xXLeafeonXx
New member
Tfh has a mandarin in a ten gallon living on only sushi roe... It lived for two years. My Mandarin is eating frozen mysis again 
So.... New Mandarin.
- Thread starter xXLeafeonXx
- Start date
xXLeafeonXx
New member
I'm going out to buy ova today :bounce1:
Squidmotron
New member
You may be a tad bit paranoid from your experience with a mandarin in a small tank. I have a similarly sized tank and have had a fat manadrin for years. And I do not anything. It is the easiest fish I have ever owned. Because I don't even have to feed it.
Crimson
Member
In order to keep pods alive in your DT it must be high in nutrients which most reefers try to avoid because it creates other problems. If you have a clean and low nutrient system pods will be limited on what they can eat.
This in turns limits how much a mandrin can eat. Basically what I am trying to say is you have two options. One, buy a larger tang and keep a high nutrient system with lots of live rock. Option two, buy another tank and make that tank your pod breeding area with lots of nutrients while you're DT can have lower nutrients.
I honestly don't think your going to listen anyway since you think ova is going will be the solution.
Good luck.
This in turns limits how much a mandrin can eat. Basically what I am trying to say is you have two options. One, buy a larger tang and keep a high nutrient system with lots of live rock. Option two, buy another tank and make that tank your pod breeding area with lots of nutrients while you're DT can have lower nutrients.
I honestly don't think your going to listen anyway since you think ova is going will be the solution.
Good luck.
Exactly and sadly.
xXLeafeonXx
New member
How is ova not the solution its healthy and he still has his big fat belly. Its not like im the first person to keep a mandarin in a nano feeding it frozen food.
DjScRiBbLe
In Memoriam
I think your missing the point. Unless you can feed it frozen 24/7 your size tank won't keep it fed properly to sustain it long term. They literally eat non stop and in only a matter of days it will probably deplete any pod life. So ova is not the solution.
Last edited:
That is indeed the issue. Secondarily, any other fish in this sized tank will compete successfully for any supplied food or natural food. Mandarins are slow, methodical, and eat constantly.
Ova, brine, mysis, pellets, etc. is only for supplemental feeding. It's like if you ate nothing but hamburger all day long; how healthy do you think you'd be? They still need pods (and lots of them) as their primary source of nutrition.
xXLeafeonXx
New member
But ova isn't a hammer burger its has alot of protein.
xXLeafeonXx
New member
Its shrimp eggs and Mandarins eat eggs in the wild.
davocean
Active member
You are not taking in it's metabolism and constant feeding requirements, similar to a humminbirds constant feeding needs.
I can not say it is impossible, just beyond most peoples practical ability, in other words if you sat home all day feeding this thing, yeah, guess it could be done...I just don't know anyone willing to do that.
I can not say it is impossible, just beyond most peoples practical ability, in other words if you sat home all day feeding this thing, yeah, guess it could be done...I just don't know anyone willing to do that.
xXLeafeonXx
New member
Ik they are slow so I put ova in the tank turn the powerheads off and the food fall's on the sand the mandarin has time to eat.Then when I turn the powerhead on the other fish start to eat.
xXLeafeonXx
New member
I have some pod I have a ball of cheato for the pods to reproduce but I know its not enough for the mandarin. The mandarin is still really fat and happy so......
I know that mandarins have a high metabolism. I don't want this fish to starve
vette.tech
New member
Its clear that no matter the advice given your going to do it regardless, and i second what has been stated numerous times in this thread. There is no reasoning with you, you HAVE to have a mandarin, hopefully it works out for you but a mandarin THRIVING not just surviving in that size tank is the exception and light years away from the rule. But good luck.
Crimson
Member
To add what I wrote before and to anyone willing to listen who may come across this thread.
I have kept a single Mandarin healthy and thriving for 4 years before moving back in 2003. My 90 gallon at the time had around 140 lbs of Fiji LR (this included rock in the sump). Today, I would consider my old 90 as a "dirty reef" which consisted of some LPS and soft corals.
I say dirty because detritus was everywhere which sustained the huge population of pods. My sump had no socks/foam pads just a refugium, live rock and a skimmer.
That mandarin would try and follow my turkey baster as I went around blowing the detritus off the live rock revealing even more pods. I treated this reef as more hands off and less checking param.
The first step IME is to learn how to keep pods healthy, thriving and reproducing first. Next step buy your Mandarin. Third step is to see how fast the population of pods can withstand the eating machine. Add new pods at night from different vendors to mix things up.
No, I did not target feed my mandarin. The only thing I would do at night is do a spot check of pods. I did keep a small tank as a pod backup just in-case of a pod crash (which happens).
I have kept a single Mandarin healthy and thriving for 4 years before moving back in 2003. My 90 gallon at the time had around 140 lbs of Fiji LR (this included rock in the sump). Today, I would consider my old 90 as a "dirty reef" which consisted of some LPS and soft corals.
I say dirty because detritus was everywhere which sustained the huge population of pods. My sump had no socks/foam pads just a refugium, live rock and a skimmer.
That mandarin would try and follow my turkey baster as I went around blowing the detritus off the live rock revealing even more pods. I treated this reef as more hands off and less checking param.
The first step IME is to learn how to keep pods healthy, thriving and reproducing first. Next step buy your Mandarin. Third step is to see how fast the population of pods can withstand the eating machine. Add new pods at night from different vendors to mix things up.
No, I did not target feed my mandarin. The only thing I would do at night is do a spot check of pods. I did keep a small tank as a pod backup just in-case of a pod crash (which happens).
Last edited:
