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Want to keep mandarin goby

G

gogol

I would like to keep a mandarin goby in my 20G tank with a DSB/LR/macro algae medium CPR fuge.

I already have pods in my fuge, but they are very temperamental and float into the main tank after random periods of absence.
[I have noticed that they usually arrive in huge numbers after I start the fuge feed pump, having kept it off for a day or so. ]

How could I tell if my tank has enough pods to keep the mandarin happy? I am also considering a copepod starter kit and dumping it in my aquarium, but since I have pods already I am not so sure if it will greatly enhance pod presence in my main tank.

Please advise, as to how to help the scenario.

My tank currently has about 4 red and 4 blue hermit crabs, 5 turbo snails 2 peppermint shrimps, couple of stowaway starfishes and one coral beauty.
 
onefish2fish

onefish2fish

i wouldnt.

in a 20 gallon i can see the mandarin depleting the pods in a week, if not sooner. then what?

your going to have to add pods which = $$$

just my 2 abe lincolns.
 
M

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
Mandarins can be taught to accept frozen food, it just takes a lot of effort. With your side tank, if you don't teach it to take frozen foods it will probably starve.
 
G

gogol

How do I make sure that the mandarin gets the mysis and brine shrimp ? Do I hold it out for him with tongs? There are other dwellers in the tank.

Jon,
If I add tiger pods to the refugium, I was hoping that it would start a culture there. Why do you think my stock would get over in a week ?
 
onefish2fish

onefish2fish

these fish are natural pod hunters. it will go through the pod population in no time for sure.

yes you can train it to eat prepared foods but IMO without a pod population as well it will slowly starve.
 
G

gogol

This was the article that got me thinking of keeping a mandarin :D. Thanks for the info.

The guy had his culture in seperate bottles and I hope to do the same in my fuge. I started this thread to find out if anyone has had any success/experince with such a setup.
 
jsantoli

jsantoli

I had a mandarin in my old 24 gallon nano without a fuge and he didnt kill off all the pods, he was always happy and pecking all day. I did add, every other month or so, a bottle of tigger pods to try and keep the population strong.
 
M

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
If robbies reef has mandarins that take frozen, I would make the trip and pick them up. Also, my fiance and I are currently converting a mandarin over to frozen food. We started with a live brine culture (very easy to setup)and tigger pods then we went over to rods coral food now we are working on mysis. The tough part about mysis is finding pieces of it that are small enough for a mandarin. We also got the mandarin fever after reading an article in coral magazine talking about breeding them and getting them to eat frozen foods.
 
V

vangvace

Difficult fish to keep and on par with seahorses imo, especially in a nano. I've stayed away even though I really want one. Having one that will feed on frozen mysis or pellets goes a long way towards success, but may not guarantee it imo as you may still have to supplement pods. They constantly hunt in the tank, similar to tangs, constantly pecking as they go.

Be sure to watch the fish eat while at the store to ensure it is eating and not just picking at food. Preferably you'll want to feed it the same thing (if you're lucky to find one that does eat frozen).


Something to keep in mind with these little guys is that many people online declare success after a couple weeks. Then before they've had it 6 months it has disappeared.
 
J

jonathan.

onefish2fish said:
these fish are natural pod hunters. it will go through the pod population in no time for sure.

yes you can train it to eat prepared foods but IMO without a pod population as well it will slowly starve.
Click to expand...

Definitely won't starve if it is eating pellets or frozen mysis.
 
J

jonathan.

Robbie, do you have male Target mandarins that are eating mysis or pellets? Want to get my female a male.

I might even do a male Psychedelic mandarin since they should both go fine together.
 
T

thylacine

On this topic. I set my tank 9 months ago with a mandarin in mind. I have been as cautious as possible. I currently have a yellow tailed damsel{which we bought on day 4 } and a spinecheek anenomefish and an entamacnea quadricolor. I have about 150 lbs of live rock. and a refugium.I have so many pods i am infested. Am I ready yet? will my 2 fish be a problem?
 
J

jceli728

gogol said:
If I add tiger pods to the refugium, I was hoping that it would start a culture there. Why do you think my stock would get over in a week ?
Click to expand...

If you decide to get the mandarin do not get tigger pods from reef nutrition as they are free swimming pods and most likely end up in your filter sock or skimmer before it gets a chance to reproduce. I prefer Reefpods, they are a lot smaller and very hard to see in the container it comes in. They reproduce fast and they will attach to the live rock and substrate where your mandarin will be hunting.

ReefPods.jpg
 
W

williah

jceli728 said:
If you decide to get the mandarin do not get tigger pods from reef nutrition as they are free swimming pods and most likely end up in your filter sock or skimmer before it gets a chance to reproduce. I prefer Reefpods, they are a lot smaller and very hard to see in the container it comes in. They reproduce fast and they will attach to the live rock and substrate where your mandarin will be hunting.

ReefPods.jpg
Click to expand...

I see the image is from livecopepods. Is that where you buy them? If not, what webstore do you recommend to get them?
 
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