I have a 48 gal reef tank that has been set up about 1 1/2 yrs - I would love to add a mandarin goby - tank has tons of copepods I really think one would do well - the only other fish are 2 blue damsels - my original plan was to take them out - but with all the live rock I have I was wondering I might be able to get away with all 3 - do you think the mandarin would be alright with them -
Mandarin ?
- Thread starter klesyk
- Start date
Thanks for all the info - more tank specs - approx 75 lbs live rock with approx 2 inch live sand bed - no sump - just CPR Bak Pak
Havent come across literature regarding a specific food density - I could do a couple of nighttime samples - so what food density (copepods per ml) would be optimal in the main tank?
I have a ten gallon tank that I can't attach to the main tank due to space limitations but am setting it up in a different room with sand bed, live rock, a few sand stirring critters and a couple of mushrooms.
I seem to have a pretty good population of food in the main tank right now and don't see any problems keeping a population going in the ten gallon (added + is my access to a mariculture center that grows out their own algae, rotifers etc. - nice to have friends in fun places)
I hadn't planned on adding the mandarin for a couple of months (figured it might take me that long to catch those damsels)
but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if the damsels would be ok with the mandarin
I don't want to stress out a new fish unnecessarily and don't want to take the try it and see approach. Figured the mandarin would have plenty of live rock cover if need be - but would that affect its feeding in the sand bed?
so damsels in or damsels out?
Havent come across literature regarding a specific food density - I could do a couple of nighttime samples - so what food density (copepods per ml) would be optimal in the main tank?
I have a ten gallon tank that I can't attach to the main tank due to space limitations but am setting it up in a different room with sand bed, live rock, a few sand stirring critters and a couple of mushrooms.
I seem to have a pretty good population of food in the main tank right now and don't see any problems keeping a population going in the ten gallon (added + is my access to a mariculture center that grows out their own algae, rotifers etc. - nice to have friends in fun places)
I hadn't planned on adding the mandarin for a couple of months (figured it might take me that long to catch those damsels)
but I was wondering if anyone could tell me if the damsels would be ok with the mandarin
I don't want to stress out a new fish unnecessarily and don't want to take the try it and see approach. Figured the mandarin would have plenty of live rock cover if need be - but would that affect its feeding in the sand bed?
so damsels in or damsels out?
So far all the "no"'s refer to importance of food and damsels seem to be of little concern (am I right?)
I really would appreciate specific info on food density requirements? ie copepods per ml
I see tons of pods at night in the main tank and with a ten gal set up for food I thought it would be enough. Now I am not so sure - how can I evaluate the amount of food available? - like I mentioned I can do a few night samples but without info to compare it to I won't know what I have.
Thanks
I really would appreciate specific info on food density requirements? ie copepods per ml
I see tons of pods at night in the main tank and with a ten gal set up for food I thought it would be enough. Now I am not so sure - how can I evaluate the amount of food available? - like I mentioned I can do a few night samples but without info to compare it to I won't know what I have.
Thanks
Thanks - I found the survey and a couple of posts I had missed.
Why wouldn't pods/ml be more accurate? I would assume that there could be alot of varitey of life with LR. And I do have access to an unlimited supply of rotifers - is that still negated by my low LR to mandarin ratio? am I just going to be hampered by low diversity of food with only 75lbs?
more info is always appreciated - rest assured I am sticking with my damsels - maybe I can get a bigger tank going later down the road and I can revist things then
Why wouldn't pods/ml be more accurate? I would assume that there could be alot of varitey of life with LR. And I do have access to an unlimited supply of rotifers - is that still negated by my low LR to mandarin ratio? am I just going to be hampered by low diversity of food with only 75lbs?
more info is always appreciated - rest assured I am sticking with my damsels - maybe I can get a bigger tank going later down the road and I can revist things then
I personally think that trying to convert a mandarin to eating other foods is not benificial to the fish, and will shorten it's life. Also seems to be a waste of money.
Simple money spent is on some rock rubble and create some pod piles. Target feed the pod piles for a month or two, and watch for explosions in your population of pods. After you notice that the pods are living/feeding in the piles, start feeding your tank phytoplankton and or DT's to feed the babies.
I have two very fat and healthy mandarin's in a 80 gallon tank with a 6" DSB and around 100 lbs of rock. I also have a midnight pygmy (nox) angel, a neon dottyback(until I can catch it), that also eat the pods with a strong appetite as well. I have a 29 gallon refugium hooked up to this tank with tons of macro algae, and you can see that I have a crazy amount of critters in there.
It took about 2 to 3 months to attain a healthy enough pod population before I introduced my first mandarin. I happened to find a great female (first one was a male), a week later, so I got that one as well. After months of this, I still have an amount of pods and critters in my tank, and refugium, that most people don't even have.
My vote is for YES on the mandarin, but only after proper preperation and research. Do a search on 'pod piles' to see how a couple people have done this. I feel you have a relatively small tank for a mandarin, but with the amount of rock you have, and the addition of pod piles, a single mandarin should do fine.
As with ALL the fish that we get, some unfortunately die. The mandarin family is not any different on that part. They are generally thought as hardy fish. And with the proper research and preperation, a lot of people could maintain a healthy mandarin in their reef tank.
