one in my 90 gallon for about 5 months. Initially it did great, but in a couple months it cleared out all the pods (and I have a fug) and starved.

 

[Fireworm]

Klaus at Coral Reef can get them to eat frozen pretty good. If you would get one for a 40g, if you had a fuge, and restocked your pods from time to time you might be ok

 

[LornaS]

I don't know, your tank would have to be very well established with a good population.....and a good size fuge with it's own population of pods. That size tank is really pushing your luck. Klaus maybe able to get them to eat frozen but that is an exception basis not the rule.

 

[tazman71]

I have a spotted that I have had for over 2 years. Fat and happy, but I have a 120 with probably 180 lbs of liverock and a fuge. Plus no other fish competing for the pods.

 

[bst5017]

thanks for all the advice, i had been doing some reading about them and just wanted to see what you guys had to say.

 

[Gondore]

From what I have read the spotted mandarins are easier to keep than the green ones and are much more likely to eat prepared foods.

I also had two wrasses in my tank (mystery and a flame) that we more than likely eating some of the pods.

 

[bst5017]

I read that too....there is a guy on melevsreef.com or something like that who came up with a little contraption to feed his. He uses an olive jar and fills it with food and then lowers it into the water. The only fish that can get in there are his mandarins!!! its pretty need, but they are eating pellets from the pictures.

 

[Fireworm]

It is a cool little thing he came up with, but that is a lot of work to feed a cheap fish.