QT for mandarins?

[Mihai]

I'm planning to get a pair of mandarin fishes and I have a problem
with the quarantine tank: I know I'm supposed to quarantine
everything, but at the same time, there is no way I'll starve the
mandarins for 30 days in a sterile QT...

Ideas?
M.

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

I'd just quarantine them for a week or wk 1/2 while treating them for parasites with meds. I wouldn't dare starve them for thart long either.

 

[Anonymous]

I had my lfs put the fish in one of the tanks they sell coral out of. There was lots of very mature live rock and tons of stuff for him to eat. Then after a month of stopping in every few days to check on him, I brought him home. I know that there was the possibility of some ich or something coming in on the coral skeletons, but it was still the best option I had.

 

[Unarce]

Just curious, M. Are you getting tank-raised or wild-caught mandarins?

 

[Anonymous]

You might want to think twice about this. If you put a mandarin in a 100 gal tank with well-established live rock, it might get enough to eat to survive. Assuming you have a quarantene tank that is smaller and does not have an established live rock population, you are just going to kill it even faster.

Which mandarin type are you going to attempt?

 

[Mihai]

Just curious, M. Are you getting tank-raised or wild-caught mandarins?

I had no idea that there are some tank raised ones. Now that I know I'll try to get them... any idea where to start (LFSs are not an option for this here). I'm not quite sure if online I can get a pair, but I'll try.

Which mandarin type are you going to attempt?

Either Synchiropus picturatus or Synchiropus splendidus...

Regarding LFS quarantine - our LFS doesn't have pods in the coral tanks - just algae a a yellow tang to keep them in check (and perhaps pepermints to take care of Aptasia), so it's not an option for me: they would starve there too...

So, you think that one week while running copper will do the trick?

M.

 

[Anonymous]

I've got a mandarin in my 55g that has been in there for almost 3 years. He was the first fish I bought. I just made a pod pile in the back corner, about 4 pounds of rubble, and put a bunch of caulerpa over the top of it. There is so many pods in the tank, at night with the moonlights on they are running all over the place. He is the fattest fish in the tank.

 

[Mihai]

I was thinking about a pod pile too (actually two of them - one in the refugium and one in a back corner of the tank). I don't have much rubble (most of it went the frag way), but I got from the beach a whole bunch of sea shells (broken and all) that I plan to pile up - would that work?

M.

 

[Anonymous]

Should work fine. I would think anything that would provide an area for them to breed, that fish couldn't get into and eat them would work.

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't put a mandarin in a sterile tank, even for quarentine. I think if you want to QT him, I would fill up a tank with live rock and let it run for a little while to really get the pod population up before putting him in. Then leave him in there for the normal amount of time that you would to make sure he is disease free. I would never run meds on a fish if I didn't see any signs of disease. I think the chance of a fish actually having a disease you need to treat is not worth the stress of running copper prophylactically.

Dragonets are notably slimy fishes that are not as susceptible to external parasite infestations as other fishes. However, they are not immune, and are overly sensitive to copper compounds, other metal-based and formalin containing medications. They are best treated through environmental manipulation (hyposalinity, elevated temperature) should they show signs of such afflictions.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandarins.htm

Most mandarins I see for sale are skinny, because they are not fed enough at the fish store or the any holding facilities they encounter on the way there. To put a mandarin in a regular style Q tank without the live rock fauna they need to survive is not a good way to get a healthy fish into your tank IMO.

 

[Mihai]

Just curious, M. Are you getting tank-raised or wild-caught mandarins?

Are the tank-raised one exempted from quarantine?
Anyway, I didn't see any either on liveaquaria or on marinedepotlive...
Where to get them?
M.

 

[Anonymous]

Just curious, M. Are you getting tank-raised or wild-caught mandarins?

I had no idea that there are some tank raised ones. Now that I know I'll try to get them... any idea where to start (LFSs are not an option for this here). I'm not quite sure if online I can get a pair, but I'll try.

