mandarin

[ZCCRX]

I have a mandarin in my 58gal with 65-70lbs LR. I do not have a fuge. I added her after the tank was well established, (~7 months), and had a strong pod population. She was a little thin when I first got her but now she is quite plump and very healthy. I have never seen her eat any of the food that I put in the tank for the other fish, she just eats what she hunts. Do you think this is a fair set-up for her?

 

[snorvich]

You are borderline but if it is working, you should be good.

 

[Arati]

I think the best advice to give any reefer who has to ask , is the advice that snorvich and I, are giving. If you need to ask, then you prolly arent ready for a mandarin. lots of us go to extremes to keep difficult fish, that isnt the norm and shouldnt be encouraged, or advised without a good warning.

Not to hijack but id like to see how the split works between target and green mandarin. I think alot of these my mandarind is doing great and eats mcdonalds, are spot mandarins owners. ime green mandarin are much harder to keep.

 

[snorvich]

I have both. 3 greens, one target. One of my greens will eat whatever goes in the tank. 2 will only eat copepods. The target eats copepods and possibly flatworms (before I eradicated them) and will chase mysis.

Interestingly enough, the target mandarins that I have seen available seem to be the healthiest whereas more greens seem to come in unable to hunt.

 

[timthetoolman]

I agree with the rest - I wouldn't want to kill one of these fish. I've had them in the past and they don't do well unless they can graze for live foods and I'm not sure if supplementing pods will work. IF you're lucky you can spot the malnutrition early but I doubt it.
I don't know if you will have enough bio life in that small of a tank to keep the pods healthy even if you did add them.

 

[snorvich]

Arati and timthetoolman echo my advice. In general, smallish tanks will not sustain mandarins in the long run.

 

[jettster]

I have a green mandrine in a 58 with alot of live rock. i feed 2 cubes of hakari spiralina enhanced brine shrimp every day. my mandrine is growing but not as fat as i would like. I wouldn't put one in a smaller tank