Spotted Mandarin Journal

[kizanne]

Well snorvich has definately been around long enough to know stuff. What reason did he give not to add a male? Mine are in a 125 gallon so I have a little more room but once you wean them to pellets or frozen then the size tank isn't quite so important as they don't run out of food as when they are copepod dependent.

I also have a few things going for me (and I like to think my fish). I have enough money (not rich or anything) but I have enough that if I see a need for like $50 (that includes shipping) worth of amphipods to re-enrich my tank, I buy them. I try (most time successfully) to culture some pods so I can top my tank when needed. I have had my pods decrease during times of cyno and dino. And I'm a true believer that once you take possession of a fish you must accept responsibility for providing the things it needs. So with those things in mind, I'd be very tempted to get a larger male for your girl if you have the space in your tank. I'd also keep him in a quarantine tank for at least two weeks that you work on weaning him to frozen / pellet foods. I usually start with live brine they eat it if they can catch it. I also use amphipods and copepods when I can. Then I just try a large variety of foods until I can get them interested in something. So far, It has worked with EVERY dragonet I have which I"m up to 7 (which isn't many but it is 100%).

Mind you I also have invested a fortune in food. I keep brine shrimp eggs (decapsulated by me) for hatching. I sometimes (especially with my first two) ordered live adult brine from livebrineshrimp.com I keep those shrimp enriched with shrimp food, amino acid (like selco but different brand) and live algae. I also sometime order amphipods from reef2go (I don't think I'd order fish from there but their amphipod price is good) I also have frozen enriched brine (they all end up liking this), fozen mysid (which I haven't found a dragonet intertested in), frozen copepods (again not as interested as You'd think), frozen rotifers (sometimes), frozen homemade mash up with squid and clams. I then have many pellets which the most popular by far of the dry food is Ocean nutrition nano fish pellets soaked in garlic (4 have taken to this so far). Don't forget you can also if committed use Paul's feeder which is just fantastic ( I never could commit to hatching brine everyday and thank goodness I haven't had to yet). But Paul has all kinds of picky eaters that spawn for him.

I'd also like to take this moment to mention that when I feed I feed too much. I then leave my tanks off 30 minutes to 3 hours 2x daily. My mandarins have plenty of time and food to slowly pick their way through. I have had cyno, dino, hair, bryopsis and I have a 40 gallon refugium full of caulerpa to compensate for this. My tank now seems pretty stable and able to handle the load (I'd like to thank vodka dosing right now).

SO Hodge if you haven't run off from my soap box yet...

I'd tell you each fish keeper/tank manager must make their own decisions. When I set up my 125 gallon it was a mandarin tank that whatever else can live in there is welcome but it is a Mandarin tank. So I have coral but I run it for the Mandarins not the coral I sometimes lose coral. (oops soap box again). You have to decide what you want and how committed you are to a boy Mandarin. Are you willing to make them healthy and happy? If so I think it is completely doable. I may never get my wish of Mandarin babies but It has been the most fun trying. But of course if it is just a passing fancy and you don't have many pods then he'd probably just starve. You don't strike my as that type though.

 

[hotelbravo]

Well snorvich has definately been around long enough to know stuff. What reason did he give not to add a male? Mine are in a 125 gallon so I have a little more room but once you wean them to pellets or frozen then the size tank isn't quite so important as they don't run out of food as when they are copepod dependent.

I also have a few things going for me (and I like to think my fish). I have enough money (not rich or anything) but I have enough that if I see a need for like $50 (that includes shipping) worth of amphipods to re-enrich my tank, I buy them. I try (most time successfully) to culture some pods so I can top my tank when needed. I have had my pods decrease during times of cyno and dino. And I'm a true believer that once you take possession of a fish you must accept responsibility for providing the things it needs. So with those things in mind, I'd be very tempted to get a larger male for your girl if you have the space in your tank. I'd also keep him in a quarantine tank for at least two weeks that you work on weaning him to frozen / pellet foods. I usually start with live brine they eat it if they can catch it. I also use amphipods and copepods when I can. Then I just try a large variety of foods until I can get them interested in something. So far, It has worked with EVERY dragonet I have which I"m up to 7 (which isn't many but it is 100%).