I was unaware that you could get tank raised ones too. Last I heard there was a hobbiest on RC, (Dwane????? might have been his moniker?) who was having success with raising the larvae up to a certain point, but they kept dying on him. Would love to know more if there are commercial operations that are able to do that!! That would be awesome.

 

[Mihai]

I wouldn't put a mandarin in a sterile tank, even for quarentine. I think if you want to QT him, I would fill up a tank with live rock and let it run for a little while to really get the pod population up before putting him in.

Thanks, I had no idea that they are "more" imune to disease than other fish. I might risk it and put them in the main tank directly.

Thanks,
Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't put a mandarin in a sterile tank, even for quarentine. I think if you want to QT him, I would fill up a tank with live rock and let it run for a little while to really get the pod population up before putting him in.

Thanks, I had no idea that they are "more" imune to disease than other fish. I might risk it and put them in the main tank directly.

Thanks,
Mihai

Yeah, I think if you wanted to QT him though, you could prepare a Q tank by running a tank with just live rock, a heater and circulating pump or two for a good while until you see it crawling with pods and keep him in there for observation then put him in your main tank after a period of time. I know some people keep full blown nanos running with rock and sand, in case they get a sensitive fish in that they want to quarentine, but they can still provide the live rock fauna for it.

I do kinda hate to encourage someone not to QT, but given the difficult nature of keeping this fish nourished, putting one in a bare tank for QT seems a very bad idea.

 

[Unarce]

Just curious, M. Are you getting tank-raised or wild-caught mandarins?

Are the tank-raised one exempted from quarantine?
Anyway, I didn't see any either on liveaquaria or on marinedepotlive...
Where to get them?
M.

Have your LFS contact C-Quest Inc., either by phone 787-845-3929 or email [email protected]. They have a hatchery in Puerto Rico and would have tank-raised mandarins that readily take frozen and prepared foods. This is definitely the best way to go and may try to obtain some myself.

Good luck.

 

[Mihai]

Yeah, I think if you wanted to QT him though, you could prepare a Q tank by running a tank with just live rock, a heater and circulating pump or two for a good while until you see it crawling with pods and keep him in there for observation then put him in your main tank after a period of time. I know some people keep full blown nanos running with rock and sand, in case they get a sensitive fish in that they want to quarentine, but they can still provide the live rock fauna for it.

I do kinda hate to encourage someone not to QT, but given the difficult nature of keeping this fish nourished, putting one in a bare tank for QT seems a very bad idea.

What an excellent excuse for setting up a nano . I think I'll do it like this: 10 gal with some LR, sea shell pile, heater, small pump, 1" sand, cheato and leave it 1 month (more? who knows how fast they reproduce?) to grow the pods. Should I feed anything?

M.

 

[Mihai]

Just curious, M. Are you getting tank-raised or wild-caught mandarins?

Are the tank-raised one exempted from quarantine?
Anyway, I didn't see any either on liveaquaria or on marinedepotlive...
Where to get them?
M.

Have your LFS contact C-Quest Inc., either by phone 787-845-3929 or email [email protected]. They have a hatchery in Puerto Rico and would have tank-raised mandarins that readily take frozen and prepared foods. This is definitely the best way to go and may try to obtain some myself.

Good luck.

Cool! I'll try. Then I don't need to quarantine?
M.

 

[Mihai]

[
Have your LFS contact C-Quest Inc., either by phone 787-845-3929 or email [email protected].
Good luck.

They would not talk to me, would they?
M.

 

[Unarce]

I'm pretty sure they'd have to deal with licensed distributors and retailers but if you just needed some info or instruction on where to get started, I'm sure they'd point you to the right direction.

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

To put a mandarin in a regular style Q tank without the live rock fauna they need to survive is not a good way to get a healthy fish into your tank IMO.

Thanks for the info Laura; I'm no expert on sensitive fish that's for sure