Captive bred mandarins by Biota

[Ross33]

Does anyone have any experience with the new captive bred mandarins that Biota is putting out? They claim that they eat frozen and pellets. The price is a little high at $80 per fish, but I'm all about conserving the ocean. I just ordered one.

 

[Joe0813]

Following.... love these fish but can never get them to eat so i have to give thrm away

 

[Grkgod36]

Following also

 

[Willyboz1]

I'm in for one if the claims are correct.

 

[GOSKN5]

Where did you order from?

 

[Ross33]

I ordered through a company I found on Facebook called algae barn. They only have a limited number and they are the only company I have found selling them.

 

[snorvich]

All mandarins will eat frozen and pellets. They are poor competitors for food, however and feeding the aquarium once or even twice a day would not be sufficient to properly maintain them in the long term..

 

[Grkgod36]

All mandarins will eat frozen and pellets. They are poor competitors for food, however and feeding the aquarium once or even twice a day would not be sufficient to properly maintain them in the long term..

That's news to me . I know numerous people that tried to keep them and could not due to insufficient pod population . In established tanks 3 years plus

 

[Ross33]

In my experience all mandarins do not eat frozen and pellets, but most can be trained too. I think that may have been what Steve means. In high school I worked at a lfs for several years, we had hundreds of mandarins come through and I'd try to feed frozen to all of them. It was exceptionally rare that one would take any of it.

I'm hoping these guys do take right to frozen, but if not I have lots
Of good established rock and a Refugium.

 

[snorvich]

Remember the ORA captive bred mandarin experiment? What magic elixir would Biota need not to repeat that result? If you have sufficient copepods, frozen and pellet consumption would be supplemental. If not nutrition availability from supplied food would be insufficient. But if you want to roll the dice . . .

 

[eastlake]

I cant remember exactly where the article was but there was a fellow who had his mandarins eating pellets and in order to save them from their other fishy competition he put a jar of pellets in a corner that the mandarins would frequent. The opening was large enough to let them in but far to small to let the larger fish in so the mandarins could eat competition free to their heats content.

 

[alton]

I cant remember exactly where the article was but there was a fellow who had his mandarins eating pellets and in order to save them from their other fishy competition he put a jar of pellets in a corner that the mandarins would frequent. The opening was large enough to let them in but far to small to let the larger fish in so the mandarins could eat competition free to their heats content.

http://www.melevsreef.com/node/720

 

[alton]

In reading the Algae Barn Mandarin you get more than a Mandarin for $80
https://www.algaebarn.com/product/biota-captive-bred-green-mandarin/

 

[Scorpius]

I must be a fish keeping god among men because I've had a Mandarin for over a year without any problem. I have a ton of pods and he just started eating frozen food. Fat and happy. I don't understand people who have mature tanks not being able to keep a Mandarin.

 

[Ross33]

In reading the Algae Barn Mandarin you get more than a Mandarin for $80
https://www.algaebarn.com/product/biota-captive-bred-green-mandarin/

Yes they are coming with some pods. 5000 pods is a drop in a bucket compared to what you need to sustain one, but I plan on using it in quarantine as I do tank transfer method

 

[btb72]

I had a mandarin for 8 years before I tore down the tank. It was a 140 corner tank with a ton of live rock. Loved that fish. It was so fat haha

 

[Joe0813]

I must be a fish keeping god among men because I've had a Mandarin for over a year without any problem. I have a ton of pods and he just started eating frozen food. Fat and happy. I don't understand people who have mature tanks not being able to keep a Mandarin.

Some tanks just can't get pods going. I have a 180 with a fudge and lots of rock and never see pods on my glass

 

[Voodoojar]

I bought one.

 

[jason2459]

Some tanks just can't get pods going. I have a 180 with a fudge and lots of rock and never see pods on my glass

You do realize how small pods can be? Most you won't see but the mandarin can.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2567904&page=7

From tiny samples like this:

Or this

I find this:

 

[jason2459]

Here's one with egg sacks