Manderin Dragonett

[chibopelu13]

what is the best way to train a Mandarin Dragonett to eat mysis shrimp???

i don't have enough pods for him and want him to eat mysis

 

[BangkokMatt]

Have just answered in your reef discussion thread

 

[cl2ysta1]

if you didnt have enough pods you shouldnt of bought him. I would suggest setting up a fuge and transferring cheato into the main tank every few days.. or giving him to someone with a large pod population and larger tank

 

[EllieSuz]

Are we to understand that you put a Mandarin in a five month old 14 gallon tank? Did you do any research on this fish before you bought it? Even if you decided to upgrade to a larger tank, it would be months before your refugium could accumulate enough pods to sustain this fish. I understand the urge to purchase a Mandarin. I'd like one in my tank more than any other fish I could name, but a 40 gal like mine just doesn't cut the mustard. "Teaching" these fish to eat frozen food is a hit and miss proposition. Please do the right thing for it and sell it to somebody with a mature large tank before it starves.

 

[chibopelu13]

i understand no need to be hostile

when i bought it from my LFS it was trained to eat mysis and i saw it eating the mysis it was feed but now it doesn't do it

sorry, i am selling him, but please no needs to attack me for a poor lasp of judgment

 

[cl2ysta1]

not being hostile.. most people get that way because TONS of these fish die of starvation. THis is just your first learning lesson on researching fish heavily before you buy them. your doing the right thing.

 

[Lightsluvr]

A bit of advice...

A bit of advice...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12527034#post12527034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chibopelu13
i understand no need to be hostile

when i bought it from my LFS it was trained to eat mysis and i saw it eating the mysis it was feed but now it doesn't do it

sorry, i am selling him, but please no needs to attack me for a poor lasp of judgment

One additional piece of advice to consider...if I were in your shoes, I would never, ever return to the LFS that told you a mandarin was "trained" to eat mysis... They are either terribly misinformed or outright liars...

JMHO...

LL

P.S. - don't give up on the hobby because of this one misadventure... there is a lot of great advice on this forum, and there are a lot of honest, informed LFS out there. When you have a tank with at least 100 pounds of mature live rock (no less than six months old), you'll be good to go for your mandarinfish. Good luck.

 

[EllieSuz]

I apologize if I seemed hostile to you. That was not my intention. I just hate to see these beautiful fish slowly starve to death. I'm in total agreement that your LFS should be ashamed to have led you to this purchase...anything to make a buck.

 

[BangkokMatt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12526946#post12526946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cl2ysta1
if you didnt have enough pods you shouldnt of bought him. I would suggest setting up a fuge and transferring cheato into the main tank every few days.. or giving him to someone with a large pod population and larger tank

I really like the idea of transfering cheato into the main tank. Not thought of that. I assume you could just give it a good shake and release loads of pods.

 

[Zaita]

Re: A bit of advice...

Re: A bit of advice...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12527094#post12527094 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
One additional piece of advice to consider...if I were in your shoes, I would never, ever return to the LFS that told you a mandarin was "trained" to eat mysis... They are either terribly misinformed or outright liars...

JMHO...

LL

P.S. - don't give up on the hobby because of this one misadventure... there is a lot of great advice on this forum, and there are a lot of honest, informed LFS out there. When you have a tank with at least 100 pounds of mature live rock (no less than six months old), you'll be good to go for your mandarinfish. Good luck.

It is possible the mandarin was eating in the shop. But on introduction to the tank it would've taken to the few pods available. With the availability of live food they will more than likely stop eating prepared.

But yea, 14g is NO way going to support a mandarin. A 14g Refugium on a 50g Tank would be more ideal.

 

[Chibils]

Additionally, mandarins are scavengers. They can eat frozen mysis, but unless you feed them 50 times a day, they will be unhealthy. Pods are the only realistic way to sustain them long-term.

 

[snorvich]

I agree with all of the advice above. The reason that many posters, myself included, post strongly is as EllieSuz says, many people kill these fish through inadequate research and many LFS sell them in what many consider an unethical way. Two of my four eat mysis and other frozen but they would never survive with copepods.

 

[block head]

mandarins are alot of work and a little luck. a 14g tank really stacks the deck against you. the mandarin police will fight you the entire time. it can be done , but you really have to do your homework. taking the fish back is a good idea either way. good luck.

 

[BangkokMatt]

The word 'Police' should be banned from RC

 

[block head]

i agree, rc needs to be more anal retentive