Green Mandarins

[1234-fishy-freind]

I am thinking of getting a Green Mandarin at some point soon.

I have read that they need a mature system with live rock and live sand to give them food they need. I have lots of live rock and live sand in my tank and i have seen lots of little creatures flying around on the rock and substrate.

So i was wondering, how long does a tank have to have been set up for before i can get one?
Mine has been running since October 2007, is this long enough ?

 

[Colin_T]

if you have life-forms swimming around the rock now, then it should be fine to add one now.
You can try feeding the mandarin because sometimes they do accept frozen foods.

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

Thats great, i think its my dad who will be buying it becuase he saw some for sale at an LFS.

I think if we get one, once it makes a home for its self i will occasionaly but some brine shrimp by it using a pippet.

 

[Musho3210]

make sure you pick a fat healthy one at the lfs, it would be a major bonus if it already ate frozen food at the lfs (and you see it eat it)

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

I will find the fatest one and ask to see it eat then... to be on the safe side.

 

[pleder]

IME they will accept some frozen foods but really need to be trained to do so if there is not ample copepod supply.

I have kept one for some time but use a 20g refugium and lots of LR rubble piles in my systems. I also breed mysid shrimp and introduce them periodically.

Without at least 100lbs of LR or alternative or so, or an active refugium they will need to be able to eat frozen. IME even once they are eating frozen for some odd reason every one and awhile they just go off frozen. I have no idea why. So make sure the pod production is up to par IMHO.

They are a great fish and add much color and fun to my system. I hope you enjoy yours.

 

[Bubblenester]

I am thinking of getting a Green Mandarin at some point soon.

I have read that they need a mature system with live rock and live sand to give them food they need. I have lots of live rock and live sand in my tank and i have seen lots of little creatures flying around on the rock and substrate.

So i was wondering, how long does a tank have to have been set up for before i can get one?
Mine has been running since October 2007, is this long enough ?

I was asking about mandarins and the recommendation I was given was at least a 55 gallon tank, 60 lbs live rock, and running one year. You can also order copepods to boost the population in your tank or culture them in a separate bucket or tank.

 

[Lynden]

To be honest, I would just recommend getting one that eats frozen foods. Otherwise, have a good fuge and as much rock as your tank can fit.

 

[steelhealr]

Whoa..how many gallons is your tank? SH

 

[boshank23]

To be honest, I would just recommend getting one that eats frozen foods. Otherwise, have a good fuge and as much rock as your tank can fit.

it is best to get oe that is eating frozen as lynden said, its will be hard to find one mind. you don't need a fuge or stupid ammount of liverock though, get a bunch of liverock rubble and pile it in a corner or behind your display. it will quickly become a pod hideaway.

also invest in a turkey baster, plonk the food right in front of it and be patient as they aren't quick feeders. I trained my mandarin to take food straight out the nozle. he is a right fat sod as he has 2 feeds a day from me and also what he digs up himself.

 

[IIITYIII]

mandarins are awesome...i have one in a 29g biocube with 2 clowns and he is doing well ive had him for about a month my mandarin the first day i got him since eats off of the liverock and sand (copepods) but my mandarin LOVES from brine shrimp he eats more of my brine shrimp then my other fish. but i have heard they can be picky.

 

[kiscard]

I am thinking of getting a Green Mandarin at some point soon.

I have read that they need a mature system with live rock and live sand to give them food they need. I have lots of live rock and live sand in my tank and i have seen lots of little creatures flying around on the rock and substrate.

So i was wondering, how long does a tank have to have been set up for before i can get one?
Mine has been running since October 2007, is this long enough ?

My experinces with that fish is terrible. I added one after having my tank running 6 years now died week and half later in a 175g tank i dont see how it ran out of coco pods or maybe he just didnt eat?

 

[connorsbala]

I am thinking of getting a Green Mandarin at some point soon.

I have read that they need a mature system with live rock and live sand to give them food they need. I have lots of live rock and live sand in my tank and i have seen lots of little creatures flying around on the rock and substrate.

So i was wondering, how long does a tank have to have been set up for before i can get one?
Mine has been running since October 2007, is this long enough ?

My experinces with that fish is terrible. I added one after having my tank running 6 years now died week and half later in a 175g tank i dont see how it ran out of coco pods or maybe he just didnt eat?

I doubt very much that he ate all the pods...unless you had other pod eating species in the tank. Maybe you picked up one that was already doomed...?

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

Yes surley it couldnt eat all the pods of a 175g in a week and a half then starve, it could last that long without food.

Possibly it had been captured with cyanide which caused it to die.