Feeding a psychedelic dragonet
 

I got a psychedelic a week ago as a gift. Other than the copepods and small crustaceans in my reef tank, are there foods that I can feed it? Also, how do I feed it? I typically feed my tank with frozen brine shrimp and "marine plankton w/ cyclopeeze."

(sigh) Gifts are just never a good thing in our hobby are they? You say you have a 12 G? Unfortunately the fish you have is a member of the genus Pterosynchiropus and they are notoriously difficult fish to keep. Unless you come upon a rare specimen that eats cyclopeeze etc. they often starve. I hate to say it but your only choices are to put it in a larger Fully Established tank or return it. It may look like you have plenty of pods in your tank and a fuge helps but its just not enough. Trust me, I learned the hard way. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

few have gotten their mandarins to eat prepared food. do a search for mandarin foods or something like that. i'm not sure if live mysis or brine shrimp would work.

with these fish, people have stated that it is wise to have about 100lbs of live rock in the tank for the fish to graze on. and like Gobydude said, a fuge helps a lot...but your 12 gal is probably too small.

I had a mandarin doing great in a 50 gallon with a 10g fuge for almost six months. He was the ONLY fish. Against some good advice, I put a six line wrasse in with him. It took him 3 months to starve. I feel absolutely terrible. He was the only thing I have killed since getting back into the hobby after a long brake to do research. I will probably never buy another mandarin unless I have a HUGE, VERY well established tank with nothing to compete for food. They are beautiful fish but IMO are a species better left in the ocean.

Sigh! I guess back to the LFS it goes. If they won't take it back, would anyone with the means to take care of it be willing to take it (free)? I don't want the poor guy to starve to death.

Might try frozen mysid soaked with selcon. I have had one for almost 2 yrs. He goes to the same rock at feeding time and will practically eat the mysids out of my hand...but this behavior is very rare.

curthendrix


:eek2: :D :beer: :thumbsup:


CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!! Your a lucky man!