Mandarins keeping alive for more than 6-7yrs

[godsdoc]

Paul, I really like the baby brine shrimp feeder, great idea.

 

[nanomania]

If you don't have a lot of "wild" pods I don't think it is a good idea to get a mandarin.
As the tank ages it will get more pods.

Yup, thts why im planning on ATS and dose plankton every alternate day... so i get a mad pod population... once im satisfied with the pods, then ill buy a mandarin (maybe a pair if available) brine will be fed every alternate day or weekends just to save on some pods...

 

[Denzil]

Does having an ATS significantly increase the pod population? How would you really know for certain? I know I'm not convinced, yet.

 

[MandarinFan]

@Whisperer - my female looks the same with a huge belly while my male doesn't have round belly he is still plump. I had thought this might be something to do with mating, do you have a male in the tank?

@MandarinFan - I get a gauge on my pod population by shining a flashlight at night in holes/caves and will often see what looks to be swarms of gnats.

J2T - Perfect, thank you for the description! That helps a lot.

Whisperer - I appreciate your input as well. Does your mandarin have a name?

 

[nanomania]

Does having an ATS significantly increase the pod population? How would you really know for certain? I know I'm not convinced, yet.

all the people using ATS, have got their population of pods increase like crazy, dont know why but they did... so was planning on it too, will help me feeding plankton daily or every alternate day without affecting the water quality......

 

[syrinx]

The original addey ATS design, which was above the tank- did vastly increase pods, as they were flushed into the tank directly. This is also the case of the true refugiums which were located behind or above tank- in either case where water was pumped up to them and gravity returned to tank. While it is true that sumps with cheato and ATS designs for in sump may get a few more pods in the display-it is much less efficient. Its a case of history being forgotton- and the good points of the old system are being attributed to the new, and lesser system. In a sump ATS is no better than cheato at pod production, nor nitrate reduction-0 is 0. Its what you like and whatever is easier and cheaper to do. As far as pods in a tank of your size-even if the water was grey with pods, the manderin would eventually out compete them. You are destined to find supplemental food in smaller tanks.

 

[nanomania]

The original addey ATS design, which was above the tank- did vastly increase pods, as they were flushed into the tank directly. This is also the case of the true refugiums which were located behind or above tank- in either case where water was pumped up to them and gravity returned to tank. While it is true that sumps with cheato and ATS designs for in sump may get a few more pods in the display-it is much less efficient. Its a case of history being forgotton- and the good points of the old system are being attributed to the new, and lesser system. In a sump ATS is no better than cheato at pod production, nor nitrate reduction-0 is 0. Its what you like and whatever is easier and cheaper to do. As far as pods in a tank of your size-even if the water was grey with pods, the manderin would eventually out compete them. You are destined to find supplemental food in smaller tanks.

well HOB refuge is impossible for me coz i dont get big HOB in my country... I cant even go for sump... so was planning to run my system fishless for 1-2months feeding plankton everyday/every other day... once im satisfied with pods, ill add mandarin + ill be feeding new hatched brine every alternate day as a supplement/treats....... if 2 mandarins are too many, will add only 1 first then see...

 

[small alien]

Iv read many forums and most of them have kept mandarins alive for 3-4yrs. In reality mandarins live for 10-15yrs.. i would like to know from people who have kept mandarins alive for more that 6-7yrs or maybe 10yrs and more, and have been successful (bred in tank)..... would like to know how they took care as i dont like my fishes to die early due to my fault or carelessness.....

When you say "in reality mandarins live for 10-15 years", where did you get that info? Cheers.

 

[Denzil]

all the people using ATS, have got their population of pods increase like crazy, dont know why but they did... so was planning on it too, will help me feeding plankton daily or every alternate day without affecting the water quality......

Hrm, I'm considering of pod loading my tank once it's been set up and cycled. Would love to have an extremely well established pod population with the hopes that it can keep up with consumption (although unlikely).

 

[nanomania]

When you say "in reality mandarins live for 10-15 years", where did you get that info? Cheers.

Just type mandarin fish life span on google.......

anyways here are a few links....:

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Dragonets/greenmandarinfish.php
http://www.kellywalkottenphotography.com/blog/mandarin-fish/

 

[nanomania]

Hey guys, can i add skunk cleaner shrimps? i guess if they breed, the fry will be another form of food source too... so live pods, new baby brine and shrimp fry..... what that be good enough? will feed skunk shrimps cyclop...

 

[J2T]

You can add them but honestly not sure how much of the fry the mandarins will ever see. My shrimp only ever release their's awhile after lights out while my mandarin's are 'sleeping' and I have never seen any left in the mornings after all of my other fish have heartily eaten them.

 

[nanomania]

hey the only fish in the tank will be a pair of mandarin..