time for a mandy?

CHSUB

CHSUB

"Certified Hobby Expert"
my tank should support a mandy. however, i thought my last tank would also and it didn't. i had a 92 corner filled with live rock no fug, but pods were abundant and the mandy starved. Now i have a 281 g, filled with LR and a fug with abundant pods, 3 years running. mandy should do well right? Question, who has had a tank that should support a mandy but didn't? why didn't it work? i do not want to do anything special to support one. any thoughts? i do have a coris wrasse, but no other pod consumers.
 
I had a Mandarin in a 55g for about 8 months. No problems.

Now its in a 105g(same footprint as a 6 foot 125g). No problems. Seems i have had good luck.
 
my first thought whenever someone with a sufficiently large tank has trouble with mandy mortality is: what condition was the fish in prior to purchase?

sadly these little gems have a hard time through the chain of custody, add in to that cruel capture techniques like cyanide or harpoons, and it can be a fait accompli.

i also often wonder if there was some bullying or other aggression that just went unnoticed.
 
Just a tip, i had mine in a 55 for a year and did great. I supplemented pods but the trick was having a feeder. I took the container that ice breakers mints come in. I took off the top and glued a screen on top. At the time i was cultivating pods but it could also be done with brine shrimp. fill the container with the pods or brine and place in the bottom of the tank. Put it the same place every time. I saw this online and the guy had 3 mandarins and they all flocked to it. I only had one and it always worked for me
 
It is near impossible to keep a pair of fully grown mandarins well fed only with the pods that grow in a normal sized tank (100 to 250 gallon). You will need to support them with added food, either live or frozen.

I have a pair of mandarins in a 18" cube (25 gallon) since last December now and both are doing ok. Both male and female take brine shrimp and the male also goes after frozen Mysis. I also frequently add tigger pods from cultures I have set up on my balcony.
The tank itself still has a healthy population of munnid Isopods, Amphipods and Mysis (and for about one month now a 40 gallon sump full of live rock.) But if I don't add at least once a day some frozen brine shrimp the female will not have a full stomach.

Now these two are still very young and at best half their maximum size, so their food volume isn't the same of fully grown specimen.
Also they are going to go into a 100 gallon tank (as soon as I get it).
 
thanks guys. i was looking back at my notes and noticed i tried twice and failed twice in my 92gallon: after 3 years and then again after 5 years. Now in a 281 g with a fug, will it work? Some have suggested feeders and such, but i'm hoping not to do anything special. i have a black blenny, algae eater, and he is fat and happy. He has never eaten any food i put in the tank. I hope for the same? Is it possible to "set and forget", with a mandy?
 
CHSUB said:
thanks guys. i was looking back at my notes and noticed i tried twice and failed twice in my 92gallon: after 3 years and then again after 5 years. Now in a 281 g with a fug, will it work? Some have suggested feeders and such, but i'm hoping not to do anything special. i have a black blenny, algae eater, and he is fat and happy. He has never eaten any food i put in the tank. I hope for the same? Is it possible to "set and forget", with a mandy?
Click to expand...


From reading and seeing you post it seems like you have been in the hobby for a bit. I think if you are dead set on having one why not just culture pods? you probably have everything needed to do it and it is super easy, that way you never have to worry and can even have another pod eater in the future if you wanted.
 
Set, yes. Forget, no.

I don't do anything super special for my Mandy in my 75. But I am always mindful of anything that may effect her negatively.

From feeding regimens to stocking ideas, it all revolves around her.

That's not as bad as it sounds. I feed heavily. I have lots of rock, plenty of algae, but neither of those bother me.

It's never bad to supplement, but in an appropriately sized tank without competition for the food source, they should have what they need to remain fed.
 
