Help with New Mandarin!

[celamb89]

Hello,

I just introduced a Mandarin to my tank 2 days ago.. I woke up this morning to find that my six line wrasse was picking on him. I read some threads and saw that the mandarins are passive and dont have any trouble with other fishes, only with other mandarins

So, should I do something?!

now the mandarin is in the back corner of the tank, when i saw the six line fighting the mandarin i broke it up with my hand and they both went separate way...

The six line wrasse has been in the tank for a while now, so i dont know if he is setting his territory or something. :S

Thanks For the help!

 

[celamb89]

I was thinking about netting the six line wrasse to calm it down, but that is going to be very difficult because it is very fast and hides between all the cracks in the LR.. So I dont know, is there is anything else to do?

Thanks!

 

[MikeandNicole]

Mandarins are passive and very much can be picked on by more aggressive fish. I would keep an eye on the situation, because the six line could stress the fish. We lost a mandarin to a similiar situation, we added a fish and it reshuffled the dominance in the tank and the mandarin got attacked.

 

[celamb89]

:S ok! Ill keep an eye open and help the mandarin out if I see anything happen.. I hope this works out because I've been wanting a Mandarin for a long time and now that I have the tank setup for him it gets picked on :S...

Thanks for the reply, Ill try to keep them apart when Im at home

 

[celamb89]

Im going to try and catch the six line and throw him in my refugium.. All I have in the fuge is some LR so it should be fine.. I think he will calm down this way

Any suggestions before I do this?

 

[rhdoug]

IME, sixlines or similar wrasses = dead mandarin unless you remove the wrasse. Good luck with your situation.

 

[BrianD]

IME, sixlines or similar wrasses = dead mandarin unless you remove the wrasse. .

Agreed.

 

[celamb89]

IME, sixlines or similar wrasses = dead mandarin unless you remove the wrasse. Good luck with your situation.

It seems that the sixline gets territorial to his LR, he doesnt like the mandarin wondering around the LR.If the mandarin stays with the LR in the corner the sixline stays put.
I guess if this keeps going on Ill have to make a decision :S

By the way cant catch the sixline so its still in the DT hehe

 

[rhdoug]

use a trap with food in it.

 

[celamb89]

Do you know or have successfully kept a sixline or similar wrasse with a Mandarin? Has anyone had luck with this or is it just a deadly recipe?

 

[wrasseguy2]

IME, sixlines or similar wrasses = dead mandarin unless you remove the wrasse. Good luck with your situation.

agreed..you are just asking for trouble with this because of how aggressive the sixline will be to the mandarin also they are going to compete with each other for food..you need to remove one or the other

 

[celamb89]

Ok, Ill have to have made the decision by the end of the day...

Although I have had the sixline for about a year now, I think Ill keep the mandarin, it is an amazing fish... Just hope it does well in the tank, I see it feeding on the LR, cant see what it eats but it picks on the LR as it is eating all day long..

 

[rhdoug]

Consider your choice carefully, the mandarin is eating very small animals called copepods, which will be depleted quickly in a small tank, I have no idea how big or old your tank is. You may already know this, excuse me if you do. You may (probably will) need to train the mandarin to eat frozen food or pellets out of a "diner". Do a search here on RC for mandarin diner.

 

[celamb89]

Consider your choice carefully, the mandarin is eating very small animals called copepods, which will be depleted quickly in a small tank, I have no idea how big or old your tank is. You may already know this, excuse me if you do. You may (probably will) need to train the mandarin to eat frozen food or pellets out of a "diner". Do a search here on RC for mandarin diner.

Ok, I have a 42gal display which will soon, (about a month) turn in to a 100 gal display.Its been running for quite some time now dont recall right now but years..
I have read on trainning the Mandarin to eat some other meals, this morning I tried feeding it some fine chopped shrimp soaked in garlic but i didnt see it eat anything.. Ill have to try with some frozen food or brine shrimp...
Ill search the forums for the mandarin diner as u said rhdoug,

Thanks for the help

 

[rhdoug]

frozen mysis is a good choice, it's all mine would eat, I kept him for 4 years. good luck again and you're welcome.

 

[rhdoug]

ps - I think they need the food to look remotely like the bugs they eat naturally, that's why mysis, brine, cyclops, or any other frozen, whole, small food is a great way to start training the mandarin. Also why he ignored the chopped shrimp -- didn't recognize it as food, although in time he might.

 

[BrianD]

I would remove the mandarin and wait until the 100 gallon is well established before adding another one (assuming you have removed the wrasse).

 

[rhdoug]

wow -- Mattoon -- that is where I was born!

 

[caffboy]

I had a similar problem with my six line wrasse harassing my mandarin to such an extent that i would not see the mandarin for weeks until the six line decided to carpet surf one night since then the mandarin is fatter and much more happier

 

[celamb89]

I would remove the mandarin and wait until the 100 gallon is well established before adding another one (assuming you have removed the wrasse).

so I havent moved anyone... Ive been trying to catch the sixline but havent had any luck... If this behavior persists by tomorrow I will remove the mandarin and wait until I get the 100 gal DT setup with some more LR and a larger refugium. When I move tanks Ill remove the wrasse by the mean time, I talked to the LFS and they said there was no problem that I would get my money back for the mandarin.

I could remove the wrasse and keep the mandarin and follow the tips given by rhdoug, but I think it would be better if I prepare for the mandarin a little more by having the new 100gal setup and having enough pods so that it just feeds on them.

So in conclusion, Im going to wait til tomorrow and check the behavior which will probably remain so I will take the mandarin back to the LFS tomorrow morning , when my new tank is setup I will give the mandarin another try (wrasse removed by then)...

Thanks everyone for the posts! Great help