Green Mandarins

C

clancaster23

Reefing newb
Are green mandarins as hard to keep as rumored? I was looking at them and would definitely like to have one as I have a vacant spot in my 75 for him. I have two tomato clowns, a kole yellow eye tang, lawnmower blenny and a pink spotted goby in there now so I don't believe I have any problems between fish to worry about. My tank has been running for almost a year now so I believe with me feeding it additional food plus what it would find in the tank that it would do just fine in there. Thoughts?

Also, is there any good way to see if I have the appropriate amount of pods for one to survive on? I do not yet run a sump so what is in the tank would have to suffice for the time being.
 
the thing with a mandrin is without somewhere for the pods to grow such as a fuge or sump they can all be eaten in the main tank. a mandrin could wipe out a whole pod colony an a few months the use of a sump/ fuge is highly reccomended
 
Ok, a sump/fuge is in the plans for this winter, say maybe two months at the latest so I think if what's in there now will last, I should be fine. Maybe i oughta wait til I get the sump running and let it run for a bit to mature then get one?
 
A good way to check pod density in your tank is to turn lights off in the tank & room then shine a flashlight in the tank. You should be able to hopefully see hundreds of little glowing specks running along the rockwork. It took me 7 months to get my mandarin to eat frozen omega enriched brine so I bought a packet of pods every 2 months. So YES!, The rumors are true. I'd have to say that the more live rock you have(for pod hiding places) the better. I have over 200 lbs myself.
 
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Yes, I have noticed the little bugs running around at night so I know they are in there. Coincidentally I just acquired 60 pounds of live rock (for $60!) last night from someone on Craigslist so I'll be splitting it between the 40 and the 75 so things are looking up for these tanks and my getting one of these beautiful fish.
 
Go ORA as Alex said. I just got one. I saw it eat Ova on numerous occasions at the store, and peck at fallen ova on the sand and rock in my tank. Though I have lots of pods, I may do as chuck78 suggested and add pods if I don't see him eating enough frozen. I was worried that my large diamond goby would harass him, but they get along just fine! Only an emerald green asked him (with outstretched claw - "Hey, hey!) for a little personal space! It's a beautiful fish!

Good luck! 65g/20g sump 100+ lbs live rock
 
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Thanks for the advice. Question though, why the need for an ORA? What is it? Is it a tank raised one so that they aren't naturally set to eat live or something else?
 
10 pounds of live rock is enough to support a mandarin, as long as the pods have a place to populate. Take a strawberry basket, invert and rubber band it under a rock. The pods can get out, the mandarin cant get in =D
 
No its not, they eat hundreds of pods a day, that isnt going to enough to feed a mandarine unless the rest of the tank is well established and large
 

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