For those of you with a mandarin, how do you feed it? I know that it is best to get one that eats frozen food, but I would like to take on the challenge of training it onto frozen. So let's just pretend that I've already trained it onto frozen, then how would I feed it? I read that they are very slow, so they can't really compete with the other fish for food. Does that mean I would have to spot feed it everyday?
Mandarin Fish Feeding
- Thread starter reefnoob
- Start date
mariobrothersleeve
squirrel
Baby food jar. They have great youtube videos of it.
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
do have a pod population?
Yeah I've seen those jars but I also have gobies that could very easily swim into them as well. I've done a ton of research on this fish, at least a year because I don't want a dead fish on my hands. And yes, I do have a pod population but I don't want to just depend on that. Who knows when the pods will run out?
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
i have a scooter bleeny if you make sure food can reach the bottom if the tank it will eat it at least mine does
mariobrothersleeve
squirrel
I have not stocked my pods yet in my tank, i promise youll have no pod problems
AnthonyTheNewbie
Reef enthusiast
In a 90G tank, you'll have no problems with pods being devoured. Also, if you have a sump/refug with LR in it that is seeded with pods, your tank will constantly be replenished of pods. Try and get a mix of cope and amph though, my Mandarin seems to love Amph. It's a lot easier to train them on pellets first. So, start with that, then move to frozen! :)
emmett0122
Reef enthusiast
i make turn off my power heads to make sure some food makes it to the bottom of the tank
From what I can tell, I have an ok size population of amphipods but not as much copepods (but of course, copepods are really small so who knows) but my glass isn't like crawling with pods like some people. I really only have alittle on my glass. I have a 20 gallon fuge with macros and some pods. I just don't want anything to die, because as of now I have not had a single death in my tank.
mariobrothersleeve
squirrel
Just watch the mandarin. You can see if its stomach is sucked in. Mine is starting to eat mysis shrimp, i dont know how they got in the tank but he loves them
mariobrothersleeve
squirrel
Yep, live mysis shrimp. I thought they were baby cleaner shrimp for a while. I am unsure where they came from, but it looks like the sand is moving.
I got my mandarin used, and the poor guys stomach was in a little, im not meaning completely sucked in but he pulled threw well. Fat and happy.
I got my mandarin used, and the poor guys stomach was in a little, im not meaning completely sucked in but he pulled threw well. Fat and happy.
AnthonyTheNewbie
Reef enthusiast
My Mandarin was also showing some signs of malnutrition when i got him. After almost a month now, he's come back quite nicely. If it looks completely emaciated then yeah, chances are it's most likely a goner. But, like I said, try to train it on pellets before frozen.
That's awesome!
I would think that they would like frozen better though...And in general frozen is healthier.
AnthonyTheNewbie
Reef enthusiast
Frozen is also much harder to train them on. So, if you are nervous about it not eating enough, go for pellets first, then frozen. This way, it will get pods + pellets.
texreefer
Battle Dwarf
My pipefish , and my friends Mandy's go crazy for this stuff . She was having issues with mysis so she tried this and it worked great.
nutramar foods
Can get it at fosters & smith if you don't have it local.
nutramar foods
Can get it at fosters & smith if you don't have it local.
ZyberGoby
Because I'm clever
Yeah mine loves that stuff as well Bryan also it loves cyclopsis and any pods in my tank and the nutra-pellets I get. I trained my green spotted with live brine then went to frozen brine to frozen cyclopsis now it will eat any thing. But this does not work for every mandarin. some just dot not ever take to frozen foods and pellets. so it is always good to have a pod population that can always replenish its self. good luck with yours there great little fish.
