how to QT a manderin?

[pufferpoison]

Since they need pods to live, how can you QT one of these guys?

 

[pufferpoison]

i've also heard that they are immune to ich. Does that mean that ich cannot live on their body?

 

[Steven Pro]

The idea that they are immune to ich is an aquarium myth. Any fish can develop immunity to this parasite after numerous non-lethal exposures to it, but mandarins are naturally no more immune than any other bony reef fish.

Mandarins can be trained to accept unnatural foods. See Marc Levenson's article in Reefkeeping on teaching his mandarin to eat out of a betta bowl.

 

[Sk8r]

They are resistent to ich. Good water conditions help them avoid it. I don't qt this species and have never had a problem, but if you need to, in order to get ich out of your tank, qt them apart from your other fish in a non-treatment tank [need not be large] and order online pods for them. Reed Mariculture [Reef Nutrition] is a good source, and one 4 bottle order will easily see your mandarin through a 6 week qt. Order the Phytofeast to keep your pods alive and eating during this period and drop in a bit a day. Your mandarin will not be unhappy about this arrangement. As long as he can eat 12 hours a day, he's happy.

 

[kevin2000]

Many mandarins will accept live brine shrimp .. its one of the std foods that some aquarist use when training their mandarins to eat frozen food. Some aquarist will simply purchase pods on line.