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WHO IS BREEDING MANDARIN FISH?

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Be11yDancer

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I am very frustrated.

I've read in several books and several internet sites that Mandarin Fish have been bred in captivity.

I cannot figure out who or where this was done!

I can't even find proof it actually ever happened.

I'd LOVE to know who, where, and how I can talk to that person.

Because I dream of setting up a 200 gallon tank with no other purpose but to make a giant Mandarin Love Nest.

A very expensive endeavor.

And I'd like a little expert guidance.
 
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Meloco14

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I also have heard these rumors, but have never seen one for sale anywhere. It may have been an unsuccessful venture that no longer exists. Or it may exist in Europe and is not available in the US or something. But if you find a source, please share with us. It would be a great resource.
 
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trigger0214

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I have had mandarins go through what I thought was breeding behavior....and maybe they were. But, I have heard that the spawn go through a very planktonic stage of development (like a lot of marine fish) - not lending itself well to most home aquariums.....
 
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Anonymous

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I have heard of one that bred mandarins. Let me do some research and i'll get back with you on that.
 
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Mike612

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I only have one mandarin so obviously, it's impossible for her to breed, but I do believe she was bred in captivity. When I got her, she was very small, maybe no more than 0.5 an inch in length. Now a year later, she's about 1.5 inches. Just based on the size, I'd say that mandarins are being bred in captivity.

Although she can't breed, there has been evidence from my little girl showing that she wants to. Some times I'll go to watch the tank at night and I'll see that she's swimming around at the surface of the water. Supposedly, this is an act of breeding so that would be a clue as to how you know that they're ready. She does this little dance at the top of the water once every two weeks or so.
 
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Be11yDancer

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Anonymous

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I think Guy has been able to breed them, but IIRC he has had trouble raising the fry.

Perhaps Guy will chime in a share his experiences with you.

Louey
 
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Anonymous

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Mike612":3h1shot0 said:
I only have one mandarin so obviously, it's impossible for her to breed, but I do believe she was bred in captivity. When I got her, she was very small, maybe no more than 0.5 an inch in length. Now a year later, she's about 1.5 inches. Just based on the size, I'd say that mandarins are being bred in captivity.

Although she can't breed, there has been evidence from my little girl showing that she wants to. Some times I'll go to watch the tank at night and I'll see that she's swimming around at the surface of the water. Supposedly, this is an act of breeding so that would be a clue as to how you know that they're ready. She does this little dance at the top of the water once every two weeks or so.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt it. They're imported in that size fairly often, having been an importer myself for nearly a decade ;)

How much did you pay, several hundred or under a hundred?
 
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Anonymous

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mandarin's fry is very difficult to raise due to its food requirement. :(
 
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Anonymous

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Mine breed regularly. I have completely given up trying to raise the fry. Perhaps my water is too dirty, I have too many leather corals, wrong trace elements, I don't know. I do know that the larvae die with fat bellies so I think it's my water quality.

After they spawn the eggs seem to slowly float to the surface and are pulled into my overflows. I can strain the water to catch the eggs. The eggs seem to stick to the strainer so it makes a convenient way to move them to the rearing tank.

I'll warn you that the larvae are tiny when they hatch. Slightly bigger than a grain of sand.
 

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B

Be11yDancer

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Guy":35u5dsz5 said:
Mine breed regularly. I have completely given up trying to raise the fry. Perhaps my water is too dirty, I have too many leather corals, wrong trace elements, I don't know. I do know that the larvae die with fat bellies so I think it's my water quality.

After they spawn the eggs seem to slowly float to the surface and are pulled into my overflows. I can strain the water to catch the eggs. The eggs seem to stick to the strainer so it makes a convenient way to move them to the rearing tank.

I'll warn you that the larvae are tiny when they hatch. Slightly bigger than a grain of sand.
Click to expand...

YOU ARE AWESOME, I am pretty sure that is the ONLY Mandarin Fry Larvae photo on the entire internet.

Have you read any books on raising fry?

I have three: clownfish, orchid dottybacks, and peppermint shrimp.

Water quality might be the problem, do you vacuum daily the debris off the bottom of the larvae tank?

From the books I've read these could be the problem too:

1. You may be squishing them in your collection method, reducing their lifespan. You can bulid a special contraption (light, airstone, plastic bottle, etc)
2. Your food may not contain enough HUFA (highly unsaturated fat acid)
3. Or they may simply be over eating!

How far away from Philly are you????

You keep spawning, I'll try raising them . . . .
 
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Mihai

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Look at the previous (or two back?) edition of the Coral Magazine. There is a guy there that did it and explains how to do it. He did it with the spotted mandarind (S. picturatus). It's pretty involved - you need to keep the eggs in suspension (with a blade, not with bubbles) until they hatch. Then there is a bit of voodoo - he has some misterious worms that apparently are essential to the process. He doesn't know the species, but he said that it doesn't work without them.

I dreamt about breeding them too, but my pair is now sick (a bacteria attacked their fins) and at this time if they pull through I'll be more than happy.

Mihai
 
tinyreef

tinyreef

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didn't melev also spawn some?

i thought he had a video of the mating swim (they go up and around the water column like eagles in flight or something like that).

i can see how this would be a lucrative venture though. i would assume tank-raised mandarins would be easier to migrate to prepared foods since the spawner is already patient enough to rear them.
 
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Mihai

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Negative - they only make a few eggs at a time - maybe 30-40 - compare this with the 300-400 for a clown and they are harder to raise. For the same reason, there are only very few cardinal fish available (although they are easier to raise than clownfish).

M.
 
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