Mandarin Goby @ 6 months ?

[kevinsimons]

My tank is 6 months old, and the last fish I'm planning on putting into it is a mandarin goby - pending establishment of a good, healthy copepod population.

I think I'm there - I see 'em everywhere - on rocks, at the base of corals, in the hair algae (which thanks to Marine SAT is diminishing)... I feed rotifers to the tank 1x/week - which I understand feeds the copepods...

Anybody have any thoughts on whether its too soon, or is the tank ready for the mandarin? I'd prefer to get the damn copepods OFF THE GLASS - as they're kinda ugly...

 

[bobby]

I think it sounds safe to add one, but I'm no expert on these fish. I would add one and then if it does eat the pods too fast you can by pods by the bottle.

 

[Bifferwine]

An important question is: do you have a refugium. If you don't, then the mandarin will quickly eat any pods in your main tank. They eat a lot. In any case, you should only buy a mandarin that will eat frozen food. Make them feed it frozen food in the store, and make sure that it eats. This is the singlemost important thing when buying a mandarin, in my opinion.

 

[ReefKeeper]

i agree with Biff. make sure it eats frozen foods too.

 

[MikMcgyver]

I alwyas make sure the fish is eating before it leaves the store, especially a mandarin... If hes eating frozen then you are good....

 

[yote]

Sound advice.
A mandrine will starve pretty quick if it wont eat frozen foods.

 

[kevinsimons]

Thanks for the always-good advice, everybody. I'll let you know when I find the frozen-food eating critter and get him acclimated. happy thanksgiving, everybody.:Cheers:

 

[Doc]

I tried one about a year ago and it lived about 2 weeks. They are tough buggers to keep unless they are eating frozen food AND do not have a lot of competition for food. They tend to be slow eaters.

-Doc

 

[reeffreak]

I've been hesitant to make a comment.Here's my experience with mandarins,which I been successful with since the mid 90's.I had one for over 6 years.

First try to find one that is eating frozen.In all my years,I've only seen one at the LFS.The only reason it was eating because someone brought that one back from their system.Everyone I bought never took to frozen,it took nearly a year for the mandarin to learn to take frozen.This was in a 72g with about 120lbs of live rock,no refugium.I don't measure success with those fish after 3,4 or even 6 months.It takes them that long of time to starve to death.

If you have have 100+ lbs of live rock and your system has matured 8-12 months then by means try one.Of course a refugium would be an added benefit.Not only look for one thats eating....look for a fat but small one.Your have better odds that way.I have a trick to get them to train to eat but thats for another time.

 

[kevinsimons]

He's in the tank now - an extremely beautiful and interesting animal. NOT eating frozen, but did mow down on live brine, and is grazing on the pods that are present seemingly everywhere... I think adding rotifers to the tank is keeping those pods happy...I'm going to buy pods at the LFS tomorrow just to make sure I keep the guy fat and happy... Reef - I'm ready to hear about your secret trick!

 

[Bifferwine]

Bottles of live pods run $25 apiece. I hope you can afford to keep that guy fed.

 

[Doc]

that is why I will kindly pass on that fish, as the food for a month costs WAY more than the fish itself. They are one of the few that I just pass by in the LFS and wave respectfully. That and the Achilles Tang, which my LFS has TWO of that look pretty good and eat well....hmmmm. Maybe it is time to rethink that conviction.

-Doc

 

[Bifferwine]

I would sooooo get an achilles tang if I wasn't so worried about it giving ich to all my other fish.

 

[Doc]

$40 down the street. 4 inches

-Doc

 

[Bifferwine]

Ugh they are, to me, the prettiest tang out there. THE tang. But they are also the most difficult! WHY?!?! Why must the fish gods always tempt us with such awful trade-offs?!

 

[kevinsimons]

OK, so I have this mini-refugium that I bought when I first started the tank - it's a plastic box that hangs inside the tank, about 8" long, 6" deep, and 5" front to back. It was ostensibly purchased to try and get two maroon clowns used to each other (what it really was, was the LFS ripping me off... but that's another story). This box has a place for a small Rio powerhead - there are small holes (about 1/2" diameter) that allow water flow. Might this thing work for a refugium for these pricey little pods?

Just in case any of you are wondering why all your good advice was more or less rejected: the mandarin goby was a purchased to keep peace in the house - you know how human dynamics can F*** up an otherwise stable sitch?

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

I have heard but never tried.... Mandrins will eat cyclopedes (sp?)

 

[reeffreak]

I don't think mandarins will go after cyclops.The small fuge with some chaeto may help.

Sorry I'm late back.
If you have a mason jar,put some pellet food or mysis inside it.Your mandarin may eventually enter and start eating.I've done another trick.Every now and then,a mandarin will see it reflections in the glass.When it does,turn the pump off and squirt some mysis near it.That trick worked to get a mandarin in my 72 to start taking frozen.For me mysis and vitamin enriched brine worked the best.

 

[kevinsimons]

Sounds like I should put some chaeto into that refugium and see what happens.... this stuff is good no matter what, from what I gather?

I bought a bottle of pods this afternoon - $20 - they're called Tiger Pods - I'm doubtful about all this, and am thinking I made my first fatal mistake... Thanks for the pointer, Reef. I'll try it...

 

[Bifferwine]

Unfortunately, mandarins that don't eat frozen don't survive long in our tanks. Even ones that have fuges.