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#1
April 11th, 2008, 12:04 AM
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I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
Dare I utter the name? Green Mandarin. I know many starve, I know they are considered difficult to keep because of their diet.
But... LFS has a couple that they have had for about 6 weeks. I HAVE seen them eat frozen mysis shrimp. I have my old 33 set up with live sand and about 10lbs of live rock (mostly rubble) I added "tigger pods" yesterday to start a culture of them. I figured even if I dont get the mandarin they wont be wasted I am sure. ($20 for 200 of the little buggers) So, obviously I want the mandarin. 1.How many copepods would they need to have daily/weekly/whatever as a healthy diet? The store said they will keep one long enough for me to get a good culture started (and of course there is always the option of buying more) 2.If they have copepods etc readily available, I am assuming they will give up on eating frozen, SO, should I leave well enough alone and just keep feeding frozen? I just figured they would be healthier/happier with their normally accepted diet. 3. Anyone raise the tigger pods (they are large red pods)before? do they breed readily? and do I need to worry they will be sucked into the filter? AND finally 4. Do you all STILL think it's a terrible idea?  Thanks!!  Current Aquarium(s) Description: *55 Gallon Reef Tank, *33 Gallon Freshwater Yellow Lab Cichlid Tank, *20 Gallon looking for ideas Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: One Year 
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| LivingReefs.com - Reef Aquarium Forum |
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#2
April 11th, 2008, 12:07 AM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
Even if you dump the whole bottle in the tank, the mandarin will eat them faster than they can reproduce. That's why a fuge is almost always a necessity for keeping a mandarin, the pods need a place where they can reproduce without being predated on. And yes, the pods will get sucked in the filter.
That being said, if the mandarin is eating frozen food, and you have seen it eating frozen food, it's not that important that it has pods in the tank. You can keep mandarins in tanks without live food if they eat frozen, so if you know that to be the case, then go for it.
__________________
"If we went to a Halloween party dressed as Batman and Robin, I'd go as Robin. That's how much you mean to me... " Sarah  
Current Aquarium(s) Description: 240-gallon reef with a 55-gallon sump and refugium Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: 5 years
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| The Following User Says Thank You to Bifferwine For This Useful Post: | ||
michelle (April 11th, 2008) | ||
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#3
April 11th, 2008, 12:09 AM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
oh. thanks biff, I expected you to weigh in on the other side of the debate. So should I bother with the 33 gallon to let the pods reproduce in? and what should I do about the filter? Cheesecloth?
Current Aquarium(s) Description: *55 Gallon Reef Tank, *33 Gallon Freshwater Yellow Lab Cichlid Tank, *20 Gallon looking for ideas Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: One Year
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#4
April 11th, 2008, 12:19 AM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
I'd leave the 33 up to breed the pods in. If they are reproducing in there, that's great. It's similar to having a refugium except you'll have to manually move the pods over into the main tank once in a while.
Pods will tend to stay on/in the rocks and in macroalgae, so using a sponge on the filter intake should work okay.
__________________
"If we went to a Halloween party dressed as Batman and Robin, I'd go as Robin. That's how much you mean to me... " Sarah
Current Aquarium(s) Description: 240-gallon reef with a 55-gallon sump and refugium Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: 5 years
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#5
April 11th, 2008, 01:14 AM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
Sorry Michelle but I have to be on the other side of the debate.Here is my reasoning but don't get worried.
I've read that frozen/pellets make good supplemental food but can't be their only source.They will still need pods as well.If it is indeed eating frozen already than give one a try but still get some kind of copepods to the tank.Mandarins graze all day looking for pods so adding some I think would be beneficial.Don't forget they are slow eaters so you may need to turn the pumps off when you feed it mysis or pellets.
__________________
 Live long and prosper Dominick AGA 210g. MegaflowLifereef LF1-300S berlin sumpSVS-24 skimmer w/Mag 9.5Refugium(25g.) with Nova 2x24w fuge light.Mag 2400 return.Aquatinic Constellation/14x39w T5-HO.Reef Fanatic ATO.Koralia 2/3 Current Aquarium(s) Description: Oceanic 75 gal./AGA 210g. megaflow Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: 6 years Other Intrests: Reefing,video games,music,electronics
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#6
April 11th, 2008, 03:03 AM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
Mandrains do good with rubble as pods reproduce in greater number where they have rubble to hide in, also piles of small/medium rocks where a mandarin can enter but not larger fish. Do not get wrasses or other gobies that will compete to heavily with a mandarin for the same limited food types and sizes.
Current Aquarium(s) Description: 120g SPS Mother Colony Tank, 40 g sump, back wall overflows, 2 closed loop circulation circuits 59X Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: 35 years in marine aquarium trade and managing LFS's, 10 years with coral. Other Intrests: Coral Propagation, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cabinetry, and Reef Systems Development
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#7
April 11th, 2008, 06:43 AM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
is there a certain point that copepods start producing on their own in a tank without the addition of any? I really have no idea what they even look like.
Current Aquarium(s) Description: 46g bow front Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: 4.5 months saltwater, 2 years freshwater Other Intrests: Tennis, Video games, Working out, Drinking, Movies
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#8
April 11th, 2008, 05:03 PM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
one more question on this. How will I get the copepods from the breeding tank to the main tank since it isn't tied into the main tank?
Current Aquarium(s) Description: *55 Gallon Reef Tank, *33 Gallon Freshwater Yellow Lab Cichlid Tank, *20 Gallon looking for ideas Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: One Year
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#9
April 11th, 2008, 07:13 PM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
just get a couple peices of live rock ans just put it into the dt after it has been in with the pods for awile. just a thought.
__________________
"Knowledge is Power"  James Daugherty 
Current Aquarium(s) Description: 50 gal Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: 9 years Other Intrests: fishing,hunting,computers
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#10
April 11th, 2008, 09:16 PM
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Re: I know everyone says it's a fish NOT to get, but what if....
gosh I seem to have turned this into a "culturing pods" thread. I had previously used the "breeding tank" to hatch some brine shrimp. Seems that some must have bred and I have small (maybe a day old "spots) baby shrimp hatching in with my pods. will they eat the pods that I have in there now as they grow? right now they are not 1/4 the size of the pods, but they will get to be bigger soon enough. Are there other negatives to having the 2 species growing up together?
Current Aquarium(s) Description: *55 Gallon Reef Tank, *33 Gallon Freshwater Yellow Lab Cichlid Tank, *20 Gallon looking for ideas Experience in Saltwater & Reef Aquarium Hobby: One Year
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