Mandarin Primer

Lightsluvr...in regards to your comments about them being "But there is also a 90% chance that every mandarin you put in a broom closet like you depict will die a slow death from starvation", I too was of this perception, until my tank reached a year old and I ordered a mardarin from Bluezooaquatics.com (a RC vendor here). shortly after i got him, and he got aquainted with the other 2 scooter blennies, i began noticing that he would eat some of the foods (frozen cyclopies, brine, mysis) prepared for my other residents. Bear in mind there are plenty of pods to spare in my tank. So i decided to call Mark Martin over at Bluezoo to thank him for such a great specimen and explain the amazing (which i thought) feat that the mandarin was doing. To my surprise, he explained to me that the 'feeding problem' which has been imbedded in our minds over time, can be fixed all together and its actually a practice Bluezoo prides itself in. And that is that they sell mandarins ONLY AFTER THEY HAVE EATEN PREPARED FOODS as descirbed above. So, if anyone still has persisting problems with these guys not eating...ASK YOURSELF!!!...did you buy 'em from the correct place? Bluezoo seems to be the only place i have ever heard of that takes care of their fish and customers in this way....they truely are the best place for livestock bar-none.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15213928#post15213928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dkirchoff
Lightsluvr...in regards to your comments about them being "But there is also a 90% chance that every mandarin you put in a broom closet like you depict will die a slow death from starvation", I too was of this perception, until my tank reached a year old and I ordered a mardarin from Bluezooaquatics.com (a RC vendor here). shortly after i got him, and he got aquainted with the other 2 scooter blennies, i began noticing that he would eat some of the foods (frozen cyclopies, brine, mysis) prepared for my other residents. Bear in mind there are plenty of pods to spare in my tank. So i decided to call Mark Martin over at Bluezoo to thank him for such a great specimen and explain the amazing (which i thought) feat that the mandarin was doing. To my surprise, he explained to me that the 'feeding problem' which has been imbedded in our minds over time, can be fixed all together and its actually a practice Bluezoo prides itself in. And that is that they sell mandarins ONLY AFTER THEY HAVE EATEN PREPARED FOODS as descirbed above. So, if anyone still has persisting problems with these guys not eating...ASK YOURSELF!!!...did you buy 'em from the correct place? Bluezoo seems to be the only place i have ever heard of that takes care of their fish and customers in this way....they truely are the best place for livestock bar-none.
Click to expand...

David,
That's good information. If I ever need to acquire another mandarin, I will certainly look at bluezoo.
My point remains that probably 95% of mandarins put in aquariums today come from LFS or online sellers who offer (recently) wild-caught specimens. Cute little mandarins are hard to resist when they are sold for less than $20 everywhere... As I observed previously, many of them are doomed to a slow death from starvation, due to insufficient live foods in their new homes.
Posts on here prove that you can teach a mandarin to accept frozen foods, but how many aquarists are willing (or able) to invest the time and attention it requires?

LL
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15213981#post15213981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aqua Keepers
Has anyone else purchased them from bluezoo? I don't want it to seem as if I don't believe them. I just trust actual numbers.
Click to expand...

I had never heard of them until I read the post above...

They have a very informative website, and their listing for dragonets includes this comment:

" Dragonets are exotic looking fish and although it is often offered to as a Goby it is not. Appropriate only for the experienced marine aquarists with a well-established system, the dragonets are an amazing fish frequently sought after in the hobby. They are very demanding in their requirements and, as such, are only recommended to the hobbyist prepared to provide for their needs. "

I agree with that caveat... differs from what the prior post would have us believe... makes no mention of not selling dragonets until they are eating prepared food...


LL
 
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The site also reads:


Curator's Note
Dragonets are incredibly difficult if not impossible to adapt to a captive diet and will rarely accept anything but the tiniest of live foods.
Dragonets should never be introduced to an aquarium smaller than 75 gallons and should equally never be introduced to an aquarium that is less than at LEAST 6 â€"œ 8 months old as it usually takes their main food source this amount of time to properly populate.
 
This primer is quite informative. Unfortunately... I never have a problem sustaining my mandarins appetites... but rather keeping them out of my skimmer pump :( (How they get in there is beyond me...)
 
nio i hear you guys on the points above, and thats why i never attempted to get one until my 120 was over a year old and full of pods....i only knew of them eating live only...but as my statement describes above...sometimes, you get really lucky. and thats why i decided to post my exeriences (especially in regards to bluezoo) cause for as much as i thought i loved this hobby, the guys over their @ BZ, take the cake and great passionate hobbyist that do a great job in research and care of specimens. so dont believe me...check em out and you'll see, the whole staff is really awesome and knowledgable...and thanks for the great discussions, i am still learning every day in hobby
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15218792#post15218792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aqua Keepers
if it's true, there's about to be a waiting list. I just sent them an email.
Click to expand...

