SEAF
Member
I have had a 20-long reef tank for almost a year now. You can see pictures of my tank and livestock in the Introduction section. In terms of reef-keepers, I am still a newbie, but I have leaned heavily on the advice of others and lots of study through the internet.
I wanted a Mandarin since the first time I saw a picture of one. When I started studying up on them and asking questions, I knew my tank was not big enough to support this fish, even though I had a very healthy pod population. I started with a tank I got from someone else that had been established for years. (a great way to start, I might add!)
I set about achieving my goal of owning a Mandarin Dragonet. I built a 20-long, low-flow sump with a refugium and connected it to my system. I now had a 40 gallon capacity which was the minimum for a Mandarin according to my study. I gave it a couple of months to establish a good pod population in the refugium.
Then I got my Mandarin. I am the original penny-pinchin' cheapskate when it comes to looking for a bargain, so I got what I paid for... a wild-caught, ematiated (sunken-bellied), super-skittish fish. When I put him in my tank, he sat under a rock for three days and didn't move. I figured he was a gonner from everything I had read about these fish. Finally, he came out and started poking around the back rocks a little. A glimmer of hope began. I thought he might just make it. He kept poking around for the next few days, and though he didn't seem to be filling out any, he was at least staying alive.
I feed my marine fish frozen brine shrimp as a supplemental diet once a day. One day while I was doing so, I squirted some of these dead creatures down in the back of the tank where the Mandarin liked to hang out. To my complete surprise and delight, he ate some of them! He repeated this behavior every day, contrary to all I had learned about his species. He filled out and gave me confidence that he was going to make it.
Today, my Mandarin (nicknamed, "Kermit", because everyone who sees him for the first time asks if he is a frog when he pokes his head out... I just realized... that's the first time I have ever named a fish! Does that mean I am addicted?!) is doing very well. He doesn't run and hide anymore when people come into the room. He is continually hunting pods (my pod population is still very strong) and gets his daily ration of brine shrimp.
I feed some of my freshwater fish frozen blood worms. I keep small portions of those and brine shrimp in baggies in my freezer. Yesterday, I grabbed the wrong bag when it was time to feed the marine fish. I didn't realize my error until the worms had already thawed out in the cup of saltwater I put them in. I decided to go ahead and see if the marine fish would eat them. They devoured them about as eagerly as the freshwater fish. I decided to try them on Kermit. He went after them like an eight-year-old goes after candy! I haven't seen him eating any pellets or flakes... yet... but I am past being surprised by him.
I wanted a Mandarin since the first time I saw a picture of one. When I started studying up on them and asking questions, I knew my tank was not big enough to support this fish, even though I had a very healthy pod population. I started with a tank I got from someone else that had been established for years. (a great way to start, I might add!)
I set about achieving my goal of owning a Mandarin Dragonet. I built a 20-long, low-flow sump with a refugium and connected it to my system. I now had a 40 gallon capacity which was the minimum for a Mandarin according to my study. I gave it a couple of months to establish a good pod population in the refugium.
Then I got my Mandarin. I am the original penny-pinchin' cheapskate when it comes to looking for a bargain, so I got what I paid for... a wild-caught, ematiated (sunken-bellied), super-skittish fish. When I put him in my tank, he sat under a rock for three days and didn't move. I figured he was a gonner from everything I had read about these fish. Finally, he came out and started poking around the back rocks a little. A glimmer of hope began. I thought he might just make it. He kept poking around for the next few days, and though he didn't seem to be filling out any, he was at least staying alive.
I feed my marine fish frozen brine shrimp as a supplemental diet once a day. One day while I was doing so, I squirted some of these dead creatures down in the back of the tank where the Mandarin liked to hang out. To my complete surprise and delight, he ate some of them! He repeated this behavior every day, contrary to all I had learned about his species. He filled out and gave me confidence that he was going to make it.
Today, my Mandarin (nicknamed, "Kermit", because everyone who sees him for the first time asks if he is a frog when he pokes his head out... I just realized... that's the first time I have ever named a fish! Does that mean I am addicted?!) is doing very well. He doesn't run and hide anymore when people come into the room. He is continually hunting pods (my pod population is still very strong) and gets his daily ration of brine shrimp.
I feed some of my freshwater fish frozen blood worms. I keep small portions of those and brine shrimp in baggies in my freezer. Yesterday, I grabbed the wrong bag when it was time to feed the marine fish. I didn't realize my error until the worms had already thawed out in the cup of saltwater I put them in. I decided to go ahead and see if the marine fish would eat them. They devoured them about as eagerly as the freshwater fish. I decided to try them on Kermit. He went after them like an eight-year-old goes after candy! I haven't seen him eating any pellets or flakes... yet... but I am past being surprised by him.
