Mandarin in new FOWLR

[TheSimpleGuy]

I've got a newly set up 75gal. w/ 120 lbs. LR (run for about 5mos. with a few damsels then moved gave away the damsels set it up next day and now running for 1month with no fish) Last night I purchased a T5 light and RO off craigslist and while I was there the guy who was tearing down his system gave me a Green Mandarin, shrimp and a long spine urchin so I said great and took them home. I read about them when I got home and now I'm concerned the Mandarin will not survive in a newly established system. (such a classic story I've read many times and thought I'd never do something so unresponsable but it was give to me and I was told he was easy to care for.)

Does anybody have any suggestions on what I can try to get this guy to eat while my pod population develops better. If I have to I will take out the LR to catch him if necessary and give him to an aquarium store however I would like to see what I can do before tearing down my system again. (I'm setting up QT this week I did not intend to start purchasing fish for a couple more weeks) If I do give to aquarium store he could very possibly end up in the same position when they sell it to some unexperienced person. When I went to my LFS this morning they did not seam to think I'd have a problem and sold me frozen baby brine and frozen ocean plankton??? I just moved to a new area and do not know of any good stores. If anybody is in the Rockville (D.C.) area please let me know of any good LFS.

 

[jubjub]

you can suppliment the tank with pods in a bottle.....should help your pod population get kickstarted along with feeding him for the meantime

 

[Angel*Fish]

There are a number of things you can do:

1) I'd try the search function and read more on different ways to train them on food other than pods, pod piles etc.

2) Whenever I fed live brine or just hatched baby brine, my mandarins would often eat too

3) I don't know how much 175lbs of rock is, but another thing you can do is buy more live rock

4) Do you have a refugium where pods can grow without predation? You can rotate rock from there back and forth to your main tank. It doesn't even have to be connected to the main tank, you could set up a rubbermaid container with a powerhead and a heater.

That's just a few thoughts...

 

[snorvich]

I have four. Eating prepared food such as mysis is nice (two of mine do) but is NOT adequate for keeping them alive. Marie is right about adding live rock and if you have a refugium you are probably good. It can never hurt to augment your copepod population as long as you have the live rock to provide them a safe haven.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12212715#post12212715 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
I have four. Eating prepared food such as mysis is nice (two of mine do) but is NOT adequate for keeping them alive. Marie is right about adding live rock and if you have a refugium you are probably good. It can never hurt to augment your copepod population as long as you have the live rock to provide them a safe haven.

Good point -- for the long term they need pods