mandarin

[boozerell]

I saw two mandarins in the LFS, looking pretty thin. They did eat brine shrimp in the store, so I decided to get them. I figured I'd try to help them, but know it could be a lost cause. The one is doing okay, searching the rockwork and so forth. The other is moving a little slower. I was told they are male and female. My tank has a lot of pods and my refuge is full of them too.
Anyone out there with experience on these? I pulled out the issue from Coral magazine on mandarins, but wondered if anyone on here had any success?

 

[Murphs205]

if you have pods ,,they will find them and should be ok

 

[itZme]

It might be a good idea to put them into your fuge so they can feast for a week or two until you feel they are healthy enough for the display. I have a few of them in my system but no lack of food with the maturity of the tanks.

You can check out melevsreef.com for his design of a "mandarin feeder" that might help them get the nutrition they need before being eaten by other occupants of your tank.

There's also the theory of building a little mound of rock rubble then seeding it with a bottle of copepods so they have little nooks and crannies to hide in and reproduce inside your display. The madarin will supposedly hang out there waiting for stray pods to leave the safety of the "pod pile"

Good luck!

EDIT: found the link http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

 

[boozerell]

Thanks Kevin. I'm thinking they are not male, female, but instead two females. It's hard to tell on the one, because it's not raising it's dorsal fin. Will they fight? I'll read Melv's article.
Thanks.

 

[GROWSZOAS]

Are these the two that were at best in pets?

 

[boozerell]

Yep. Felt sorry for them. Probably dumb, but I'll try...don't really have high hopes. Both are moving around the tank better and I'm making melev's diner. Thinking about putting one in the refuge, as Kevin suggested.

 

[itZme]

If they make it through and turn out to be both females I would gladly trade you a nice sized male for one of them if you are interested. My kids love our mandarins I think I will be combining all the tanks soon and can't have all the males together.

I have my fingers crossed for your fish.

 

[aquatictec]

mandarin food

mandarin food

most mandarins as well as most fish will eat a refrigerated food called arctipods. Diod you see them eating brine shrimp at the store? was it live or frozen? Live brine shrimp is not very nutritional unles you are feeding the brine shrimp something first. If they are eating frozen brine try the omega enriched brine shrimp by san francisco bay brands

good luck

 

[boozerell]

I did see them eat the brine shrimp, but it was alive. I'll try the arctipods. I have eggs to hatch brine shrimp, what would I feed them to enrich them? I have selcon to add to food.

 

[itZme]

Eileen, I have Arctipods if you would like to try them and I also have some Nutramar Prawn Roe that is the perfect sized for mandarins. It even has one on the label.

 

[boozerell]

Thanks Kevin, I'd like to try it. I was going to run out for this later.