Wanting a Dragonet

[rjsilvers]

The point of having a large tank means you have more rock which means the pods have a lot of great places to breed without predation.

I don't agree with people saying that you can have a large tank without any pods... You may not see them, but I can guarantee if you've ever had more than a couple pods in your tank that you brought in on LR/chaeto your pod population will explode in a very short amount of time with no predators.

Brine shrimp is not the answer, either. A diet consisting of adult brine shrimp would be like you eating rice cakes your whole life. Besides, its not guaranteed your mandarin is going to eat them.

 

[shred5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544089#post12544089 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
The point of having a large tank means you have more rock which means the pods have a lot of great places to breed without predation.

I don't agree with people saying that you can have a large tank without any pods... You may not see them, but I can guarantee if you've ever had more than a couple pods in your tank that you brought in on LR/chaeto your pod population will explode in a very short amount of time with no predators.

Brine shrimp is not the answer, either. A diet consisting of adult brine shrimp would be like you eating rice cakes your whole life. Besides, its not guaranteed your mandarin is going to eat them.

Ever hear of enriched brine shrimp? If you can raise baby clown fish to adult hood after rotifers on them. I am sure a mandrin can survive on them as a supplement to the pods. With brine shrimp it all in what you feed them and the hufa content, the mandrin is eating what is in the brineshrimp gut. BBs can have a high fat content.

As far as a large tank goes it can be if you have competing animals like a six line. Some fish can decimate a population of pods in even in a large tanks esp if there are more than one.

Funny thing is allot of people who argue about this do not know the difference between a amphipod or a copepod.


Dave

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544132#post12544132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shred5
Ever hear of enriched brine shrimp? If you can raise baby clown fish to adult hood after rotifers on them. I am sure a mandrin can survive on them as a supplment to the pods.
Dave

Weird. I thought you were the same guy that said your clowns are always picking pods off the glass.

You can't have it both ways. You're either raising them completely off brine shrimp or you're raising them off brine shrimp (no nutritional value) in addition whatever else those poor, starved fish happen to find in your tank.

Besides, I could probably raise a baby to adulthood on rice cakes. It wouldn't necessarily be healthy, but it's probably very possible.

 

[fuschia_red]

I've known several people in the past who have owned mandarins (I included) and I have never seen one survive in less than a 100 gallon system. On top of that, weening one onto frozen is HARD; I don't know why we keep importing them.

The only idiots I have ever heard give me some BS about their mandarins eating frozen was Petco and when I asked them to feed it so I could see, she told me that they were on a schedule and that wouldn't be possible. So...being the smart aleck I am at the time, I said, if it ate frozen, it'd be worth a lot more than 12 bucks.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544281#post12544281 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fuschia_red

The only idiots I have ever heard give me some BS about their mandarins eating frozen was Petco and when I asked them to feed it so I could see, she told me that they were on a schedule and that wouldn't be possible. So...being the smart aleck I am at the time, I said, if it ate frozen, it'd be worth a lot more than 12 bucks.

I've seen dozens of mandarins eat frozen. Is it easy to get them on frozen? No. But its not impossible.

 

[shred5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544192#post12544192 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
Weird. I thought you were the same guy that said your clowns are always picking pods off the glass.

You can't have it both ways. You're either raising them completely off brine shrimp or you're raising them off brine shrimp (no nutritional value) in addition whatever else those poor, starved fish happen to find in your tank.

Besides, I could probably raise a baby to adulthood on rice cakes. It wouldn't necessarily be healthy, but it's probably very possible.

You know I am not really going to say much to this because You are twisting things I have typed and on two different comments about two different things. And it is obvious you have not idea what you are talking about esp. breeding clown fish.. do you even know what hufas are?

Dave

 

[Longchamp]

Many mandarins are actually captive bred. There was a pic up not too long ago of a whole tank full of them.


I would say a mandarin would be possible if you arrange your rockwork in such a way that there are many crevices the mandarin can't get to AND if you had a good size fuge.

To anyone who has or knows a lot about mandarins: Is it ONLY copepods they eat? I've got a TON of pods (some are like 1/4 inch long) along with lots of mysis shrimp swimming around but i dont think i have many copepods.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544322#post12544322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Longchamp
Many mandarins are actually captive bred. There was a pic up not too long ago of a whole tank full of them.


I would say a mandarin would be possible if you arrange your rockwork in such a way that there are many crevices the mandarin can't get to AND if you had a good size fuge.

To anyone who has or knows a lot about mandarins: Is it ONLY copepods they eat? I've got a TON of pods (some are like 1/4 inch long) along with lots of mysis shrimp swimming around but i dont think i have many copepods.

mine are probably the odd balls
in my 29g - she eats pods (not sure what type, but my guess is everythign thats moving). I know she also will eat live brine shrimp and frozen blood worms; she loves both but I wouldn't recommend trying to raise one on just these

in my 290g - my large obease fat target mandarin eats anythign that resembles food. he ate only pods for the first 9 months or so, and discovered frozen mysis durring the typical fish feeding frenzy now he eats anything I put in the tank; including pellets. He loves to show off his fins and fat belly and always follows me around the tank and is right there if my hand is in the tank moving a rock or blasting detrious. this guy is so tame I could pick him up by hand.

30 years ago I starved a couple to death feeding regular live brine shrimp. they ate them but just didn't get enough nutrition from them

 

[Lightsluvr]

Amphipods?

