Mandarin living in sump...

[biggs]

I finally felt my tank was ready for a mandarin after years of debate.

It's funny though, the problem isn't the mandarin finding food, it's a 6-line wrasse that has decided to terrorize him. The wrasse never leaves him alone. He doesn't seem to do any damage, but the mandarin has resorted to swimming at the top of tank, hiding by two big seios (a little scary.)

I snagged him out and tossed him in my sump/fuge. He's on the reserve/return side and has almost a square foot of floorspace. There's a bunch of rock in there and a tiny Mag2 running my low flow return.

That chamber is right after my fuge chamber. So it seems to get a constant supply of pods and other critters. Could the mandarin stay in there long term?

He seems happy, gets lots of food, and gives me a reason to look at the sump area and maybe avert some disaster. I'm just not sure about the ethics. That said, fish on a real reef become food, and most mandarins in the hobby don't do too well either. So at least he will be safe.

Tony

 

[angelsil]

Personally, I couldn't imagine not having my mandarins in my display tank and I'd find a new home for the six-line long before I relegated the mandy to the sump. But that's me. Is there lighting on your fuge? That would be the main issue I would think. Otherwise, it sounds like a nice place.

 

[biggs]

It's lit 24/7. I might cut that back some so he can get some shut-eye. Plus reversing it's hours with my normal lights might help curb daily pH shift.

He's in the return area though. I'm not sure if he would like the fuge part better. More pods there I guess. But he would eat them all too quick. In this chamber he gets all the ones that go over the wall. It's good too because if they get past the foam prefilter on the return pump, they probably get messed up by the impeller.

Tony

 

[Broodingwolf]

you defintely need to change it so he has a day and night cycle, or it will MAJORLY stress him out. I'd put him in the fuge... or take him back to the fish store or sell/trade to another reefer. Keeping him in a 24-7 lit plastic chamber is not a good home for him, imo.

 

[biggs]

It's not a plastic thing. Just half of a 15H tank. Turning off the lights is part of the plan if he stays. Plus I'll add a bunch more rock and stuff to make it nice for him. I'm even tempted to put some sand in there.

As far as sending him to a store goes, most customers who buy mandarins slowly starve the fish to death. He would have better chances in the back yard with the neighbor's cats.

I'll let him hang in the sump for now. When I have time I'll post something on here or CMAS looking for someone I think can handle it.

 

[biggs]

UPDATE.

Turns out my mandarin LOVES brine shrimp. I added a bunch of rock and made it pretty for him.

I was also thinking it would be cool to put a seahorse in with the mandarin. The only pump in there is a mag2, pushing a 4 foot head, so it's pretty low flow. But then I remembered you have to feed them twice a day.

Tony

 

[BucNtears]

I got rid of my sixline for the sake of my mandrain .
Why not put the sixline in the sump ?
Or you could exchange the sixline at the lfs ..

 

[AvalancheZ71]

How long should I have my 90g going before I add a mandarin? My live rock is years old, but the tank just got moved and I added a DSB. The lady at the LFS said I need to have it going for at least two years before adding a mandarin.