Introducing a Mandarin

[Reese]

I have a 75 gallon tank with a lot of LR. I also have a 29 gallon sump with a 12" x 12" fuge that houses more LR, chaeto and a growing pod population. Current tank inhabitants: Yellow tang, royal gramma, pair of oscellaris clowns, flame angel, BTA, and possibly a yellow watchman goby (but I haven't seen him in a while). Does anyone see a problem with introducing a good sized mandarin at this point?...

 

[returnofsid]

How long has your tank been up and running? From what I know, you need a well established tank with lots of living pods. The refugium will definately help keep the population up as well. I'd say that as long as your pod population is good, you oughta be fine. One thing to consider is that the Royal Gramma may offer some competition for the food the Mandarin needs. Probably not as bad as a Wrasse but something to think about.

 

[leebca]

I don't think your system will comfortably feed a mandarin. This is a perfect example of another reason to quarantine a fish -- to get it eating the right foods. See http://www.reefland.com/forum/marin...-treatment/19255-fish-quarantine-process.html

For some specific ideas on how to train the mandarin to eat other foods, you should read some articles on the subject. A couple I've come across:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/nftt/index.htm
http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

Get this fish into a nutritious feeding routine and your tank is large enough:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15720
and
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15719

 

[Reese]

How long has your tank been up and running? From what I know, you need a well established tank with lots of living pods. The refugium will definately help keep the population up as well. I'd say that as long as your pod population is good, you oughta be fine. One thing to consider is that the Royal Gramma may offer some competition for the food the Mandarin needs. Probably not as bad as a Wrasse but something to think about.

Thanks. My tank has been up for about a year, but most of the LR and filtration were part of my first 29 gallon system that was up and running for more than a year before that. I replaced the old sump with the 29 gallon DIY a few months ago. Since then I have been cultivating the macro and pod population.

Thanks for the information Lee. I'm not about to rush into the purchase. I'm aware of their nutritional needs and won't proceed until I'm positive that it will do well in the tank. And I will definately QT one should I decide to make the purchase.

All that aside, should I be concerned about hostility from the aforementioned tankmates? They all get along great now. The flame angel received a little grief from the tang. But that only lasted a day and the angel didn't really seemed fazed by it...

 

[leebca]

The greatest probability is that the other fish in your aquarium will not be concerned about the addition of a mandarin. The mandarin keeps pretty much to the bottom and won't appear to be much competition from the other fish that swim the 'open aquarium' waters.

As to how the mandarin will react to the other fish, it is hard to say. Some become very frightened and hide, others (most I'd say) don't feel any kind of threat and won't let the presence of other fishes bother their day-to-day activities. A few go through an in-between phase and turn into comfortable tankmates.

The quarantine process and feeding prepared foods will go a long way to give the fish confidence it can compete for food. However, in the feeding process of the main display, you may have to feed the mandarin directly in order to get food past the other fishes. Spot feeders or tubes that deliver food to a particular area of the aquarium can be used for this, if it becomes necessary.

Sure you want to put up with this? They are beautiful but sometimes they require extra efforts on the part of the owner.

 

[returnofsid]

In response to the post about trying to get a Mandarin to eat prepared foods....Good luck. It's been known to happen but is vary rare. Maybe 2 or 3 out of every 50 Mandarins. With as long as your tank has been up and running, and with the tank mates you mentioned, I don't think you'll have any problem at all. When the Mandarin is in the QT tank, make sure it's getting plenty of food. Try live brine shrimp. Or if you have a good amount of critter populated chaeto, place some of that in the QT tank and maybe rotate it every few days with a fresh clump that'll have lots of pods.

 

[JRBear5658]

So in those Article it neve told us how they got there Mandarin to eat formula one and two.

Does any one know how to get your mandarin to eat Formula one and two?

JR

 

[returnofsid]

Mandarin's eat a specific diet because that is what's healthy for them. I would think it would be a very bad idea to attempt to make your Mandarin eat anything else. If you want to vary it's diet, I would attempt to with live brine shrimp or live black worms. I would think that attempting to force feed a Mandarin a flake or frozen food would be unhealthy for it and a great way to end up with a fish dying of starvation or malnutrition.

 

[steve-s]

What Lee has told you/posted links regarding Synchiropus in general is quite true. They can be more easily trained in the right setting. Placing a fish like this in a community tank, often with direct food competitors, is doomed from the word go. A 75 gal tank is no different than a 90 gal so don't think the sump helps at all, it doesn't. I would never recommend you add this fish without training it first but many do unfortunately. Those who have the best success otherwise have much larger systems, add cultured pods on a regular basis or have done what Lee has tried to convey.

In an isolation tank/QT, there is no distraction, water flow can be slowed or turned off at feeding time, water quality can be easily looked after with the amount of foods that will end up being wasted. The QT benefits to this fish are actually much easier than you think. Read the articles provided. Add this one to the list....
http://marineaquariumadvice.com/feeding_mandarin_or_synchiropus_splendidus.html

Cheers
Steve

 

[Reese]

Thanks a lot. I'll definately carefully consider all of this before buying one. It may be best to wait until I move up to a larger tank...

If I do not add a mandarin, any suggestions for one more compatible fish?...

 

[leebca]

With your fish grouping, the Yellow Tang and the Flame Angel will be most disturbed by an addition. Once my Flame Angels settle in, they seem to 'subtly' dominate the tank of less-assertive fishes. The Yellow Tang will oppose any fish shaped like it and any fish that might be of the Genus Zebrasoma. It could just take up issues with any tang, however.

So, avoiding the above, Dwarf Angels in general, and other Gobies (if you're sure the one you have is still alive!) your choices are pretty open. Do you like wrasses at all?

 

[Reese]

I've never really considered wrasses. Nothing against them, just never really thought about it. I'd love to have multiple tangs but wouldn't consider adding another to this size system (75 gal.). I really don't want to overstock the tank but one more good looking medium sized fish would be ideal...

I know very little about Anthias. Would there be any problem with one in my tank? I seem to remember that some should be kept as one male with a few females...

 

[jetaero]

My mandarin began eating mysis one day, after keeping it for a couple of years. I believe they pick up the talent from watching other fish, but may be incorrect. Either way, you need the proper foods to be plentiful for it to fall back on.

-Josh

 

[jetaero]

Anthias are extremely hard to feed, they must be fed 2-3 times per day, and usually that will do horrors to your water quality.

-Josh

 

[returnofsid]

If you are seriously considering a Mandarin, do not, under any circumstances consider a Wrasse. Don't get me wrong, I love Wrasses and have a 6 line in my 29 gal. However, they are a direct competitor for food with the Mandarin and are a much more aggressive feeder. It will out-compete the Mandarin for food. Other than that, Wrasses are an awesome fish...especially when you see them in the early morning, still in their mucus cacoon!!

 

[steve-s]

The wrasse was meant as an "instead of" suggestion by Lee. There are several wrasse species that do quite well and many still that remain relatively small. Which species to choose would greatly depend on tank mates and the main goal of the tank. Coral types, inverts etc...

Cheers
Steve