quaranteening for mandarin goby

[Michaelmarc]

I could use some advice about the proper way of handling a mandarin for quaranteen.

Everything that goes into my system spends about 6 weeks in quaranteen, but have been told that dragonets have a slim coat that protects them from ICH.

My concern is having enough food for it w/o access to live rock and all the luscious little critters waiting for it in the main system.

There are bottled copepods, etc. which could be used. And I've also got filter sponge thats been in the refugium that surely has crtitters.

So there are ways of getting some food to it, but I guess the main question is how long is necessary? Are there previous articles/threads dealing with mandarins' needs?

Thanks for reading & any advice you may have given.

 

[thewashcaps]

I had one ate all the pods before i relized it he died. IMO you need a lot of live rock and a place for them to grow in your main tank

 

[BrianD]

I would put a mandarin directly in the display tank.

 

[Lightsluvr]

Me too...

Me too...

I agree. Make sure he is eating, assuming you get him from a LFS. Then put him in there...
Even with a good population of pods, you might want to consider adding some live pods during the week before you get your Mandy...(seeding the population, doncha know.)

LL

 

[Sk8r]

I make an exception for any obligate specialty eater---mandarins live in the sandbed where the parasite is and I have only known them to come down with it in 2 instances, one case of incredibly bad water with ph way off, and the other where the slime coat was damaged by an owner dipping it.

 

[BrianD]

Dipping a mandarin? Geesh.

 

[snorvich]

+1 Why would you do that? No quarantine for a mandarin.

 

[BangkokMatt]

Agree - Mandarins are one of the few fish you shouldn't quarantine. They are not susceptible to the usual fish diseases. QT will do more harm than good.

 

[650-IS350]

I believe mandarins are scaleless or something, have something like mucus in thier skin that prevents or deters ich on them.

 

[markeo99]

ok so new question my display has just been exposed to ich and I'm taking all my fish out can I leave the mandarin?

 

[Sk8r]

Markeo99---you have the 64 dollar question there. By my experience, the mandy would never manifest it, and the stuff would, hostless, die out. Other equally sane reefers (though tending to conspiracy theories [lol---joking]) would maintain that the insidious stuff would merely lurk in the mandy's gills waiting the day it can spring anew upon the unwary returnees.
I'm not that scared of ich, personally. I haven't lost a fish to it or even had a severe infestation on a new fish since the early 80's or before that...and I don't qt mandys or their ilk. Now, watch, having said that, the gods of fate will get me---but I do believe they just have defenses, and ergo the mandy would be safe to leave.

 

[Michaelmarc]

thank you all for your comments & opinions.
I'm one that has felt the rath of Ich and lost my whole tank othen the a sleeper goby & the female oscellaris, who was covered with the parasite and survived two full treatments of copper and whole system upgrade. Happy to report she now lives in a gorgeous 180 gal reef with her new partner.....her name by the way is Lucky.
Thanks again.