Mind you I also have invested a fortune in food. I keep brine shrimp eggs (decapsulated by me) for hatching. I sometimes (especially with my first two) ordered live adult brine from livebrineshrimp.com I keep those shrimp enriched with shrimp food, amino acid (like selco but different brand) and live algae. I also sometime order amphipods from reef2go (I don't think I'd order fish from there but their amphipod price is good) I also have frozen enriched brine (they all end up liking this), fozen mysid (which I haven't found a dragonet intertested in), frozen copepods (again not as interested as You'd think), frozen rotifers (sometimes), frozen homemade mash up with squid and clams. I then have many pellets which the most popular by far of the dry food is Ocean nutrition nano fish pellets soaked in garlic (4 have taken to this so far). Don't forget you can also if committed use Paul's feeder which is just fantastic ( I never could commit to hatching brine everyday and thank goodness I haven't had to yet). But Paul has all kinds of picky eaters that spawn for him.

I'd also like to take this moment to mention that when I feed I feed too much. I then leave my tanks off 30 minutes to 3 hours 2x daily. My mandarins have plenty of time and food to slowly pick their way through. I have had cyno, dino, hair, bryopsis and I have a 40 gallon refugium full of caulerpa to compensate for this. My tank now seems pretty stable and able to handle the load (I'd like to thank vodka dosing right now).

SO Hodge if you haven't run off from my soap box yet...

I'd tell you each fish keeper/tank manager must make their own decisions. When I set up my 125 gallon it was a mandarin tank that whatever else can live in there is welcome but it is a Mandarin tank. So I have coral but I run it for the Mandarins not the coral I sometimes lose coral. (oops soap box again). You have to decide what you want and how committed you are to a boy Mandarin. Are you willing to make them healthy and happy? If so I think it is completely doable. I may never get my wish of Mandarin babies but It has been the most fun trying. But of course if it is just a passing fancy and you don't have many pods then he'd probably just starve. You don't strike my as that type though.

well he did say because of my size tank at a 90 it was to small for two and yes mine does eat a wide variety of food to include frozen mysis, frozen arcticpods, squid, scallop, pellets and sometimes the flakes but i rarely feed flakes. but one problem is that i have alot of fish in this 90 gallon. i have two tangs, two clowns, two firefish, a marine betta, a flame angel, and the mandarin. so in order for me to get the prepared food to the mandarin i have to heavily feed. and even then its still whether the mandarin is in the right spots or if its on the hunt in the rockwork and decides not to come out. she has been very shy. but yes i would love to have a male i just think i need to lighten the load on the aquarium first. starting with the yellow tang that will be to big for my tank soon.

 

[kizanne]

yes you do see to have a few fish. I have 2 yellow tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 pink skunk clowns, 3 banggai, a 6-line wrasse, a lawn mower blenny, and a cleaner goby. The banggai, mandarins and clowns are pairs. I have an extra female banggai who isn't welcome by the pair.

Have you tried a mandarin tube feeder with pellets? The pellets I like are Ocean Nutrition nano fish pellets they are fast sinking and don't seem to break apart very quickly. I have seen but not tried, a small jar or tube that you put the pellets in and then in the aquarium. Most the other fish are too big or won't swim near the ground to get in. I take it back. I tried it once and I was feeding hermit crabs LOL. I didn't keep it because that was annoying and I didn't seem to need it.

My tangs are hell on food. They will eat everything and will pick the pellets up when they find them. (I actually consider them part of my clean up crew) I over feed but they have it all cleaned up in 30 minutes or less. I spread the pellets over my rock work (and put in some frozen brine for everyone else) and my Mandarin seems to find some before the 2 yellow tangs find them all. Of course some fall in cracks the tangs can't get into that the mandarins can. How agressive is your betta, I've never had one. Are your two tangs the same species? do they argue? I had read some people have yellows spawn in their tank. I don't think I was lucky enough to get 2 of opposite sex but they also aren't killing each other. They argue (not fight) a little pushing, a little chasing but nothing too vigorous or intense and nothing that lasts long. I also haven't seen any signs they might like each other (well not too many signs). My six line wrasse sometimes gives me pause and I've read sometimes they go crazy and kill mandarins so I'm watching carefully.

More importantly if she is fat and happy she is getting enough.

 

[hotelbravo]

yes you do see to have a few fish. I have 2 yellow tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 pink skunk clowns, 3 banggai, a 6-line wrasse, a lawn mower blenny, and a cleaner goby. The banggai, mandarins and clowns are pairs. I have an extra female banggai who isn't welcome by the pair.

