Tank bioload question

[Zenko]

Hi guys! I'm doing a small upgrade to a 40 gallon to a 30 gallon and i've really been interested in a mandarin goby. I was wondering if this stock list would be successful, btw, i'm probably not going to upgrade my tank size again as it doesn't fit my finance.
Stock List
2x Maroon Clownfish
1x Mandarin Goby
1x Leopard Wrasse (f)
1x Blue star Leopard Wrasse (f)
1x Fire shrimp
Random snails and hermits
OH and my AI Nano has been glitching out, the lights are always flashing or changing to a random color when on. What is wrong?

 

[Betta132]

Unless you can set up a large refugium, a mandarin goby will starve to death. They need a LOT of copepods, and that means a very mature tank and a refugium unless the tank is very large.
The leopard wrasses are probably too large.
Maroon clowns are best kept on their own in a tank that size, and they do get a big large. A maroon clown can get to the size of an adult's palm, sometimes larger.

 

[mandarinfanatic]

Ps the wrasse will also out compete the mandarin for food

 

[mandarinfanatic]

There is the option of purchasing an ORA bred mandarin as they eat frozen if I am not mistaken

 

[mandarinfanatic]

The other option is having a chat with @paulb he has a stunning mandarin feeder that is diy

 

[eatbreakfast]

Mandarins need to eat almost non stop. So even if one is taking prepared.foods it still needs to be eating pods in between the feedings.

 

[Retail_Therapy]

I am constantly frustrated with blanket statements in this hobby. I'm a technical guy and I'm in to a lot of different, very technical hobbies and one thing about tank keeping that is different from everything else is that tanks have an element called life. There are certainly best practices that all keepers should be aware of, but this "very large tank required for mandarins" is just flat out wrong.

Mandarins require a very mature/large tank... if they aren't eating prepared/frozen foods.

The only advice I see regularly that is always going to be true is that a wrasse will out-compete a mandarin for food.

I'm sorry guys, but I've seen far too many big, fat, ultra-healthy mandarins in 50 and 60 gallon tanks. These blanket statements are wrong and should be prefaced with, "unless..." but they never are. I see this mandarin thing as not much different from tang police-nonsense.

The best possible advice to give anyone asking about or wanting to add a mandarin is this:

Be prepared to spend time caring for this guy. This is easily the absolute most important of all (other than competition for food). So long as you're willing to devote the time needed, a mandarin can be cared for in just about any environment.

But make no mistake - devotion is absolutely necessary. You have to be willing to feed this guy every single day, if you don't have a fully mature tank with a large pod population. My advice would be to familiarize yourself with what a healthy mandarin looks like and be prepared to move him to a more suitable environment if his health appears to decline. There are plenty of mandarins out there eating prepared foods (mine is one) - why not encourage anyone asking to seek out these mandarins instead of, or in addition to, your blanket statements?

You are dealing with life - and while that should elicit more care on your part, it definitely means anything is possible.

 

[Zenko]

My 30 gallon recently got marine flukes and it killed my one of my fish, how do i get rid of fluke permanently when upgrading to a 40 gallon

 

[mandarinfanatic]

I am constantly frustrated with blanket statements in this hobby. I'm a technical guy and I'm in to a lot of different, very technical hobbies and one thing about tank keeping that is different from everything else is that tanks have an element called life. There are certainly best practices that all keepers should be aware of, but this "very large tank required for mandarins" is just flat out wrong.

Mandarins require a very mature/large tank... if they aren't eating prepared/frozen foods.

The only advice I see regularly that is always going to be true is that a wrasse will out-compete a mandarin for food.

I'm sorry guys, but I've seen far too many big, fat, ultra-healthy mandarins in 50 and 60 gallon tanks. These blanket statements are wrong and should be prefaced with, "unless..." but they never are. I see this mandarin thing as not much different from tang police-nonsense.

The best possible advice to give anyone asking about or wanting to add a mandarin is this:

Be prepared to spend time caring for this guy. This is easily the absolute most important of all (other than competition for food). So long as you're willing to devote the time needed, a mandarin can be cared for in just about any environment.

But make no mistake - devotion is absolutely necessary. You have to be willing to feed this guy every single day, if you don't have a fully mature tank with a large pod population. My advice would be to familiarize yourself with what a healthy mandarin looks like and be prepared to move him to a more suitable environment if his health appears to decline. There are plenty of mandarins out there eating prepared foods (mine is one) - why not encourage anyone asking to seek out these mandarins instead of, or in addition to, your blanket statements?

You are dealing with life - and while that should elicit more care on your part, it definitely means anything is possible.

I had a mandarin in a 15 gallon tank for eleven months and he was fat and happy. It was well matured and he ate live brine shrimp and frozen brine shrimp. I also developed what I called a delayed brine shrimp feeder which worked wonders. @paulb s feeder however made more sense to me. Matt wittenrich the guy who first bred mandarins had them eating pellets as did a gentleman by the name of medev.(in reed ing tanks with no substrate or live rock. I also had guys bogging on me telling me it couldn't be done about eight years ago. The thing to bear in mind is that there is a method to convert a mandarin to enriched frozen brine shrimp and mysis and even bloodworm (all documented- Google mandarinman and delayed brine shrimp feeder if you doubt this (in even dyed the bloodworm different colours to see if it made a difference. If you do not wean your mandarin onto frozen foods prior to putting them into a smaller tank you risk having them starve over time. you also risk turning tank into a very nutrient rich area if you overfeed trying to get them to take frozen foods (if you don't wean them onto it beforehand). It can however be done and sometimes you luck out with a mandarin that takes to frozen immediately. best of luck and if you need any assistance or have any questions feel free to ask questions (from myself or whoever you deem to have the knowledge to impart..ps there is also a guy named pederson that also had something to do with the lightening maroon clowns that is very knowledgeable in the area of mandarins. I wish you the best of success with your mandarin cos they are the BEST

 

[Betta132]

The problem I see is, mandarins often starve to death even when eating frozen food. I'm not sure why, but it happens. Mandarins seem to do best if they have a large tank and lots of pods to eat, to supplement their diet of frozen food.

 

[mandarinfanatic]

The problem I see is, mandarins often starve to death even when eating frozen food. I'm not sure why, but it happens. Mandarins seem to do best if they have a large tank and lots of pods to eat, to supplement their diet of frozen food.

I agree it is nice to have a tank with lots of pods for the mandarin to pick at leisurely. One also needs to make sure that there are no fish competing for the mandarins primary food source as the mandarin likes to study and identify food before eating. If you are fortunate enough to have one that eats frozen food enrich the food with hufas to make sure that the mandarin gets sufficient nutrition.