AUFishGuy said:
From reading and seeing you post it seems like you have been in the hobby for a bit. I think if you are dead set on having one why not just culture pods? you probably have everything needed to do it and it is super easy, that way you never have to worry and can even have another pod eater in the future if you wanted.
Click to expand...

yes, been in the hobby a long time, and can see culturing pods would be easy. however, would prefer not to. i believe my current tank should support a mandy, but since i'm 0 for 2? my last attempts were in 2001 and 2003, so i must have gotten advice from my LFS? now i have the advantage of asking here, and i'm leaning towards trying again, unless convinced otherwise.

MondoBongo said:
Set, yes. Forget, no.

I don't do anything super special for my Mandy in my 75. But I am always mindful of anything that may effect her negatively.

From feeding regimens to stocking ideas, it all revolves around her.

That's not as bad as it sounds. I feed heavily. I have lots of rock, plenty of algae, but neither of those bother me.

It's never bad to supplement, but in an appropriately sized tank without competition for the food source, they should have what they need to remain fed.
Click to expand...

yes, i agree. imo, the only issue would be getting the required food. maybe i would get lucky and the mandy would take some frozen foods? imo, you think it's a go?
 
I have never seen mine take prepared food. I'm sure it may get a piece her and there at times, but i have never witnessed it.

Mine has been maintenance free since i purchased it. I have never supplemented or added pods.

Mine has grown and fattened up dramatically since first acquiring it.
 
JoeVandal49 said:
I have never seen mine take prepared food. I'm sure it may get a piece her and there at times, but i have never witnessed it.

Mine has been maintenance free since i purchased it. I have never supplemented or added pods.

Mine has grown and fattened up dramatically since first acquiring it.
Click to expand...

yes, another "go for it". i thought you guys were going to be tougher?
 
I have a male mandy in a 37 gallon cube. I have live rock with a pile of rock rubbel behind it for shelter for the pods. I put in 2,000 pods (A mixture of Amphipods & Copepods) every month. I also have a canister filter which has a breeding culture of pods in it. Everytime I feed the tank I shut off my filter, when I turn it back on about 6 -12 Amphipods of different sizes come shooting out into the tank. I also have large patches of Dragons Breath macro algae which also hides the copepods. This has been working really well for me.
 
I have a 100 gallon and tossed in a green mandarin about 8 months in. I started off seeding the refugium with pods bought online. those 1500 pods deals.. I don't see much copepods in my tank but amphipods are everywhere.

for me it is set and forget.. never seen the mandarin eat any prepared food. still fat and healthy
 
microlady said:
ORA has tank raised mandarins on their website. Maybe they eat prepared foods better?
Click to expand...
Do not depend on that. Any prepared food you may or may not get them to eat will only be a supplement. If you don't have the pod population to sustain them you'll most likely just lengthen the time it takes for them to wither away. PaulB has a great feeder but only as a secondary food source.
 
I've had 2 mandarins in my 150 for about 7 or 8 months now. Never added pods or anything like that, but my pod population has always been booming since a few months after my until cycle.
both mandarins have fat stomachs by the end of the day, and aside from trying to battle to the death once in a while, seem to be doing great.
I was feeding my other fish mysis not too long ago, and my red mandarin was snatching pieces out of the water column. She was even chasing a piece or two. Was pretty cool to see as I've never even attempted to feed them prepared foods.
waiting to hit the 1 year mark as they say that's the sign of success.
My only advice is prior to purchase, watch the mandarin for at least 20 minutes or so. Make sure it's displaying normal behavior, and pecking for pods at least 5 or 6 times a minute.
Do not buy one that is barely pecking around, not a good sign.
go for it and good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

beckya
for a 40 gallon breeder
Replies
2
Views
161
griss
griss
M
help with new dracula goby
Replies
5
Views
387
leebca
L
J
new tank
Replies
1
Views
405
Reefing102
Reefing102
T
Gph for 32 biocube
Replies
1
Views
247
griss
griss
C
Question Help Plz!!!!
Replies
9
Views
888
Timfish
Timfish
Back
Top