Did you receive a reply?

LL
 
This thread is exactly what I've been looking for! Wow! I do have a couple of questions, though.

First, let's assume that I can get a mandarin that is trained to eat brine shrimp and other foods. (I actually saw one at my LFS - been there a week, eats live brine!) Let's assume that I've set up a refugium to provide pods. Let's assume that I've got a sump with extra LR. Let's assume that the tank has been running for six months at least. How many gallons should I provide for a singleton? How many should I budget in for it in a community tank?

Also, would mandarins be compatable with clowns from the percula complex?

Thanks! And if I missed this answer earlier in the thread, sorry. :rolleyes1:
 
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male or female?

male or female?

The one in back, is it a female, or a male that has not yet developed it's spike?

125081mandarin-re.jpg


These two were in a 15 gal tank in a fish store for a week and seemed to be getting along. I thought they were male and female, both about an inch and a half long. As soon as I put them in my tank, the one with the smaller dorsal (female?) grabbed the obvious male by the pectoral fin and held on for about a minute. They are acting aggressive toward one another, pushing, flaring up their fins and such. I don't know if this is aggression between two males, or the normal display/pecking order ritual between male and female.
 
While we are on the subject of sexual proclivities, the information on saltcorner.com says "Numerous females can be kept in the same aquarium, yet two males will fight until only one remains."
Anyone know for sure?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15213928#post15213928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dkirchoff To my surprise, he explained to me that the 'feeding problem' which has been imbedded in our minds over time, can be fixed all together and its actually a practice Bluezoo prides itself in. And that is that they sell mandarins ONLY AFTER THEY HAVE EATEN PREPARED FOODS as descirbed above. So, if anyone still has persisting problems with these guys not eating...ASK YOURSELF!!!...did you buy 'em from the correct place? Bluezoo seems to be the only place i have ever heard of that takes care of their fish and customers in this way....they truely are the best place for livestock bar-none. [/B]
Click to expand...

I received my pair of dragonets from BlueZoo last Friday.
BlueZoo never promised me they were trained on frozen food or anything so I didn't expect it.
I've been culturing brine shrimp and I also ordered live mysids and live black worms.
So far the only prepared food I've seen them eat is decapsulated brine shrimp eggs.
The female chewed a bit on frozen but always spits it back out.
Interestingly they like to sit in the feeding station:
feedingstation.jpg

But I think it is because the pods and brine are attracted to the food that lays in there so it's just more convenient for the dragonets to catch them there.
I am trying all kinds of frozen:
PE Mysis, Hikari Mysis, SBF Marine Cuisine, Rod's Food, etc.

The fish themselves look great! In fact all of the animals in my order were well packaged and in good health. The shipment also included a free acclimation kit (drip line, etc.). I would absolutely order from Blue Zoo again.
I think expecting trained Mandarins might be a little much though? I am sure they have a lot of fish and can't watch each of them individually, don't you think?
 
Re: Barry Mandarin

Re: Barry Mandarin

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15008620#post15008620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
Here's Barry: (also my avatar)

Barry03032008PB.jpg


LL
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Wow that is the most gorgeous mandarin. He's so healthy too. That is what I strive for!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15317452#post15317452 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by euromomtx
I received my pair of dragonets from BlueZoo last Friday.
BlueZoo never promised me they were trained on frozen food or anything so I didn't expect it.
I've been culturing brine shrimp and I also ordered live mysids and live black worms.
So far the only prepared food I've seen them eat is decapsulated brine shrimp eggs.
The female chewed a bit on frozen but always spits it back out.
Interestingly they like to sit in the feeding station:
feedingstation.jpg

But I think it is because the pods and brine are attracted to the food that lays in there so it's just more convenient for the dragonets to catch them there.
I am trying all kinds of frozen:
PE Mysis, Hikari Mysis, SBF Marine Cuisine, Rod's Food, etc.

The fish themselves look great! In fact all of the animals in my order were well packaged and in good health. The shipment also included a free acclimation kit (drip line, etc.). I would absolutely order from Blue Zoo again.
I think expecting trained Mandarins might be a little much though? I am sure they have a lot of fish and can't watch each of them individually, don't you think?
Click to expand...

I agree with the fact it would be difficult for blue zoo to watch each Mandarin unless they had a person designated to that. Even so, it would be costly to them to make such a claim as we all know that there would be many Mandarins that would not eat prepared foods.
The fact that yours likes to hang out in the feeding station is a very good sign that it will at least experiment with foods.
 
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