Has anyone here kept one for a length of time that could help me understand what these eat and how to take care of them? Thanks.
I've been eyeing the occasional RG at the LFS and reading quite a bit about them but I am getting mixed responses on whether they can be successfully kept longer than a 6 month period of time. For instance Live Aquaria has them listed as a beginners fish
, but various sites like Wet Web Media say they are difficult but not Mandarin difficult. Some say they eat algae, some say they just pick though it. I don't know who to believe.
Background:
My tank is a 20 gallon LPS (frogspawn, candy cane, etc.) with one firefish ~20 lbs of live rock, 1.5" sand bed, and the standard CUC (snails, a few hermits and a peppermint shrimp)and some red and green turf algae in spots (normally a horror to most people but I understand good for RG's). This tank's been up an running for 10+ months--the firefish and everyone is fat and happy. All parameters in order. The RG would be the only other fish I would add.
The RG at the LFS I just saw ignores food in the water column, I asked them to see if he eats frozen mysis or cyclopeeze (a firefish favorite). No, he ignores them when they float by, whereas my firefish takes food exclusively from the water column). But the RG at the store is active, seems healthy and sufficiently plump. It's constantly sifting sand and picking at the little bit of LR in store's tank which I assume means he is looking for copepods and the like. I have copepods and the larger amphipods in my tank but, I don't know if its enough.
I've been eyeing the occasional RG at the LFS and reading quite a bit about them but I am getting mixed responses on whether they can be successfully kept longer than a 6 month period of time. For instance Live Aquaria has them listed as a beginners fish
, but various sites like Wet Web Media say they are difficult but not Mandarin difficult. Some say they eat algae, some say they just pick though it. I don't know who to believe. Background:
My tank is a 20 gallon LPS (frogspawn, candy cane, etc.) with one firefish ~20 lbs of live rock, 1.5" sand bed, and the standard CUC (snails, a few hermits and a peppermint shrimp)and some red and green turf algae in spots (normally a horror to most people but I understand good for RG's). This tank's been up an running for 10+ months--the firefish and everyone is fat and happy. All parameters in order. The RG would be the only other fish I would add.
The RG at the LFS I just saw ignores food in the water column, I asked them to see if he eats frozen mysis or cyclopeeze (a firefish favorite). No, he ignores them when they float by, whereas my firefish takes food exclusively from the water column). But the RG at the store is active, seems healthy and sufficiently plump. It's constantly sifting sand and picking at the little bit of LR in store's tank which I assume means he is looking for copepods and the like. I have copepods and the larger amphipods in my tank but, I don't know if its enough.
