Mandarin Primer

[ddinox64]

I'm currently feeding frozen brine and Mysid. I use the medicine dropper because after the food thaws it's easier to drop food in different locations because of the speed of the Chromis and Six Line compared to the Clowns I have.

The Manadrin would usualy ignore the frozen food as it floated pass him until one day I noticed him eat some/one. Then out of haste I over fed just to make sure he was able to get in on some of it. I saw him eating some in a little eddy at the top left corner and so I just stuck the tip in, squeezed a little, and bingo, he ate it.

This works out because the casualness(made that up, you can use it)of their eating habits. I'm able to squirt some in the current where the other fish go nuts, then right back to him without reloading, it kind of swirls about in this corner so he has to work a little. Then like a Pirahna the Six Line manages to get his nose in there and steal some.

 

[biger]

Can mandarins survive on only pods? I have thousands that come out at night but don't ever seem to see any during the day except the ones that get shot out from return pumps. All my fish seem to eat pods if they see them in the water column but don't actively hunt them.

 

[cadillaking]

does anyone have info on red mandarins.

 

[ddinox64]

I don't know anything. I just posted I got very lucky on mine eating. As far as fish hunting them? My Six Line and Mandarin always seem on the prowl. My Copepod population was major. So much so you would see them all day long and it looked as though the sand was moving.

My sand was clean and so was my rock. Introduce the Six Line, and now it's like you said, only in the dark do I see any.

 

[biger]

I think I made a big mistake. I took the LFS advice about not QTing a mandarin and I have read on this thread that you don't need to QT them. Now my tang appears to have ich. What a pain.
Don't do it. Not worth it. I should have known better and will never not QT again.

 

[ddinox64]

Manadrins are not prone to diseases because they secrete a slime that protects them. But this doen't mean they can't possibly transmit disease. Or does it?

That's one for the pros to answer.

 

[biger]

I believe now that just because they don't get ich doesn't mean they can't carry it. It is the only explanation because I haven't added anything else to my DT for months (fish, corals. or inverts) and a week or 2 after adding the mandarin my tang starts showing symptoms of ich.

If I had it to do over I would QT the mandarin for at least 2 months without meds to make sure anything it might be carrying had gone thru it's cycle.

 

[lildraken]

my experience has been different. I left my display tank fallow EXCEPT for my mandarin for a month. The fish have never showed any signs of ich afterwards so either I got lucky or the mandarin was not able to host the parasites.
it could be possible that the water that transported the mandarin contained the dinoflagellate stage of the disease.

 

[biger]

That is possible. I acclimated and then netted the mandarin to put him in and it could have been in the water and then on the net.

 

[ScottL4619]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14347421#post14347421 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by biger
I think I made a big mistake. I took the LFS advice about not QTing a mandarin and I have read on this thread that you don't need to QT them. Now my tang appears to have ich. What a pain.
Don't do it. Not worth it. I should have known better and will never not QT again.

This is most likely because there is already ich in your system and generally, the immunity of the fish you have can keep them at bay. But, the tang gets stressed a bit when a new fish is added, and its immune system lacks a bit. I have had my blue tang now for 4 years and almost every time I make a change to the tank (moving rocks, adding fish), (s)he will get just a couple spots of ich. They will disappear in a couple of days generally. I'm pretty sure I have read other threads that mention similar stories.

Since I'm already here, I did also want to add a question. What is the best way to add a male mandy to my established female. I have had her for about 18 months and she's fat and happy. There are still loads of pods everywhere, so I feel that my system is capable of supporting a pair. Any tips?

 

[biger]

This is most likely because there is already ich in your system and generally, the immunity of the fish you have can keep them at bay. But, the tang gets stressed a bit when a new fish is added, and its immune system lacks a bit. I have had my blue tang now for 4 years and almost every time I make a change to the tank (moving rocks, adding fish), (s)he will get just a couple spots of ich. They will disappear in a couple of days generally. I'm pretty sure I have read other threads that mention similar stories.

Since I'm already here, I did also want to add a question. What is the best way to add a male mandy to my established female. I have had her for about 18 months and she's fat and happy. There are still loads of pods everywhere, so I feel that my system is capable of supporting a pair. Any tips?

__________________
Scott

I don't agree with this statement at all. I took great pains to QT everything that ever went into this tank period. It had been running for at least 3 months without any additions of anything at all and no signs of ich ever. Then shortly after adding the mandarin this happened. Just coincident? I don't think so.
It is possible to have an ich free tank.
It has to be introduced at some point.

 

[ScottL4619]

Well, I guess if you QT'd everything for 6 weeks (the length of time you need to leave a tank fallow to rid yourself of ich), then it could have been brought in with the mandarin. Have you added any corals or anything from someones tank?

I don't see ich in my tank for months and months at a time. And my blue tang is the only fish I ever see spots on when stressed. I have also read similar experiences from others, so I thought I would give you another option to think about...

 

[biger]

Hey Scott, I understand what you are saying and didn't mean to come across harsh.
It is just frustrating when all this hard work can be wasted with one small mistake.
I have QT'd everything that went into this tank from the beginning, corals, fish and inverts.
I appreciate your input and thanks for posting. That's what we go here for.

 

[ScottL4619]

I understand completely. I missed some aiptasia on a frag a while back and now I cannot get rid of it. It's just very rare to bring ich in on a mandarin and wanted to offer you some ideas based on my experience

 

[biger]

Thanks Scott. BTW I was able to get rid of aptasia in one of my tanks with Aptasia X. Took a while but I kept after them and finally got rid of them.

 

[simonjensen]

Poor practice

Poor practice

Just wanted to mention something disturbing relating to mandarins. I was in a local shop a month ago and i **** u not they had about 40,if not more in a tank about 2ftx15inx18in. It really was a sad sight. I purchased the healthiest one and he's doing great eating brine, mysis and constantly scavenging. I returned the other day and 90% were gone, i'm sure they didnt sell them all but i am sure they died a horrible death.I find this type of practice disappointing and really unnecessary seems the life of such a beautiful fish is practically worthless. Maybe time for an industry shake up.

 

[ScottL4619]

Anyone have any advice on my earlier question? What is the best way to add a male mandarin to an already established (for 18 months) female?

 

[biger]

OK, I am planning on taking fish out of DT and treating in QT.
Do you guys think it will work to leave the mandarin in the DT w/no other fish for 8 weeks and still get rid of this ich in my DT?

 

[Lightsluvr]

Back on topic

Back on topic

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14406947#post14406947 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ScottL4619
Anyone have any advice on my earlier question? What is the best way to add a male mandarin to an already established (for 18 months) female?

This is not a thread on blue tangs and ich, so I hope that you get an answer to your very good question. I will follow along in hopes that you do.

On the flip side, I would also like to comments on adding a female to a large tank (180G) with an established male green mandarin...

LL

 

[biger]

That is true but it is a thread about mandarins and the claim has been made in this thread that mandarins can't get ich. So I think it is appropriate to ask my previous question about weather or not it would be safe to leave the mandarin in the DT without any other fish for the appropriate amount of time to get rid of it.

lildraken said that he has done it and I just wanted to see what other peoples experience was.