Have you tried a mandarin tube feeder with pellets? The pellets I like are Ocean Nutrition nano fish pellets they are fast sinking and don't seem to break apart very quickly. I have seen but not tried, a small jar or tube that you put the pellets in and then in the aquarium. Most the other fish are too big or won't swim near the ground to get in. I take it back. I tried it once and I was feeding hermit crabs LOL. I didn't keep it because that was annoying and I didn't seem to need it.

My tangs are hell on food. They will eat everything and will pick the pellets up when they find them. (I actually consider them part of my clean up crew) I over feed but they have it all cleaned up in 30 minutes or less. I spread the pellets over my rock work (and put in some frozen brine for everyone else) and my Mandarin seems to find some before the 2 yellow tangs find them all. Of course some fall in cracks the tangs can't get into that the mandarins can. How agressive is your betta, I've never had one. Are your two tangs the same species? do they argue? I had read some people have yellows spawn in their tank. I don't think I was lucky enough to get 2 of opposite sex but they also aren't killing each other. They argue (not fight) a little pushing, a little chasing but nothing too vigorous or intense and nothing that lasts long. I also haven't seen any signs they might like each other (well not too many signs). My six line wrasse sometimes gives me pause and I've read sometimes they go crazy and kill mandarins so I'm watching carefully.

More importantly if she is fat and happy she is getting enough.

well i do sprinkle pellets all over the rocks and usually she will pick up around 10 pellets at a time. i use full spectrum pellets.
my marine betta is not the slightest bit aggressive to anything except hermits, it will pick them up travel across the tank and spit them out somewhere. it does not bother the shrimp like id expect.
and i have a yellow tang and a kole tang. i just got the kole tang for father's day. and they fought at first but after the first day they stopped fighting and are now best of friends. there is absolutely no aggression in my tank except for the mentioned hermit hurdling.
but yes she is fat and happy ive had her for quite a while and im approaching my 1 year mark very soon.

 

[kizanne]

Sounds like if you are willing to wean him to foods other than live you could do it. But as I have said many times. I'm no expert. And of course be prepared to buy some live just in case.

 

[Lrood]

Hodge,

It sounds like you need a "mandarin diner". Check it out in this link, or google it.

http://melevsreef.com/node/720

 

[hotelbravo]

wow thats interesting. i dont think my wife would enjoy a jar in the tank though..

 

[kizanne]

That is the tube feeder I was talking about. Then there is the feeder that dispenses baby brine shrimp.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166449

 

[kizanne]

Well I still have Vera and Olive in Quarantine they are both eating brine. Vera when I can get a look at her (she's a little ***t and runs to the other side) she looks pretty good. Olive is still skinny (too skinny) but I believe is putting on weight. Olive is the sweetest temperament and will watch the pipette with interest and watch the brine come to her. she doesn't run every time she sees you. My LFS that I like has a nice little boy and he's looking good. Of course the reason I like this fish store is he actually has a nice clean store, never seen a dead fish, good prices and the best coral in town. Unfortunately that isn't where I found my girls. The only problem is I don't know if the boy is bigger than the girls. It is close. I know to ensure a pair the boy has to be bigger. I think Saturday I might actually bag one of the girls up and take her up there so I can compare. If he is bigger I'll get him and put him in quarantine too and start weaning him to frozen. That way they can all come out together. Hopefully Vera won't attach Olive once they are fat and have a boy around. If she does I'll have to make some tough decisions. I live Olive best but don't know how her health will ultimately be effected by how emaciated she was. She could still die from intestinal damage even though she is eating. I don't think that will happen because I really think she is gaining weight. Hubby says he can't tell though so it may be wishful thinking. When I'm taking pictures this weekend of my banggai I'll take some better ones of Olive at least.

 

[kizanne]

*add* bought the little boy, named him popeye. He was in good shape. They are all eating brine now though popeye and olive have lots of copepods and amphipods where they are now.

All the little fishies made it through my vacation. Olive has put on a lot of weight, you can now only see a small divet near her midline where before it was indented deeply above and below. Vera is fully recovered and popeye was never in bad shape but he's put on weight as well.

Vera and popeye are in the refugium on my mandarin tank and vera is in with the baby banggai. I don't know when or how I'll work on seeing if I can make a trio out of them. Popeye has shown some weird behavior toward olive, for now I'm calling it mild aggression.