Personalized Mandarin Advice

[ataller]

My tank is a mature 120g, I have a basement fish room with 65 gallon refugium. I currently have one very fat and happy red mandarin male (I can take a picture if you want to double check how rotund he is ).

Would my reef support a female companion? I was planning in finding the smallest female I could, then fattening her up in my fuge for a bit before I add her. What do you think?

My parameters are what you expect in most successful reefs. 77 degrees, no ammonia nitrate or phosphate. 450 ca 8 alk 1.026 sg. I dose vodka to keep my dissolved nutrients low.

Fish list
2 onyx clowns
Multifasciatus dwarf angel
4 lyre tails
2inch hippo tang
Orchid dotty back
Red velvet wrasse

Adam

 

[unbelievable]

Even though you may not see your current mandarin eating prepared foods I can almost guarantee he isn't surviving on pods alone. That said you probably have a good chance at keeping a female. Sounds like u know what Ur getting into. Good luck.

 

[aquaph8]

Even though you may not see your current mandarin eating prepared foods I can almost guarantee he isn't surviving on pods alone. That said you probably have a good chance at keeping a female. Sounds like u know what Ur getting into. Good luck.

I agree with this^^^

 

[BrianD]

Even though you may not see your current mandarin eating prepared foods I can almost guarantee he isn't surviving on pods alone. That said you probably have a good chance at keeping a female. Sounds like u know what Ur getting into. Good luck.

I agree with this^^^

I'm curious. Why would you be certain he "isn't surviving on pods alone"?

 

[ataller]

Actually now that you mention it whenever I feed he will go and sit under my red cap. Everytime. Perhaps some of the food I feed settles there.


Sort of like my multifasciatus will only eat from the surface in the back left corner.

Thanks guys,

Adam

 

[aquaph8]

I'm curious. Why would you be certain he "isn't surviving on pods alone"?

I've seen mine eat scraps off the bottom. I don't think they normally come after food like other fish but I believe they eat what they happen to come across. Even through an interceptor treatment I noticed no change in my mandarin.

 

[snorvich]

My mandarins eat mysis although they do so opportunistically rather than intentionally. However, they are supporting themselves with copepods and the mysis is a small part of their diet since they eat constantly and I feed only 3-4 times per day.

 

[hybridazn]

My mandarins eat mysis although they do so opportunistically rather than intentionally. However, they are supporting themselves with copepods and the mysis is a small part of their diet since they eat constantly and I feed only 3-4 times per day.

X2

Mine do the same thing. Onlybgo after the mysis if it flows right by them with no other fish chasing it

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