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Biota order

akma

NJRC Member
Just got my order from Biota. Pair of mandarins and a yellow tang.

Only issue was the box was leaking and when I opened the box both bags had a hole on the side. The bag with the yellow tang was almost empty and he was just on his side and somehow one of the mandarins got in there. Tang looks healthy so I believe he will be ok. Mandarins are pretty small so definetely advise getting a small acclimation box for them.
View attachment IMG_9093.MOV
View attachment IMG_9095.MOV
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
Just got my order from Biota. Pair of mandarins and a yellow tang.

Only issue was the box was leaking and when I opened the box both bags had a hole on the side. The bag with the yellow tang was almost empty and he was just on his side and somehow one of the mandarins got in there. Tang looks healthy so I believe he will be ok. Mandarins are pretty small so definetely advise getting a small acclimation box for them.
View attachment 58152
View attachment 58153
Are they eating frozen ?
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
Not sure yet. I just got them this morning. Right now they're not moving and in the same spot. Their acclimation box is in my refugium right now with allot of pods. I'll try feeding later tonight.
I'm getting ready to make my order. Why'd you go with a pair ?
 
Yikes! I also have gotten Biota orders with leaking bags. Fortunately these were corals, and the corals turned out to be fine. But that’s pretty concerning that the bags with fish were leaking!

I really think they need to do a better job with packaging. I think the corals I received were only single bags.
 

akma

NJRC Member
I'm getting ready to make my order. Why'd you go with a pair ?
I'm hoping they grow up so I can watch them spawn. They lock fins and do spins around the tank.

Yikes! I also have gotten Biota orders with leaking bags. Fortunately these were corals, and the corals turned out to be fine. But that’s pretty concerning that the bags with fish were leaking!

I really think they need to do a better job with packaging. I think the corals I received were only single bags.
Both bags were leaking with a hole the size of a pencil by the crease. I'm just glad they're alive. I would have usually snapped pictures but the bag with the tang was almost empty and he was on his side.
 

jkealy

NJRC Member
I don't think the female made it. Can't find her anywhere. The male is here.
I got a pair of mandarins from Biota back in December and had a similar experience at first. They were both incredibly tiny, and when I added them to my tank, the female looked like she wasn’t going to make it. At one point, she was just floating around and even got stuck to the side of a powerhead. I decided to give them a chance, and now they’re both doing great. Whenever I feed frozen mysis, the male—especially—is actively chasing down pieces. It's awesome to watch. I hope you have the same success!
 

Hallowhead

NJRC Member
I got a pair of mandarins from Biota back in December and had a similar experience at first. They were both incredibly tiny, and when I added them to my tank, the female looked like she wasn’t going to make it. At one point, she was just floating around and even got stuck to the side of a powerhead. I decided to give them a chance, and now they’re both doing great. Whenever I feed frozen mysis, the male—especially—is actively chasing down pieces. It's awesome to watch. I hope you have the same success!
What was your reasoning for a pair ? Got any photos ?
 
I bought two mandarins from Biota as well. I bought a male first, which later turned out to be female. A few months later, I bought a female that turned out to be male when it matured. I don’t think Biota can reliably determine the sex when these guys are so young.

At first, the older female would chase the male around the tank. Then after a few months, the male got large enough and started chasing the female. After a year, the aggression mostly is gone. They perform a mating dance almost every night when the lights go down. It’s really fascinating to watch. Totally worth having a mated pair of mandarins IMO.

Mating dance:
 
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