Mandarin Discussion (Nano)

[dastrader]

First off, I am well aware of the controversy of keeping a Mandarin in a Nano. I am only adding my experience for a couple of reasons (First, to start contributing a little more as a new NJREEFERS member, and Second to humbly try and get better at reefing in general)

The Basics: I have a JBJ 28g nano with about 35-40 lbs of live rock. It has been set up for apx. 1 year. After 5 months, I decided to get a Mandarin.

Before the scolding comes, let me say a few things:
1) things are going well although possibly by luck
2) I had a very specific plan of giving the Mandarin back in the event that it did not look like things were working
3) I had done a ton of research on this specific subject and found several sources that encouraged trying it. (yes there were many that discouraged it too)
4) Although the Mandarin is doing well, I do recognize that trying this was a noob mistake and that I have gotten very lucky and do not by any means encourage anyone else to try the same.
5) I purchased it at Aq Ob and Will was aware of my tank size and said that it was possible.

So anyway, I have had him just over six months now. At Aq Ob, Will was feeding the tanks when I was there and I saw this Mandarin gobble down some frozen mysis right in front of me. Now I had been disciplined and stayed away, but I had read that if you see one eating frozen, that obviously it made it a lot easier to keep in a nano supplementing the pods. So excitedly I purchased him.

I never saw him eat Frozen (or anything prepared) ever again. I tried a lot of things. I tried Melev's Dinner, training him, spot feeding, he showed NO interest. He did constantly hunt and peck around (of which I could never see what he actually gets). So after about a month of trying to get him to eat prepared with no success, I was contemplating returning him (not wanting to take a chance), when I started to notice that he appeared to be getting bigger (and a little fat).

Recently (1 month ago) I added a HOB refuge that is filled with pods (before I had some cheato in the back compartment, but could not see what was in it, podwise anyway). Now it appears that my Mandarin is getting REALLY fat. Now I have read that "a fat Mandarin is a happy mandarin" so I guess that is good. I wish I could say that I had the magic formula that made this work, but I think I am just a noob that has gotten very lucky. I am glad that he appears to be doing well.

Anyway. Just thought I would share.

 

[qwik]

I also picked up my mandarin from Will at AO . He gets them to eat frozen which makes it easier . Mine still eats frozen so I am extra lucky . I waited about a year before adding him to make sure pod pop was proper . A fuge will help supply pods for him .I also had the intention of taking him back/finding a new home if he became skinny but he never did .
If yours was eating frozen at one time try to get him back on that diet,its easier and safer to see him eating . A trick that might help is to feed mysis to some polyps or any slow eating coral(ricordia,favias.zoas,etc.) that take them in slow,he will see them wiggling and think they are alive and pick them off .
It sounds as if yours is in great health ,post up a pic if possible.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I added a Mandarin to my (old) 75 after several months, and never had issues with him. Even when my pod population was nearly non-existent after a red bug treatment he remained fat and happy. He did learn to take dethawed food right from the pipette. Unfortunately I lost him when I had a major ich issue. I still miss that little, pretty bugger.

For Christmas a friend of mine gave me a new one, and this one's been doing quite well, also. So far so good.

 

[calaxa]

Which mandarin did you guys have? The spotted mandarins are easier to eat frozen for some reason.

 

[qwik]

Yep, mines spotted . Seems they take to frozen easier .

 

[JerseyWendy]

My first one was the spotted one. The new one is the "other" one. (Too early in the morning for me to remember the appropriate name :-[)

 

[calaxa]

My first one was the spotted one. The new one is the "other" one. (Too early in the morning for me to remember the appropriate name :-[)

LOL need some caffeine/nicotine? The one you got is a green or psychedelic.

 

[REEFLECTIONS]

i have a spotted that eats frozen.... and does anyone know what the deal is with the "blue" mandarin i've seen advertised on some lfs sponsors website? is it just a color varient of the green/psych. mandarin?

 

[JerseyWendy]

My first one was the spotted one. The new one is the "other" one. (Too early in the morning for me to remember the appropriate name :-[)

LOL need some caffeine/nicotine? The one you got is a green or psychedelic.

Yep, I needed both.

But now you've contributed to my (normal) confusion. I was under the impression that the Psychelic Mandarin = Spotted Mandarin = Synchiropus picturatus

and that the Green Mandarin = Striped Mandarinfish = Synchiropus splendidus
???

Anyway, I currently have the Green Mandarin. ;D

 

[Henrye718]

I also picked up my mandarin from Will at AO . He gets them to eat frozen which makes it easier .

I have been keeping dragonettes for 20+ years now. Will is not training them to eat he is just feeding in general. They learn faster on his tanks because they are bare and small, the food pratically hits them in the face and lays on the bottom long enough for them to come by and learn what dead food is. Thats why they learn so fast there. If you buy one imediately when it arives at a store it may not have enough time to learn in a almost perfect training cage. Two weeks at LFS store that feeds regulary is more than enough time.

Best thing to do is buy the fish and ask them to hold it for you for a few weeks. They just end up being trained by default.

Mine will eat tiny pellets and almost any frozen stuff I throw in there. They are pretty good at coming out and looking for stuff after its drop in and they smell it in the water. Once in a while they will pull stuff right out of the water column.

The main problem I have is my friends keep taking mine cause they are pre-trained. My last one never made it to my main tank he just got taken right out of my fuge where I was training him.

The green spot ones do learn faster and are easier. The scooter blennies can be trained in a day or less.

They tend to really like frozen blood worms too onced they get a taste of them.

