Mandarin Goby

[Lovesfish]

If I could find a mandarin goby that was eating frozen food would it be alright? I know they are hard to feed otherwise and I like them but wanted to make sure I'd get one that would live. thanks in advance....dave

 

[superman]

My opinion is that they should not have to completely depend on frozen food, but should only eat frozen food as a suppliment. Mandarins eat 24/7, so if the mandarin has to depend on you for ALL of its food it will die over time unless you are around to do multiple feedings a day. SO you should have a very large pod population before you get one.

 

[richard t]

You know they are hard to feed and if you get a specimen that will take frozen food this my ease the problem of feeding, BUT you will still have a few problems feeding it enough.

Manderins are very slow and easily put off feeding by very active fish, (which you have).

IMO if you have a well established tank with in excess of 75kg of LR = possible
If you have a refuge, a safe place for copepods to reproduce = possible
But it still leaves the problem of manderins really not liking being disturbed.

I agree they are lovely fish, but they need attention to detail to thrive.

 

[Chac]

Can you not get a Live Pod cultures, raise & breed them?

 

[steelhealr]

I've read a lot of stories about people being shown the mandarin eating frozen at the lfs..only to have them die weeks later from starvation. They DO need a constant source of food...particularly 'pods'.....and a large tank with LR. SH

 

[Lovesfish]

yea just wanted to get all the info before I didn't something crazy like get one home and have it die I'm very much for having the fish live in the best tank possible and if I don't have it no point in me torturing some animal. dave

 

[Chac]

Lovefish are you UK or US

As if UK, I know a UK supplier of PODS

 

[Lovesfish]

I'm in the US so wouldn't do me much good .thanks anyways dave

 

[pleder]

You can get pods at LFScultures.com or seawaterexpress.com

They are fairly easy to raise.

Refugiums are also great at keeping up the pods numbers.

Good Luck

 

[Opcn]

I'd say get a fuge ABOVE your tank so that it gravity feeds back in and makesure its atleast 10 gallons and stock that guy with macrosand put it on a reverse photoperiod so that you get the most out of it.

 

[CutieWitBooty]

I had one that was eating mysis,b ut the only thing is that you have to target feed them 4 or more times a day to keep them healthy. If you did decide to keep one don't feed to brine, make sure it's eating mysis. I would think you could do it, but it would be hard, you would have to keep your other fish occupied while you target feed the mandarin many many times a day. How mcuh liverock do you have in your tank. If they tank is a 125 gal i would think it would be ok as long as you have alot of liverock and target feed him mysis at least once a day.

 

[Aquascaper]

Dragonets constantly graze over Live Rock for copepods, etc. You need huge amounts of Live Rock (approx 75kgs per fish) and a 'quiet' tank.
You may find that with two Angels, a Tang and a Butterflyfish this will be too much activity in the tank and around the rockwork for the Dragonet to settle, this will cause it to hide and therefore not graze as it should resulting in a slow death. Saying that I have a Spotted Mandarin along with a Regal Tang, a Swallowtail Angel and a Coral Beauty (there was a Black Velvet Angel and a Elibi Angel too but they have both passed on) and he seems happy enough. I've had him for over two years and he's truely the best fish in my tank.

Unfortunately a refugium alone isn't enough to supply the food supply needed so large amounts of Live rock and multiple daily feeds is the only way.

If you decide to get one best of luck, they are well worth the expense and effort. Make sure that it will feed at the LFS and that its belly is not concave.

 

[Opcn]

I've never seen a mandarin hide, Thems some brave fish

 

[Aquascaper]

I've never seen a mandarin hide, Thems some brave fish

That's one of the main reasons why they die easily in a 'busy' tank due to harassment. These fish will not back down but will just try and go about their business till they die of stress.

 

[triggerhappy]

Mandarins are lovely but my views are they should be in a quiet species tank with others of its type / Nature

Very easy to be tempted by their beauty