Mandarins

[hansnfrans]

I see that a few of y'all keep mandarins and that you guys keep them in tanks that are smaller than what is recommended for a mandarin. I gotta know, how do you do it? I've been reading that a mandarin should have at least a 120gal tank w/ at least 1.5lbs of LR per gallon in order to keep the pods reproducing faster than the mandarin eats 'em. I would like to keep a mandarin in a 46 gallon tank and it appears that it might be possible as long as I set up a refugium. Do you think that a 10 gallon refugium with 15lbs or LR, a 4-5inch sand bed, some chaeto, and 24w of 6500K PC lighting is sufficient?

 

[Sk8r]

If you have a refugium of a size *or productivity* to make up that water volume, you're ok. I supplement with tigger-pods from Reef Nutrition (wonderful people!) once a month. If you can get that refugium lousy with pods (add some live rock to it: they reproduce, I'm told, where the live rock meets the sand bed) then good. Feed with phytoplankton. I have a 52 wedge with a ten gallon sump and no refugium, but lots of rock. All my fish will eat pods: the mandarin scarfs them down bigtime. I spend 60.00 a month on them, but I am building back my pod base from a chemi-clean event, and I think I am gaining on it: I consider if you get a critter, you feed 'im, even if things happened you didn't plan on---like cyano...and beware of any tank treatment that may blitz the pods, and be prepared to take measures to see him fed if you have to. I just converted 1/3 of my sump to a refugium, and hope for better.

 

[amaggot]

FWIW I have kept a Mandarin for over 2 years in a 50 gallon tank. I have about #125 of live rock 192watts of PC lighting and the smallest aquafuge. The mandarin along with 2 clown fish are the only fish I have though, so my demand on the Pods is pretty small. The mandarin seems to get plenty of Pods as it is on a very rare occasion that he will eat the Formula1 that makes its way to the bottom of the tank. I am not saying that the everyone else is wrong and you can keep one in a goldfish bowl with no problems, just what has worked for me.

 

[ONEMANBAND]

Its also about what else you keep in the tank, as opposed to how many gallons or lbs of rock. If you keep other pod eaters like a 6-line wrasse in the tank it will outcompete the mandarin for pods. If you have enough pods you will know as you will see them running all over the rocks.

 

[Zoalander]

2 words, Rod's Food.

 

[hansnfrans]

yeah, I heard someone here mention that their mandarin that they were selling was eating Rod's Food. How much is that stuff? How big of a container?

 

[imbuggin]

mine

mine

had mine 5 years or so (he is huge and fat). Loves frozen mysis and will eat rod's food. Once they start to take frozen you are set. My scooter is the same way now.

 

[yahutch]

both of mine love frozen mysis . it took one a couple months longer than the other to take it . so make sure you have live foods for them just in case .

 

[Zoalander]

Rod's food is $20 I believe and lasts me about 6 months. It's alot of food.

 

[Edward Smith]

I have a 210 tank and feed it very heavaly. $20 of food lasts at least two months and if I feed the tank more moderatly, it would last about three months. Keep in mind, this is the only food I use to feed my corals and fish. I havn't found any other nutrition necessary.