QT a mandarinfish??

[beeps4u]

Hi all,

I've been lurking here for a while, and have really enjoyed this site. I've had my tank up for about a year and have had fish for around 8 mos. I've got a problem, though. I didn't quarantine my last fish that I added, and now my tank has an ich problem. = ( I thought that it might clear up (i.e. reach some sort of acceptable balance). The fish got much better for a while, but then everything took a turn for the worse. It looks like I might lose a yellow eye and regal tang if I don't do something soon. I'm considering trying to QT all of my fish, but I am wondering how to feed my Mandarinfish for the whole time he's in quarantine. I can't have any live rock in there with him, so how's he going to eat? I could feed him baby brine shrimp, maybe... Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help.

My tank: 150 gal reef tank, lots of inverts and live rock, fish: clown goby, neon goby, tomato clown, orchid dottyback, mandarinfish, copperband butterfly, sailfin, regal, and yellow eye tang, banded goby, rabbitfish

 

[aquaticImports]

I can get mandarin's eating brine shrimp. it just takes time. although time seem like a thing you do not have much of. How bad is the infestion of ich. Are you sure it is ich and not something else.Do you have any cleaner shrimp ( they might help).What other fish and corals do you have incase you have to medicate.

 

[beeps4u]

I have some clams, frogspawn, hammer coral, brain coral, xenia, sarcophyton, mushroom, and zoos. I've also got three cleaner shrimp and a coral banded shrimp, and lots of hermits and snails. So, most medications in the main tank will probably be inappropriate. The cleaner shrimp have definitely made a difference for the fish that will go visit them, but two gobies and two tangs are doing pretty poorly. I'm considering waiting a little longer to see if things improve, but the yellow-eye tang is shedding chunks of skin. I'm worried that he may be getting a secondary infection. = (

As far as the mandarin goes, I think he may already be eating brine shrimp (along with whatever critters he finds on the live rock). I supplement the tank with baby brine shrimp periodically, and he seems to like this. I'm just not sure it would be enought to keep him going for a few weeks in QT.

 

[ronj]

ohhh no!!! definately..get the qt tank up and running ASAP...if flesh is falling off of fish..no, but seriously, you need to get a qt tank up as soon as possible!!! also, don't rely on cleaner shrimp..they may help to some small extent, but they will by no means solve the problem..

 

[mmkeeper]

Live brine shrimp works great for manadrins.

 

[diablo]

I would definatly QT all your fish, but the problem is the life cycle of ich. you might save your fish but the cycle will continue in your tank till it completely dies out. could take about 6 weeks or more in some cases. I would get a 55 gallon set up somewhere no sand no rock you can find some plastic decorations for hiding areas (so your tangs dont freak out from being in a small place for a long period of time) 2 methods you can use hypo (lowering salinity to 1.009) or the use of copper sulfate (which is a toxin but effective) do not use both methods at the same time. tear about your tank tomorrow and get this done as fast as you can. then leave no fish in the main aquarium for about 6 weeks.....

QT everything from now on. this is easy to aviod in the future.

the manadrins are not easy to get to eat brine but most of the time if they a established long enuf they do and you dont know about it. try it and if it doesn't eat then try the baby brine.

dont delay get it done. Your corals and inverts will be fine in the main tank without any problems. ich only affects fish.

 

[prbhasson]

You do not have to quarantine mandarins. They will not get ich!! They have a special oily coating on them that protects them. Do not quarantine them with any medications as this will surely kill them. They are very succeptable to medications....

 

[shallowreef]

I would hatch brines and add them to your tank weekly or even daily if you have a lot of fish/ coral. I used these to feed my mandarin until my pod population took off.

Good luck

 

[Steven Pro]

You do not have to quarantine mandarins. They will not get ich!! They have a special oily coating on them that protects them.

Unfortunately, this is a very prevalent, but false internet myth. Mandarins can and do get marine ich. Although they are not as commonly infected as other species, they do get it.

 

[ronj]

how is the problem going???? have you set up a qt tank yet???

 

[aquaticImports]

I agree mandarins do get ick and many other infections.

 

[steve-s]

Unfortunately, this is a very prevalent, but false internet myth. Mandarins can and do get marine ich. Although they are not as commonly infected as other species, they do get it.

Agreed. Any/all fish are susceptible to this and any other parasite.

Cheers
Steve

 

[steve-s]

I'm considering trying to QT all of my fish, but I am wondering how to feed my Mandarinfish for the whole time he's in quarantine. I can't have any live rock in there with him, so how's he going to eat? I could feed him baby brine shrimp, maybe... Any suggestions?

Although your tank is on the larger side, you have allot of fish with similar appetites. I would also suggest augmenting the pod supply naturally (refugia etc) or purchased.

http://marineaquariumadvice.com/feeding_mandarin_or_synchiropus_splendidus.html
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/nftt/index.php
http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

Cheers
Steve

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Mandarinfish in Small Quarantine Aquaria

Your Mandarin fish will be dead in a few days if you try to quarantine it in a small aquarium with nothing to eat other than brine shrimp. You may be able to get it to attack inert feed rolling across the bare bottom of the quarantine aquarium. Your Mandarinfish will be attracted to frozen bloodworms if you hang them on something in the substrata like plastic plants.
Just put one peace of PVC with nothing else in the aquarium so the Mandarinfish can hide and feel safe. Also your quarantine aquarium doesn't need to be a aquarium. Just anything non-toxic that you can bleach out after you've finished. A filter isn't required just a air stone, if you'll do timely water changes.

 

[Damsel13]

well that was interesting Jeff. That is why I love this website. Don't have a Mandarin but do have a Watchman Gobie who loves pods.

 

[Snowboarda42]

A Quarantine Process

Marine Ich, Myths and Facts

Pod Eaters: This link shows how to train Mandarin's to eat prepared foods, scroll down.

BTW, you should PM leebca about this thread, he's a big help.