Mandarin goby

[mpderksen]

I really want a Mandarin. My 75 has been up over a year, but I don't have any macro in the sump, and have zero idea if I have any pods at all..... I could get some cheato, and put the light back on the timer if that would help.
Before jumping in, how do I determine if I can be successful?
I'm willing to feed as required, but I need to be sure I'm doing it right before I end up killing anything. I also want to see if my current fish are food competition or too aggresive. Rather than post in the compatibility thread, I'm mostly worried about food supply and its related competition.

Current stock:
Maroon clown
One-spot foxface
2 spotted Cardinalfish
Blue-green chromis
Dwarf flame angel
Kole tang

No rush, but advice would be appreciated.

 

[Marshall O]

I don't think you will have any problems with competition from other fish. I do think you will need to get a productive refugium going. Once that is well established, you should be good to go.

 

[MondoBongo]

nothing stands out in your stocking list as being an obvious red flag. i've only personally kept a kole tang with my mandy, no problems to report, but none of the others look like anything i would be overtly concerned about.

you can also try building some pod piles, and adding rock to your sump. a fuge with some nice macro growing is the best option, but if that is not to be then going heavy on the rocks and sand can work as well.

definitely look in to supplemental feeding, certain types of frozen, freshly hatched baby brine. in your size tank it shouldn't be required, but it is always helpful, especially for new arrivals who often come in underfed.

75 gallon for over a year... i'd say go for it.

 

[snorvich]

Good advice above. And, by the way, mandarins are not gobies.


:spin1:

 

[mpderksen]

Good advice above. And, by the way, mandarins are not gobies.


:spin1:

Oops on the "gobies" part....
Pretty easy to get some macro. I have a basic clamp light down there now with a basic grow light bulb that I kick on during maintenance. The macro could just float over the layer of Marine Pure balls I have in the bottom of my 'fuge section.
So some follow up questions:
Do I leave the light on 24/7, or on a reverse cycle?
How do I seed it and with what?
How can I tell when I have a healthy population prior to ordering the Mandarin?
How do I keep him fed for the 72 days in QT, given that my QT doesn't have a sump?

 

[snorvich]

Oops on the "gobies" part....
Pretty easy to get some macro. I have a basic clamp light down there now with a basic grow light bulb that I kick on during maintenance. The macro could just float over the layer of Marine Pure balls I have in the bottom of my 'fuge section.
So some follow up questions:
Do I leave the light on 24/7, or on a reverse cycle? depends on macro type, if caulerpa, 24/7 is advised and I do not advise using caulerpa
How do I seed it and with what? use chaeto and order some pods
How can I tell when I have a healthy population prior to ordering the Mandarin? create pod piles in your DT and a few months later you will be good to go with chaeto plus pod piles
How do I keep him fed for the 72 days in QT, given that my QT doesn't have a sump? chaeto

 

[MondoBongo]

as far as QT goes for these guys, remember they do not tolerate prophylactic treatment well, so definitely no copper, or tanks previously treated with copper.

i did not QT my mandy, it is the only fish i did not QT. i won't openly advocate this to others though, it was a calculated risk that i took. as snorvich said, chaeto in QT can help provide pods for them to munch on. hatching baby brine shrimp nauplii and making one of the PaulB style feeders is another good way to supplement. the baby brine make a great short term food source because they're easy to culture, with a quick turn around, and will be sufficient to help fatten up a new arrival, or get them through QT.

Nutramar Ova, if you can get it, is also an excellent supplement. my girl will also sometimes pick at cyclop-eeze. she doesn't seem to care too much for other forms of frozen, but your mileage may vary, so try out whatever you got.

aside from those, live black worms and white worms are also good snacks. the black worms don't live long in saltwater (we're talking minutes or less) so they're better fed in small amounts every so often. again, they're more a stop-gap food measure than a staple for these guys.

purchasing and dosing, or culturing pods externally is also a great option, and is fairly easy.

 

[mpderksen]

Do pods make their way from the sump to the DT in sufficient quantity to feed the Mandarin?
I was just looking at various pod piles, and while they seem easy, they aren't exactly attractive in the main tank.

 

[snorvich]

Do pods make their way from the sump to the DT in sufficient quantity to feed the Mandarin?
I was just looking at various pod piles, and while they seem easy, they aren't exactly attractive in the main tank.

They do, but they are a refuge that allows copepods to breed in the display tank.

 

[Thereefdrunk]

If your in good with your LFS have them save one for you that eats brine shrimp. I had a MG for about 3 years that lived off of frozen brine. I did the same thing about 3 months ago and had my LFS set one that they saw eating brine to the side for me. Of course pods are still great for them so I do have both. But the brine is a sure meal for them if you can find one that will eat it.

 

[snorvich]

If your in good with your LFS have them save one for you that eats brine shrimp. I had a MG for about 3 years that lived off of frozen brine. I did the same thing about 3 months ago and had my LFS set one that they saw eating brine to the side for me. Of course pods are still great for them so I do have both. But the brine is a sure meal for them if you can find one that will eat it.

Actually, all mandarins eat brine or PE mysis. The problem is not whether they will eat it, but whether other tank mates will out compete them for it. If there are sufficient copepods, you will be fine.