Hello, I'd just like to ask someone who has already bought a ORA mandarin, before I buy one. Do these mandarins really eat processed foods, because this will be my first time buying from ORA. I currently have 2 WC mandarins that I have trained, but I want to get a third one, however I am not up to training, and spending the money, so I would like to know if the ORA mandarins really eat processed foods. It will be worth the extra cash I pay when I am not going out to buy copepods that break the bank every two days.
ORA Dragonette
- Thread starter IMMA KYAA
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Like any other aquarium fish, there is no guarantee that it will eat. Because they are captive-bred, there is a better chance that they will eat processed foods than a wild Mandarin, but I've heard from a couple of people that their ORA fish didn't eat and eventually died.
davocean
Active member
[welcome]
Due to their metabolism, and constant need for pods(like 3-4 per minute) I would never rely on prep'd food as a sole source to sustain a mandarin.
Prep'd food eating/training will help, but they will still need plenty of pods for long term success.
Hopefully your tank is big enough and has enough LR and fuge to support 3 mandarin's.
Also, there should be just one male, or they will fight, a harem of females is OK.
Due to their metabolism, and constant need for pods(like 3-4 per minute) I would never rely on prep'd food as a sole source to sustain a mandarin.
Prep'd food eating/training will help, but they will still need plenty of pods for long term success.
Hopefully your tank is big enough and has enough LR and fuge to support 3 mandarin's.
Also, there should be just one male, or they will fight, a harem of females is OK.
How does 260 gallons and no other fish sound? My WC mandarins eat prepared food, but I prefer that their diet be split like you said davocean, however my mandarins as ive noticed gorge themselves on the food I give, and then rarely eat after, I tried not giving food , and they would eat the copepods, but it seems to me as if my mandarins prefer processed food. So back to my question, should I just buy a WC because the ORAs are not worth it? btw I fell in love with mandarins a year ago, so I placed my pair of clarkiis in a seperate tank with purple firefish, and donated the whole tank to mandarins. While I am on the topic, which fishes are compatible in a 260 gallon mandarin tank?
mscarpena
New member
I would just get a wild caught one. 260 gallon tank should be large enough to support 3 provided there is plenty of LR and plenty of pods. Any fish that is non aggressive is compatible. Most gobies, reef safe wrasses, dart fish, tangs, , and dwarf angles to name a few. Also you may not know your mandrins are eating, but I am sure they eat almost all the time. Every time they stop and peck at the LR they are eating. Mine ate constantly.
Rytek
New member
I bought an ORA manny and he never ate any food, as in had no interest regardless. The worst part is I have live pods that could nearly eat a fish they are so big (not really) and he never even ate a live pod. it was sad.... he passed a few weeks later. I think he was totally confused
divewsharks
Active member
My ORA green mandarin eats pods from the rocks and frozen mysis. He's actually become quite the aggressive mysis eater.
I house my mandarin with 2 blue-stripe pipefish, an Erectus seahorse, a purple firefish and 2 fire shrimp.
I house my mandarin with 2 blue-stripe pipefish, an Erectus seahorse, a purple firefish and 2 fire shrimp.
I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I bought my ORA green mandarin when they first shipped. It has been eating small spectrum pellets from the beginning, and it does hunt around for pods. I keep the mandarin in a low flow LPS and softie tank with a lot of live rock and rubble in a fuge to encourage a steady supply of pods.
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