Red Mandarin questions

[critofer]

Hey all,

I really would like to get a red mandarin but heard that they needed to be feed live copepods so i opt out of getting one. tonight i learned how simple and easy it is to culture copepods in a little 10 gallon tank and some phyoplankton. So want i want to ask is, will a mandarin be fine with just live copepods as a food source??

Thanks guys!

 

[phish guy]

i have tried the same thing as you did and i just couldnt keep up with the amount of food they need. ALL DAY, all they do is look for food. my tank was young at the time and i couldnt make enough food for him. so i i let my tank age a bit, added a few pod cultures, a few live mysis cultures, and made a refugium. now i have had my mandarin for 3 years. i would say, let your tank age, get lots of liverock, and see if you could make a fuge. i think that would be your best bet.

 

[critofer]

Okay, well my tank is like 4-5 months old, and i have like 40lbs of LR in my 20 gallon!

 

[billdogg]

IMHO, a 20 is nowhere near big enough for a mandarin - even if you culture pods in another tank, it will be a constant battle to keep it fed. Many mandarins will eventually begin to eat prepared food - mine loves the tiny NLS pellets, but you cannot plan on that happening. I would suggest you wait - with a larger tank you will have a much better chance at success.

 

[pinetree]

I think, like other mandarins, you need to get them eating canned food asap. Mine eats small NLS sinking pellet. They (the pellets) seem to have to be nearly stationary on the substrate for them to eat it. When I watch my mandarin - have had for 3 - 4 ys - it seems like it take about a second for their little brain to react after they see something that might be food. If the food tumbles away during that 1 second, it's like they forgot about it. It does take some effort on our part to get them eating canned.
Very odd.

 

[NYCBOB]

20 gallon with 40lr is pushing it with a mandarin. it could be done if the tank is mature enough. to enhance ur chance, try getting one of the ora mandarin, since they will eat prepared food along with pods. they do cost more though, like $50-60 each.

 

[Sk8r]

I would say that a 55 is about the minimum tank size for a single dragonet, WITH (mandatory WITH) a well-established fuge packed with live rock and cheato. I really would advise you wait for a larger system. If you have fuge troubles, you can run up a 300.00 tab on live pods real fast while you wait for the fuge to re-establish. They need rock to prowl and places to go, since hunting fills their whole day.

 

[critofer]

sorry guys i mean to type 29 gallon, i looked on liveaquaria and is said 30 gallon for a minimum tank size. i went to the LFS today and got one that eats frozen brine and mysis! lucky me!