Have you tried setting up a "mandarin diner" with a glass jar? Place the food in the jar. It is suppose to let the mandarin eat at its own pace.
ORA Mandarin Dragonets!!!!!
- Thread starter Jordani
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Have you tried setting up a "mandarin diner" with a glass jar? Place the food in the jar. It is suppose to let the mandarin eat at its own pace.
pweissma
Member
Thanks for the suggestion. I followed up on the idea and put mine in a tupperware container. First I had it floating and then I put it on the return tubes in my Solana held it in place with my mag cleaner. I left it open but he didn't swim out. The idea was to create a small environment with lots of food. I figured the container to be similar to his environment at ORA in some regards but netting and changing his envirnment had to cause some some stress. In the container I put some crushed spectrum, ova, and pods. He ate NOTHIN! I saw some pods swim right across his face and he didn't move. I was able to get a good look at him from the top and he's getting skinny.
Sorry, to hear that he is still not eating. I think most mandarins usually don't eat food moving in the water column. I usually see them eat stuff that is mostly stationary, like pods/food on rocks and glass. You may want to try the frozen Hikari bloodworms.
velvetelvis
Active member
sorry to hear the fish died. at least you did everything you can to save the fish.
I find it hard to believe anyone would catch the fish in the wild one at a time. I don't usually believe everything I read on the internet. I lived in the Philippines for over 20 years, and I can say nobody there would ever be named ding dong.There is a very good reason internet links (even wikipedia) are not acceptable as references in academic research papers.
Actually, I recently read an article by Matt Wittenrich (in CORAL Magazine) in which he confirms that this method is used to catch mandarins in the wild. That's not all the bad news, though...the collectors also go for the biggest, most colorful males, thus reducing the vigor and viability of the breeding population. This article goes into more detail:
http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com/wiki/Mandarin_Harvest_Realities
pweissma
Member
Here's a current picture of my guy. Not the greatest shot but more importantly I don't think it looks like a fish that hasn't eaten in 2 weeks. Figure he must be eating pods. I also think I had success with putting a small 1/2" x 1/2" piece of Ova in the tank near him. (Yes frozen Ova sinks.) From an inch or two away he did a few huge sucks that stirred the gravel around him certainly pulling in some Ova. I was able to drop the Ova from just below the surface. Invading his space with a syringe may have been stressing him. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with him now. Just hope he starts swimming around more.
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I find it hard to believe anyone would catch the fish in the wild one at a time. I don't usually believe everything I read on the internet. I lived in the Philippines for over 20 years, and I can say nobody there would ever be named ding dong.
Where did you live in the Philippines? It is a very diverse country with 7000+ islands. Did you live in any of the fishing regions? I was born and raised in Manila and visited the provinces (mainly Bicol). I have relatives with nicknames like Bad-dong and Jing. Therefore, a nickname like Ding Dong is not a far fetched nickname. Also, it is not hard to believe at all that local fishermen would catch fish one-at-a-time given the poverty in the Philippines. On my last visit to a Bicol beach, a fisherman approached us selling his one catch for the day (I think it was a large parrot fish) and offered to cook it with a some rice.
Regarding citation...just because it's a posting on the Internet does not mean it should be discredited. I cited the link because it was consistent with my personal experience and the author appeared to write from first hand experience. And as velvetelvis pointed out above, accounts of the spearing Mandarin practice is documented by other sources.
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Reef Keeper 14
New member
I got my mandarin in early july. the first five days all he ate was pods and just a little mysis shrimp. Now he gobbles down frozen food during feeding time and eats pods during the day. hes really fat now. also have him in there with a small red scooter blenny that eats frozen foods too
basser1
New member
That's good news! Is yours an ORA mandarin or wild caught?
Just lost mine as well.
Just lost mine as well.
My ORA mandarin (brought home July 18th) is now missing for two days, and believed dead as well. As many here, he appeared to pick at pods (of which there were and still are many visible in the tank) but would never take any prepared food (small pellet, blood worms, brine shrimp, cyclops) despite the use of a 'mandarin diner' described here and elsewhere. Very disappointing! I had always avoided WC mandarins, but hoped for a better outcome from a tank-raised fish.
Just lost mine as well.
My ORA mandarin (brought home July 18th) is now missing for two days, and believed dead as well. As many here, he appeared to pick at pods (of which there were and still are many visible in the tank) but would never take any prepared food (small pellet, blood worms, brine shrimp, cyclops) despite the use of a 'mandarin diner' described here and elsewhere. Very disappointing! I had always avoided WC mandarins, but hoped for a better outcome from a tank-raised fish.
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Reef Keeper 14
New member
basser1 mine was an ORA spotted mandarin male. He is really fat and loves mysis shrimp and brine shrimp and bloodworms.
Reef Keeper 14
New member
Your mandarin doesnt look that skinny in the picture. He looks like he will be fine.
d0ughb0y
Active member
Reef Keeper 14
New member
I believe that most mandarin fish are speared too. Here is a link of the detailed process to make the speargun.
http://coralmorphologic.com/b/mandarinfishpart2
http://coralmorphologic.com/b/mandarinfishpart2
CJO
New member
pweissma
Member
Thanks!:bounce3:
Reef Keeper 14
New member
velvetelvis
Active member
Are you implying that (A) a native of the Philippines doesn't know what he's talking about when he discusses his home country; and (B) a well-known and respected breeder just flat-out lied, in two different sources? (This month's TFH has an article by Wittenrich in which he again discusses the collection of wild dragonets.)
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