what do i need to know about getting a mandarin?

[Chelsea22]

i really want to get a mandarin draganet, but ive heard different things.. like you have to wait a certain amount of months for you tank to be set up before you can add one because of the little critters they eat.. and ive also been told that since i only have a 20 gallon that i will never be able to get one because the amount of live rock i have isnt enought to support the copopods .. so what is the real truth and what do i need to know? will i be able to get one?

Thanks guys!

 

[xxtriggermanxx]

If it's one of the ORA tank raised you would have a much better chance. a wild one that wont eat prepared food would soon starve in a twenty. I have one in my 265 and it is all over my tank hunting pods.... Good luck

 

[Reefman29]

PODS, that is all they will eat. One in a million that they will eat frozen. You could potentially keep one in the 20, but you will need a decent sized fuge. Lots of live rock. You will need to seed heavily the main tank and fuge with pods and start to culture your own pods on the side.

 

[vwtanker]

The ORA mandarins would be the best to try. Once they settle down they do eat frozen foods, I have seen it in person. Without a large tank with lots of pods they will need multiple feedings per day and make sure there are no competitor fish to steal there food. Ex. Wrasse, pseudochromis, or other pod eaters. A large fuge would help as stated above.