ORA Mandarin

[bamf25]

Does anyone have esperience with these tank bred fish. I know the wild ones are difficult. How do these new bred fish compair?

 

[mark54321]

I recently bought one,it is in my tank for 3 wks.now.I saw it eating frozen food in the store where I got it,but since in my tank I never saw it to take any food , except picking live rock for live food.Lucky me I have mature tank with enough LR.

 

[olemiss reb]

They tend to be hit or miss accepting pellets/frozen. If they do accept, they have to be spot fed. Turkey baster works well.

pics of my ORA blues in this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2003158

 

[SkullV]

They tend to be hit or miss accepting pellets/frozen. If they do accept, they have to be spot fed. Turkey baster works well.

pics of my ORA blues in this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2003158

I disagree with the spot feeding thing. I think once they adapt and readily accept the frozen they will find the food by smell just like any other fish. The bigger issue is whether there will any food left by the time they get there. For tanks with seahorses/pipefish this is not an issue, but with tangs etc. you may find an issue.

The breeder I got my SH from has a mandarin that eats frozen mysis right out of the feeding dish with her seahorses.

 

[olemiss reb]

I The bigger issue is whether there will any food left by the time they get there.

This is why I spot feed. They occasionally get a stray piece of mysid that the other fish and shrimp miss but the overwhelming majority of prepared food they receive comes out of the turkey baster.

 

[Flaring Afro]

They are hit or miss. Not much better than the wild ones, if at all. There have been plenty of people on forums who had ones that would never eat dead food, even if they had no competition.

 

[snorvich]

This is why I spot feed. They occasionally get a stray piece of mysid that the other fish and shrimp miss but the overwhelming majority of prepared food they receive comes out of the turkey baster.

Exactly. In a tank by themselves, they would find the food if they were so inclined. So, sure if you keep them in a tank by themselves, they are likely to work. Otherwise, . . .

 

[snorvich]

They are hit or miss. Not much better than the wild ones, if at all. There have been plenty of people on forums who had ones that would never eat dead food, even if they had no competition.

Wild ones, given the proper tank situation, are easier provided they are viable and not cyanide caught.