Amphipods?

I think you will find that the larger pods are amphipods or possibly what is being called Tigger pods. According to research I have read, the larger pods are often in the water column and of little use to madarins, which hunt their food on the rocks and sandbed. Just take a look at the tiny mouth on a mandarin and you can judge if they can consume a 1/4" amphipod. It's possible, I have just never seen my mandarins do it...
By the way, I love the post above about "the big fat mandarin" - that is very cool.
Other fish also compete with the mandarins for pods. For example, I keep 8 seahorses in my 95G tank - Even though it has nearly 150# of LR, I still supplement pods. In my 180G, I have a six-line wrasse that oinks on pods as well as the green mandarin. I maintain a fuge with a hunk of chaeto that keeps that tank in pods...
IME

LL

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544316#post12544316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
I've seen dozens of mandarins eat frozen. Is it easy to get them on frozen? No. But its not impossible.

By starving them until they must eat something else just to stay alive?

Sounds like a good solution to me.

 

[tkeracer619]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544554#post12544554 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
By starving them until they must eat something else just to stay alive?

Sounds like a good solution to me.

Unfortunatly due to the cost of this fish that is exactly how it happens... or the fish dies and they get another.

Person - "They were so mean to me. They told me I can't have this fish, that it would just die!" " I told them they were wrong and made them bag the fish anyways and that I would never be back because they were so rude" "The fish was really pretty so I had to have it, isnt it pretty. I love it!"

Me - "How long ago was this?"

Person - "3 Months"

Me - "Well they were right and the fish is going to die. Not trying to be mean just telling you the truth. You starved this fish to death over a 3 month period.... any way you look at it"

Person a week later- "You were right, it died."

 

[shred5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544822#post12544822 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tkeracer619
Unfortunatly due to the cost of this fish

You are right the cost of the fish helps the problem of people buying them that should not... They are a cheap fish because they are slow and easy to catch. This is also the reason you will not see this fish captive bred other than a few people doing it just to see if they can. Another reason is the fish has a very long grow out period. But if the price was higher it would not matter as much because less people would buy them because they do not want to waste their money..


Dave

 

[Lightsluvr]

Eventually...

Eventually...

Eventually the price will be higher...when the wild-caught become exhausted or protected...

LL

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544554#post12544554 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjsilvers
By starving them until they must eat something else just to stay alive?

Sounds like a good solution to me.

No.

Seriously, check out Melev's site. hes got instructions.

 

[NeveSSL]

:lol: I'll just speak from my own experience.

I don't know that I'd try a mandarin in a 20g UNLESS I knew it was eating frozen foods. If it is, what makes it any different from any other fish if you can get it the proper nutrition? To be honest, I'd still be hesitant even with one accepting frozen, but you know.

I found a mandarin that was eating brine shrimp at the local store. (I had actually passed SEVERAL mandarins before finding these in the past) There were actually two smaller, younger ones. The larger, older mandarin they had there wouldn't touch the brine. So it made sense to me to pick one of the younger ones.

I also picked up some SFBB Cyclops frozen copepods.

My little guy is eating live pods as well as frozen pods no problem at all. There are still tons of pods in my tank (amphipods and copepods) as well as thousands I can see in my refugium (I am dosing phyto, though, which helps. and its the swarming kind of pods... look like gnats). Good enough for me!

Brandon

 

[BigJay]

Re: Amphipods?

Re: Amphipods?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12544503#post12544503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr

By the way, I love the post above about "the big fat mandarin" - that is very cool.

psteeleb is too modest about his monster mandarin and his aquatic husbandry skills. When I saw it in-person I couldn't believe it's size. It's really good at begging for food too.

Here's a pic from psteeleb's build thread:

 

[Lightsluvr]

Re: Re: Amphipods?

Re: Re: Amphipods?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12545627#post12545627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
psteeleb is too modest about his monster mandarin and his aquatic husbandry skills. When I saw it in-person I couldn't believe it's size. It's really good at begging for food too.

Here's a pic from psteeleb's build thread:

Yikes!

Are you sure that's not an orange-spotted goby dressed up for Mardi-Gras??? :eek2:

Beautiful fish...

LL

 

[tmantaylor18]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12543437#post12543437 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by useskaforevil
since you don't have any experience and you're just going off what you've seen without any knowledge of the feeding routines i would probably not post next time.

I am pretty sure you are the one who shouldn't be posting. If you aren't going to help with someone with an honest question looking for help then you should stop wasting your time.

 

[useskaforevil]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12546118#post12546118 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmantaylor18
I am pretty sure you are the one who shouldn't be posting. If you aren't going to help with someone with an honest question looking for help then you should stop wasting your time.

oh i did help, i told him he's be sentancing the thing to death, as i'm really the one here who has the closest experience to the origina poster (20 gallon tank, 40lbs of rock) and everyone that claims to have had success has had a tank at least 1.5 times larger than the original poster.

 

[rjsilvers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12547317#post12547317 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by useskaforevil
oh i did help, i told him he's be sentancing the thing to death, as i'm really the one here who has the closest experience to the origina poster (20 gallon tank, 40lbs of rock) and everyone that claims to have had success has had a tank at least 1.5 times larger than the original poster.

Not only that, but people are basing their 'successful' experience that they've kept the fish for 3-6 months.

Yeah, be sure to check back with us in a year or 10 and let us know how great your mandarin is doing in your shoebox.