mandarin food

[Moonstream]

I have a 1/2 filled 6 gallon filled w/ pods to the point that I cant see the other side. I was thinking about filling it up all the way and getting a mandarin. I know it wont suport them for long, but was thinking about weaning the mandy to live foods, and then (maybe) frozen. Would this work?

[Pmolan]

I think the pods will be gone by the end of the day, especially in open water.

[Moonstream]

I added sevaral rocks in hope of getting the pods to hide, and I will put in a single hermit to get them to hide, as well.

[flyyyguy]

Please do not take this negative in any way, and im sure you already know this............. But if you knowingly get a mandarin that doesnt already take prepared foods for sure, chances are better than not the fish will starve and die in that size of a tank.

I really suggest either getting one that already takes prepared foods or better yet, wait until you have a tank big enough to actually support one.

[seapug]

I've weaned two mandarins onto PE Mysis. They love it and look great.

[sirreal63]

What will you do to ensure the survival of this beautiful fish once the pods are gone, which won't take long?

I have a single spotted mandarin in my 125 with about 175# of rock and he keeps the pods mowed down nicely. I actively grow pods in the sump and transfer them to the display and a single mandarin keeps them wiped out.

I am not sure you will be able to support their voracious feeding habits with a tank that small. Weaning them to other than live foods is hit and miss. Most of the time it is miss and they slowly starve. Your 29 will not support one either for very long. I watched mine clean a tank that was teaming with them in a very short time.

Please don't let another mandarin die in captivity.

[Moonstream]

I will try to find one that eats the frozen foods. Maybe I can, if I can't I will wait.

[flyyyguy]

That really is good thinking moonstream.

FWIW....the first mandarin i ever kept i kept in a esablished 80 gallon tank. I at one time had the delusion that i had plenty of pods to support 2 of them and wanted another.

Well....like a dummy i left the guard off of a powerhead and he ended up getting killed. Long story short ........within a few weeks of his death there were so many pods that i realized there was no way I could have supported two. The amount of pod grazing they do is truly incredible.

[MTB]

Agreed ^^. My mandarin takes prepared foods. Plus I cultivate tiger pods which he seems to love. Nice fat fish.

[sirreal63]

Mine has been in the tank for 2 years, fat and happy. I too wanted a second one because my male wants a female...but I don't think I can support two of them.

As long as I can keep mine this fat and happy I won't try and keep a second one.

[BLockamon]

Yep, I have one mandarin in a 90 gal with 120# of live rock, and it's about all I can do the see any pods in the tank. She's a fat little fish, however, so she must find them just fine . No way I could keep two.