 

[calaxa]

Henrye is right. Scooters learn almost immediately. Some will be smart enough to catch them in the water column before it lands on the rock/ground. My green mandarin never learned to take prepared.

 

[qwik]

I also picked up my mandarin from Will at AO . He gets them to eat frozen which makes it easier .

I have been keeping dragonettes for 20+ years now. Will is not training them to eat he is just feeding in general. They learn faster on his tanks because they are bare and small, the food pratically hits them in the face and lays on the bottom long enough for them to come by and learn what dead food is. Thats why they learn so fast there. If you buy one imediately when it arives at a store it may not have enough time to learn in a almost perfect training cage. Two weeks at LFS store that feeds regulary is more than enough time.

Best thing to do is buy the fish and ask them to hold it for you for a few weeks. They just end up being trained by default.

Mine will eat tiny pellets and almost any frozen stuff I throw in there. They are pretty good at coming out and looking for stuff after its drop in and they smell it in the water. Once in a while they will pull stuff right out of the water column.

The main problem I have is my friends keep taking mine cause they are pre-trained. My last one never made it to my main tank he just got taken right out of my fuge where I was training him.

The green spot ones do learn faster and are easier. The scooter blennies can be trained in a day or less.

They tend to really like frozen blood worms too onced they get a taste of them.

Henry , Not looking to start a debate but I never stated Will "trains them to eat" . I understand they are in a small area and most will eat . It is just nice to see them eat in a store and almost all the ones there do .
You say your friends keep taking them before you get a chance to train them . If you dont mind me asking how do you "train" yours ?

 

[calaxa]

My first one was the spotted one. The new one is the "other" one. (Too early in the morning for me to remember the appropriate name :-[)

LOL need some caffeine/nicotine? The one you got is a green or psychedelic.

Yep, I needed both.

But now you've contributed to my (normal) confusion. I was under the impression that the Psychelic Mandarin = Spotted Mandarin = Synchiropus picturatus

and that the Green Mandarin = Striped Mandarinfish = Synchiropus splendidus
???

Anyway, I currently have the Green Mandarin. ;D

Wendy,

I was trying to confuse you

 

[dastrader]

Mine is a psychedelic. Again, he did eat at Aq Ob, but I have not been able to repeat that it my tank. However he is really fat (looks almost pregnant).

Henry, thanks for the info.

 

[Henrye718]

I also picked up my mandarin from Will at AO . He gets them to eat frozen which makes it easier .

I have been keeping dragonettes for 20+ years now. Will is not training them to eat he is just feeding in general. They learn faster on his tanks because they are bare and small, the food pratically hits them in the face and lays on the bottom long enough for them to come by and learn what dead food is. Thats why they learn so fast there. If you buy one imediately when it arives at a store it may not have enough time to learn in a almost perfect training cage. Two weeks at LFS store that feeds regulary is more than enough time.

Best thing to do is buy the fish and ask them to hold it for you for a few weeks. They just end up being trained by default.

Mine will eat tiny pellets and almost any frozen stuff I throw in there. They are pretty good at coming out and looking for stuff after its drop in and they smell it in the water. Once in a while they will pull stuff right out of the water column.

The main problem I have is my friends keep taking mine cause they are pre-trained. My last one never made it to my main tank he just got taken right out of my fuge where I was training him.

The green spot ones do learn faster and are easier. The scooter blennies can be trained in a day or less.

They tend to really like frozen blood worms too onced they get a taste of them.

Henry , Not looking to start a debate but I never stated Will "trains them to eat" . I understand they are in a small area and most will eat . It is just nice to see them eat in a store and almost all the ones there do .
You say your friends keep taking them before you get a chance to train them . If you dont mind me asking how do you "train" yours ?

Oh NP, I was just pointing out how it happens more or less in small bare tank. Well the one way is obvious in smaller tank its alot easier.

If you have one thats really picky, start with live brine, then frozen and live mixxed then just frozen. Then you can mix that with different items and with a lil luck he will take a liking to them all.

In a big tank with flow its a lot harder, first find where their favorite nooks and haunts are, then get yourself a glass container like a small jelly jar. Something like a baby food jar but deeper. Put some food in it and get it into the tank without the food coming out, lay it down with the mouth of the jar infront of their normal hangout spots so they can go in and feast. Not to big of a jar, I had some that went in to deep and paniced banging into the walls not being able to figure out how to get out. I went as far as making a hole in a container and fitting a tube from an under gravel filter to act as a laundry shoot for food and fed them that way everyday.

They are quite smart creatures and learn fast, most of the problem is they need to be comfortable and have as little stress as possible when trying to get them to feed.They will loose interest in eating at the drop of hat if they get a tad nervous or distracted.

Anyway hope this helps someone.

 

[qwik]

That glass container sounds like a good idea to keep the food in one spot so my other fish cant get to it . I am lucky that mine eats out of the food column . Only problem is his speed compared to the others,he always comes up short . He will also eat right out of the feeding baster/tube . Doing it this way lets me know that he is getting food .

 

[dastrader]

I tried the glass jar several timis, and he would go in, but just never ate the food. I saw that on Melev's Diner post I think.

Like I said, I guess I am lucky because he is getting fatter for sure. My small refugium does seem to have a lot of pods, so maybe it is producing enough to keep him happy.

 

[mnat]

There is a great article on breeding/feeding mandarines in the new coral magazine. I would highly recommend picking it up (no I do not work for them).

http://www.coralmagazineus.com/

 

[Bryan]

Is it posible to keep a green and a blue Mandarin in the same tank? I thought no but I have sean them together at some stores. Also is there a way to tell males from females.