Mandarin tank mate/food training.

[natman2]

I was in need of a new challenge and have been trying my luck with this fish the past couple of weeks. I have gone against the conventional advice with this fish and have gone about it the following way.

My setup is 75g DT downstream to 30g fuge containing large ball of cheato, large clump of grape celerupa(sp) 25 pounds LR and DSB. Downstream to 20g sump and back to DT. The 30g had functioned solely as a fuge for the past six months and is packed with various micro fauna.

Granted this is my first mandarin but my hunch with this species is they fare better in a species specific tank away from the competition, bright lighting and general commotion of the DT so I introduced him to the 30g/now mandarin tank.

I purchased the smallest target Mandarin I could find with no signs of malnutrition. Acclimation went well and he went right on the hunt shortly after getting his barrings on the new surroundings. He has remained fat and active for the past two weeks and inspection at night indicates no substantial impact on the pod pop. The cheato ball in particular remains packed with pods.

At first he took no preprepared foods ignoring even live brine. Yesterday however he did notice live brine and had a little junk food feast.

Of course I would like to get him taking other, more nutritional, prepared foods to set my mind to rest as far as his nutritional needs. Right now his tank mates are just a few tiny blue leg hermits and a small brittle star that hitchhiked in and serve to clean up after prepared food attempts.

My thinking is if I add a small tank mate he can observe taking prepared foods he may get the idea. Of course I don't want something that will compete with him for the pods or cause enough commotion to put him off his hunting routine. I was thinking maybe a pair of the juvi false percs they have over at the Coral Connection. Any other ideas are welcome.

[jerrymlr1]

I would let him just keep eating the copepods. I have not even heard of them eating anything else. Ours just cruises the tank slowly, pecking away. He's not going to clean you out of pods IMO if that's what you're thinking.

[natman2]

Thanks for the reply jerry. Seeing I cant really afford anything for the tank this week I guess things will remain the same for now. A few other observation with my mandarin is he seems to small at this point to effectively hunt the adult pods. My guesstamation is he is only an inch and a half max. I have seen him make lunges at the adult pods but they always escape him. Its kind of funny to watch.

Despite the healthy micro fauna population in the 30g I have never seen an adult pod in my DT. Front glass of DT however has several dozen of what I assume is juvi pods on the front glass visible with only a magnifying glass and I have to wait for one to move before I am sure its something alive and not just a spec of crud on the glass. There is also what I assume is free swimming mysis in the DT observable at night but on a come and go basis. Maybe it coincides with the full moon, I have never checked.

On a side note it was a somewhat sad situation when I went shopping for a suitable specimen. Most of the specimens were in small display tanks and already suffering from various stages of malnutrition. One LFS in particular had a starving specimen right next to a tank full of macros that was teaming with pods and mysis. I know that want the fish observable for sale but this situation is pretty ridiculous IMO. If it were me I would have the fish in a tank where he could find food and then put up a sign stating that Mandarins were available.

Almost all of the LFS lied to me, saying the Mandarin was taking prepared foods when obviously it was not the case. I finally found a healthy fish but got soaked for it at 30 bucks.

[Agu]

I wouldn't add the clowns to train the mandarin, they'll outcompete it for food. They'll also eat the pods.

I'd keep trying the brine shrimp and when/if it's eating that mix it with other small foods. Cyclop-eeze would be a good choice. Feed small amounts and the pods should take care of the cleanup.

[bgdiving]

Try live black worms, my mandrins would slurp them up like spaghetti. Be carefull you don't have too many uneaten black worms dying in the tank they can pollute the water pretty bad.

In a thirty gallon tank it would probably be best not to add any other fish.