New additions . . .

lcs

lcs

It's Spring!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday to me!! A starry blenny and green mandarin.

Well, I did it. I went ahead and got a green mandarin. Gulp! (If it doesn't work out, I blame EllieSuz! ;)). He did eat frozen brine at the store so that's good, but he's a little thin for my taste. Hopefully I can keep him healthy.

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Hello!!
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Showing his state of thinness, what do you all think?
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The blenny . . .
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In QT . . .
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he doesn't look super thin. Keep trying to feed him the frozen brine. Soak it in a vitamin supplement for some extra yummy goodness. My mandarin used to eat formula 1 and 2 pellets I would feed to my clowns and tang.
 
I'm sorry to say he looks pretty thin, especially in that last photo. Once they start downhill it's difficult to sustain them. Is he hunting? Is he finding pods? Make yourself a feeding tube like this one:

<a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/albums/kk179/EllieSuz/?action=view&current=2011-01-28131521.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk179/EllieSuz/2011-01-28131521.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Make it long enough to reach the bottom of your tank and direct the brine shrimp he's used to right in front of him. I use Hikari enriched brine shrimp because it doesn't need to be rinsed. Distract your other fish by injecting some brine in another area of your tank. Crank up your skimmer so you can feed him several times a day. Buy some new pods and introduce half to your Display and half to the refugium section of your sump. Turn off all pumps so they have a few minutes to settle into the rock. Good luck.
 
I do have a feeding tube like yours; I made it a couple days after I was at your place to target feed my LPS. I tried to feed him when I put him in the tank, but he wasn't interested and I'm not surprised.

I haven't seen him hunt, but I took the pictures after he was in the tank for only about an hour. I have a small CPR hang on fuge that is full of life, between that an established tank, and spot feeding several times a day, I'll be able to sustain him.

I'm going to prepare a batch of food just for him - soaked brine and a little mysis and maybe Rod's.
 
Even if you can for now get him live Copepods and I think that will help him get pecking again to fill up his empty stomach. Just another way to try and get him back on track. I love that Blenny. He is funny staring around that corner.
 
Mine was looking a little thin maybe even a little more than yours I hatched some brine shrimp for him twice a week for a month or so and now he looks fine.I haven't done it for a few weeks but he is still looking filled out and those little ridges on his sides are gone and my other fish liked them too.
 
I tried frozen brine this morning and he nibbled a bit. He's been pecking at the rocks some.

I have the equipment to hatch brine, so I'll start doing that and add some 'pods to the DT and the 'fuge to help things out.

Thanks so much for the ideas! I certainly don't want to lose him for lack of trying.
 
Cool fish, I'd like to get a mandarin at some point.

Eileen, where did you get the rigid tube for your feeding tube?
 
Eileen, where did you get the rigid tube for your feeding tube?
Click to expand...
I'm not Eileen, but I play her on TV . . . ha!

I picked mine up at Petco. They come in 36" lengths. I've used it for the feeding tube and for my cyano sucker-upper.
 
Marine Oasis usually has it. Give them a call first to be sure.

I've been calling it rigid airline tubing, but now I know it's really a sucker upper. You learn something new every day on URS. lol
 
Update

Update

There's been good news and bad news. First the bad news . . . the starry blenny died of mysterious causes last night. He was looking stressed last night - colors off, rapid breathing - and I found him dead this morning. He was just starting to settle in and was eating. Oh well, maybe he was too small and too stressed from the shipping.

Now the good news . . . I think the mandarin is actually putting on a bit of weight and has been sporadically accepting food from a feeding tube. :bounce3: When I can keep the cleaner shrimp away. I'm serously considering putting the shrimp in a box while I feed; he'd be easy to catch since he's all over my hand everytime I put it in the tank. I've been giving the chaeto in the 'fuge a shake every day to put more stuff in the DT too.

Keep your fingers crossed that the mandarin continues to eat!
 
Made a decision . . .

Made a decision . . .

All I've been able to think about is this mandarin and getting him to eat. I've been trying three times a day since last Wednesday and he's only nibbled twice. I'm thinking I should find another home for him, but I'm not sure going back to the LFS would be better than keeping him. I'm not feeling at all confident that I can keep him alive. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it seems the normal way with these fish.

Is there anyone here who could provide the proper home for him?
 
I have tons of rock an active and thriving fuge and a female that Is as fat as any mandarin I've ever seen I'm not sure how 2 in a 120 will get along but I'll do some research



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Looks like male/male combos are no good. In your pic it looks to be a male and I def have a female. If you decide to re-home it what do you want for it?? More trades? :)


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