Mandarin troubles, calling all cars...S.O.S....

[Scooterman]

How long has it been since it last ate? In a 55 established, I would think you would have enough food to get it to eat whatever was available to start off anyways, did it ever eat at first, maybe then if it stopped I'd be worried, don't over feed your tank trying to make it eat, fish eat when your not noticing. I've seen them in 40g tanks over a year, I can't say it is the best home but they are surviving.
What else is in your tank?

 

[cdeakle]

I can see her peck and hunt on the LR but there is no visible pod population. Due to her body size, its obvious she is not getting enough. She is skinny as a rail.

I only have an algae blenny, six-line that I can't catch, and a yellow tang. I have TONS of LR so I just don't get it. I know the six-line eats pods as well but with the refugium in place I should still be able to get the pod poplulation up. My tank is more than adequate to keep a mandarin, just don't know.

I tried again various foods last night to no avail. Time and time again it floats right in front of her and she doesnt even look. I have seen various food actually smack her in the face and she didnt budge. Frustrating!

Anyone wanna mandy-sit? Someone out there must have an established tank with pods that need to be eaten =)

 

[Scooterman]

If you could isolate her in a small Hospital tank, you may save her, or lend her to a friend to bring it back to health, it may of been unsettled from the LFS. If your water prams have been up to par, and it isn't eating from day one, or just a little then nothing now, I'm betting the wrasse is spooking her(it). The wrasse has dominance because it has established itself, difficult to keep them apart in a small tank, even in my 100g I have problems like that, you can't install a peaceful fish with others in place regardless if they are peaceful or not, they compete for food, & they size up close it is enough to stress her out, even if the wrasse is smaller. Something of that matter is causing her to retract from eating, key is trying to figure out what it is. Hurry up because she(it) looks starved!

 

[Crows Ridge]

Hey Chris,

If you want, I will host her in our 350g. If we cant get her back out, I'll get you another one. At least there is plenty to eat. I got one about Christmas. 3/4'' and thin. Same way with the six line. They are both huge now!

Let me know if I can help.

Thanks, Chris

p.s. Just in case you havent done this. Look at the tank about 2 hours after dark w/ a flashlight. I thought I was out of pods last summer until I looked after hours. Its scary in there now. Pods and baby pepps everywhere! Maybe a vacation w/out preditors will give you the break you need.

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Ah ha! The Sixline and Mandarin are competing for the same food. This is your main challenge. I have only one pod eater in my 80 gallon, a Yellow Coris Wrasse, and so no more. The Wrasse is beautifully colored and is 6" in length so I know with my refugium there is enough food. It hunts all day.

IMO you will have to choose between the Sixline and the Mandarin. The 350 gallon tank has plenty of volume to handle both fish, but your 55 is overmatched. That's why you can't sustain the pod population.

 

[Scooterman]

I think you may have a solution, or a new home, I hope you can rejuvenate it back to health, IMO, catch the wrasse.

 

[Crows Ridge]

Chris, I got your PM and replied. Your mailbox is full though.

 

[cdeakle]

Crow, PM sent! Thanks and I'm ready to move her in a seconds notice!

I already chose, the mandarin of course. I gave away alot of livestock before I even got the mandarin ie stars etc. Unfortunately the six-line hasn't agreed yet. I can't catch the sucker and since I have a fair amount of corals and a ton of rock I can't tear down the tank to catch the six-line.

It's amazing enough I caught the mandarin to put here in the refugium.

Man this sucks. When its all said and done my goal is to have a 55 gallon thats packed with nothing but pods for at least a year with NO other livestock. I will not be defeated! LOL I will then only have a mandarin. I will give up all corals and livestock eventually to do this to prove I will not be defeated. I have never, NEVER lost a fish due to anything that was in my control. I'm not gonna start now....

 

[cdeakle]

try now friend!

 

[Scooterman]

Make a fish trap, try doing a search! The greediest fish will be the first caught!

 

[cdeakle]

To top it off I havent trecieved my inland aquatics delivery due to FedEx as usual. They told me they attempted delivery but no one was there to sign, BS. I called again then they said they delivered to the wrong address. When IA called FedEx they stated that they had the delivery in the truck waiting to be dropped off. I called my rental office and they said they just saw FedEx pickup a delivery that was miss delivered to S5 when I am in S10. Can my day get any worse? lol

 

[fishermann]

cdeakle As long as you have that six line wrasse in a 55 you well never have enough food for the mandarin. I have a six line for years and he is constantly looking for food off the rocks and they have a non filling appetite. I have tried to catch mine also and he won,t go in a trap, and i think it is because he gets enough food from the rock. The main problem is the 6line covers a hundred more times the ground looking on the rock that a manderin does. Unfortunatly the onlyt way to catch that little bugger i think well be to tear the tank apart.

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Bite the bullet, tear it down gently and catch the wrasse leaving all live sand undisturbed. Put the LR and corals in a bucket. After catching the wrasse reaquascape the tank and leave the corals in during your one year fish sabatical. The corals won't have any effect on your pods.

Fishermann had the experience I suspected. Good decision!

 

[Fly n Reef]

Send her to Crows Ridge! I am so worried about her. I have a immature tank and would love to help but I can't. Please send her to Crows Ridge. I won't be able to take it if.....
Fly

 

[cdeakle]

I now have tons of pods. A couple hundred mysis/grammarus from IA and some extra critters from msinc, thanks! Will probably send her over to crow as soon as we can hook up. She is gorging for now, we shall see...

 

[mojoreef]

Good news

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Good news

I second that!

 

[MarineDreamer]

Reading this post is like watching a day-time soap. Only I was glued to the monitor!

I hope everything works out; keep us posted!

Trevor

 

[cdeakle]

Yeah, hopefully a soap with a good ending. LOL I can even picture the dramatic background music......"Like the sand from an hour glass......"

I will post the FedEx tracking number later when I can dig it up and you can see the tracking results. Inland Aquatics said they have never seen such a tracking history the whole time they have been in business. They showed 3 different delivery attempts with a couple of actuall deleveries for the same package all within the span of a couple hours. Followed by a mis delivery and another pickup and then a return to facility note followed by my final actual pickup at the FedEx station. You can kinda get the jist of it LOL

Inland Aquatics is awesome, because they know about my mandarin situation followed by the FedEx fiasco they are going to give me free shipping on my next order (today) and send me some free critters and pods for my mandarin. Great people.

Big thanks to Candy (mscinc) and her hubby. Even got 4 hermits and a couple snail hitchhikers in the rubble they hooked me up with. A ton of pods came along for the ride as well. I hope they like the micro-stars.

Will update you guys/gals later, gotta do at least a little bit of work.....

 

[Fly n Reef]

This is good news. I hope it all works out for you.