Mandarin Love

[Musho3210]

I'm skeptic to think that the moon colors have something to do with the mating. I think it has something to do with the tide patters a full moon creates on the reefs that triggers the Mandarin to breed. I think the diver should study the mandarin breeding when there is a cloudless full moon and a cloudy full moon and see if there is a difference in the amount of spawning happening.

Of course that would mean, due to the size of our tanks, the moons gravitational pull wouldn't play an effect on our tanks and therefore it would be hard to use it as a trigger for spawning.

 

[Crazy fishes]

I'm sure the moon does have a pull on our tanks, it's just an incredibly small volume of water. Sorry..... being pedantic again no wonder I have no friends .....

Regards

 

[TigerIssey]

Caesar Strutting - in search of females. 10 mis before lights drop to actinic.





Getting some Live Brineshrimp Today, hoping that will enhance the Mandarin Diner and induce them to eat more frozen. Alot of people have got Mnadarins eating more frozen this way.

Even if they are eating frozen in the shop, I have read they can revert to pods once they get into a pod rich environment again.

Good job I have this time with them in this tank before they move to the 6ft, gives me extra training time.

 

[TigerIssey]

Caesar Strutting - in search of females. 10 mis before lights drop to actinic.





Getting some Live Brineshrimp Today, hoping that will enhance the Mandarin Diner and induce them to eat more frozen. Alot of people have got Mnadarins eating more frozen this way.

Even if they are eating frozen in the shop, I have read they can revert to pods once they get into a pod rich environment again.

Good job I have this time with them in this tank before they move to the 6ft, gives me extra training time.


EDIT Double post, my stupid mistake, could a mod delete please.

 

[ZoddyZod]

Absolutely stunning fish. I saw one that was 'not for sale' at my lfs.......could understand why they didnt want to let him go. Gorgeous!

 

[TigerIssey]

I am updating this to bring it back near the top as a few people have asked lately about culturing pods and getting Mandarins to eat frozen foods.

I have managed to get both eating frozen. I am now using the cave they go to whilst the rest of the fish are fed. I got some long pipettes off Kelwoo that are brilliant for the job, they stop the Mandarins from freaking out at my hand.

Here is a pipette

Kelwoo uses some airline on the end for her Mandarin but I did not need to, they are fine being fed in the cave.

Both Mandarin seem to have put weight on in the tank which is fantastic news.

I managed to crash my pod culture last week though from forgetting to top it off. Won't forget that again.

 

[tropic_john]

any more news ?

The most beautiful fish in the hobby are always the hardest to keep. Like natures way of saying ''if you want to keep a nice fish, you have to care for it properly'' Lol, I sounded sp hippy then

 

[TigerIssey]

Once you have Mandarins feeding on frozen food, they can become very resouceful in their attempts to feed.

My Mandarin Caesar was wanting some frozen food tonight, the shrimp kept getting to it before him.


This is his solution

What a Clever Boy

 

[daveo_irl]

Haha....fantastic!

He is a lovely chubby little fella....and I mean that in the nicest possible way!

 

[TigerIssey]

Thanks Dave

Both the male and female will now eat frozen foods and New Era Marine Omnivore Pellets.

They will not feed on frozen or prepared foods everyday, this I do not see as a problem because if they are hungry, they come to me when I am feeding.

If I see either of them, I will feed them and use my pipette (the really long ones) to keep the other fish and especially the Blood shrimps away from them them so that can eat at their own pace.

Funnily though, I have found that the male prefers frozen food, and will patiently wait for me to feed him from the pipette, and the female prefers New Era pellets.

The female actually butts in when I stick a ball of pellets to the glass on the side of the tank above the algae clip. She does not care if any other fish are there, if she is hungry, she will feed and no other fish get a look in whilst she does.

Here she is

Isn't that sweet Notice the reflection of the tang waiting patiently for her to finish taking what she wants