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emperorangelman

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May 1, 2007
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i found a mandarin at the lfs that eat brine shrimp and hes really fat. could i get him if my tank isnt matured but it has cycled.
 
Mine ate brine and mysis but stayed rather skinny. He died after about 6 months. As long as your params are stable he should be okay but a refugium would be the way to go. I'm not going to get another unless I provide a refugium that will provide a constant supply of pods. :D
 
have you seen him eat brine shrimp or did they just tell you that he does? and is it live or frozen brine shrimp that he eats? If it's frozen brine and you've seen him eat it, I would think it's safe to bring him home. If it's only live brine, then you'd have to figure out how to get more of that.
 
you can also culture some pods for him in a jar. I'm doing that now and it's pretty easy. If you do a search on mandarins or culture copepods you'll find the links to instructions for that. the website oceanpods.com has instructions there also.
 
They eat copods, that is their main food, you need an established tank & lots of LR to keep them, you can feed them other foods which is great but not recommended in a new tank, most suggest at least 6 months old, I say a year, 6 months isn't long enough to establish the copods required. This is a fish for the experienced.
 
i was thinking of getting a mandrin, what if you have a good amount of pods and flatworms, i know flatworms aren't their prefered food, but are nonetheless a food source
 
Mandarins eat pods some of the smallest pods found, they have super small mouths, getting one that is eating anything else is a blessing, most will starve to death without a good supply of their natural food, also consider other species that feeds on the pods. People are successful in keeping them over a year but that is specific, not saying it can't be done but it is difficult.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=262224#post262224

Follow Ladygaters thread on the copods & mandarins it will help anyone trying to keep these beautiful fish.
 
What many are saying politely, in a tank your size and age, regardless of what the store tells you, the fish will most certainly starve to death. Plain and simple: no exceptions. I have a 180 with 300+ pounds of live rock that is many years old. Also a huge refugium full of pods. With all that, I worry about how my mandarin is doing. Perhaps unnecessary worry, but most die and that is sad. I don't wish to start a flame war on any controversial subjects, just an opinion of one in this hobby since the 70s.
 
Unless you can look in your tank after the lights are out and see thousands of pods running around, I wouldn't recommend it. I just got really lucky with mine, but i did do a pod culture and have a fuge. Still, I have not met any one that is knowledgable on our hobby that believes i have one that is doing well in my 36 gal. I have a feeling that Herefishyfishy thinks that i go out and buy a new one every time he comes over.
 
Herefishyfishy said:
What many are saying politely, in a tank your size and age, regardless of what the store tells you, the fish will most certainly starve to death. Plain and simple: no exceptions. I have a 180 with 300+ pounds of live rock that is many years old. Also a huge refugium full of pods. With all that, I worry about how my mandarin is doing. Perhaps unnecessary worry, but most die and that is sad. I don't wish to start a flame war on any controversial subjects, just an opinion of one in this hobby since the 70s.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. my tank is several years old with many pods and I still to this day have not had success keeping a mandarin, they always get skinny and starve to death....

Matt
 
steven11 said:
Unless you can look in your tank after the lights are out and see thousands of pods running around, I wouldn't recommend it. I just got really lucky with mine, but i did do a pod culture and have a fuge. Still, I have not met any one that is knowledgable on our hobby that believes i have one that is doing well in my 36 gal. I have a feeling that Herefishyfishy thinks that i go out and buy a new one every time he comes over.
Click to expand...

LOLOLOLOLOL, You know me too well!
 
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