Simple money spent is on some rock rubble and create some pod piles. Target feed the pod piles for a month or two, and watch for explosions in your population of pods. After you notice that the pods are living/feeding in the piles, start feeding your tank phytoplankton and or DT's to feed the babies.
I have two very fat and healthy mandarin's in a 80 gallon tank with a 6" DSB and around 100 lbs of rock. I also have a midnight pygmy (nox) angel, a neon dottyback(until I can catch it), that also eat the pods with a strong appetite as well. I have a 29 gallon refugium hooked up to this tank with tons of macro algae, and you can see that I have a crazy amount of critters in there.
It took about 2 to 3 months to attain a healthy enough pod population before I introduced my first mandarin. I happened to find a great female (first one was a male), a week later, so I got that one as well. After months of this, I still have an amount of pods and critters in my tank, and refugium, that most people don't even have.
My vote is for YES on the mandarin, but only after proper preperation and research. Do a search on 'pod piles' to see how a couple people have done this. I feel you have a relatively small tank for a mandarin, but with the amount of rock you have, and the addition of pod piles, a single mandarin should do fine.
As with ALL the fish that we get, some unfortunately die. The mandarin family is not any different on that part. They are generally thought as hardy fish. And with the proper research and preperation, a lot of people could maintain a healthy mandarin in their reef tank.
Hammer I see you sell marine fish.
The information you gave is very informative and it is obvious that Klesyk really wants a mandarin and will go to extraordinary lengths to try to ensure it survival.
Do you sell mandarins?
Do you ask those who wish to buy them the size of their tanks, pod population, age of their tank and their experience or do you simple sell them the fish?
Unless you do the last comment you made is dead wrong!
The information you gave is very informative and it is obvious that Klesyk really wants a mandarin and will go to extraordinary lengths to try to ensure it survival.
Do you sell mandarins?
Do you ask those who wish to buy them the size of their tanks, pod population, age of their tank and their experience or do you simple sell them the fish?
Unless you do the last comment you made is dead wrong!
I am actually the webmaster for the business. We do not keep mandarins in stock. We only order them for people who specifically want them, and that can maintain them. There can be no impulse buying when you do not have them in stock. And if someone has to request the fish, and wait for it, that usually shows that the person has the initial 'drive' to provide properly for the fish.
Klesyk, even if you don't get the mandarin, doing pod piles is benificial for many different fish to provide a more natural diet.
esmithiii, I have had these two mandarins for three months I guess. I have been keeping track of pod populations, and taking into account of other fish in the tank. I constantly check to make sure that the mandarins are healthy, and that I have a thriving pod population at all times. I have changed my feeding schedules, and what I feed as well so that I will always maintain the proper amount of pods in my system.
Klesyk, even if you don't get the mandarin, doing pod piles is benificial for many different fish to provide a more natural diet.
esmithiii, I have had these two mandarins for three months I guess. I have been keeping track of pod populations, and taking into account of other fish in the tank. I constantly check to make sure that the mandarins are healthy, and that I have a thriving pod population at all times. I have changed my feeding schedules, and what I feed as well so that I will always maintain the proper amount of pods in my system.
Mandarin out.
But if you decide to go ahead and purchase one you need to understand that you will be manufacturing food for it in your other tank so it remains alive.
You can't buy other fish that also eat the pods including the following; gobies, blennies, wrasse, anything that forages in the sand bed, nocturnal fish like cardinals and the list goes on.
This leaves you pretty much with a mandarin tank. Is that what you want?
I don't have damsels in my reef so I don't know if they eat pods.
If you notice that the damsels are feeding on some of the pods from tiem to time , you need to remove them otherwise you don't.
But if you decide to go ahead and purchase one you need to understand that you will be manufacturing food for it in your other tank so it remains alive.
You can't buy other fish that also eat the pods including the following; gobies, blennies, wrasse, anything that forages in the sand bed, nocturnal fish like cardinals and the list goes on.
This leaves you pretty much with a mandarin tank. Is that what you want?
I don't have damsels in my reef so I don't know if they eat pods.
If you notice that the damsels are feeding on some of the pods from tiem to time , you need to remove them otherwise you don't.
I personally think that trying to convert a mandarin to eating other foods is not benificial to the fish, and will
I agree it is not "beneficial" to remove or have absence of it's natural food source. But they can, and do seek out other sources as well... mine eat homemade frozen, marine cuisine, and will also nibble shrimp pellets. I should add I add vitamin to all frozen food fed.
Obviously, they still need the huge copepod population to get off to a good start/and/or maintain good nutrition, but they seem very eager to take other fare in addition to that.
I wouldn't really be comfortable keeping one long term without 100lbs of rock anyway, as they need to browse, it is their mission....
[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]
[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]
[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]
I agree it is not "beneficial" to remove or have absence of it's natural food source. But they can, and do seek out other sources as well... mine eat homemade frozen, marine cuisine, and will also nibble shrimp pellets. I should add I add vitamin to all frozen food fed.
Obviously, they still need the huge copepod population to get off to a good start/and/or maintain good nutrition, but they seem very eager to take other fare in addition to that.
I wouldn't really be comfortable keeping one long term without 100lbs of rock anyway, as they need to browse, it is their mission....
[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]
[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]
[ October 22, 2001: Message edited by: EmilyB ]
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