Madarin idea!

[TheRealFF]

I really really want to get a madarin but my tank is only 2 - 3 months old. I've heard that these fishes need a huge amount of pods to live on so i'll need to let the tank run for 1+ year for the pods to mutiply. So i have came up with a solution to generate a large population of pods without waiting for a year...:

Buy a large amount of live pods then put it in ur tank BEFORE you add the madarin. Wait for a few weeks or months, the pods will establish a large enough population. Then ur tank is ready for madarin!

Im not sure if this will work. That's y i posted this to get some opinions before i try this.

 

[ntswift]

LOL...Well it sounds good, but what is keeping the mandarin going on a rampage eating them all in a month or two? i never had one but i was looking into getting one also and i had the same question. Do you have any other fish that might eat them too? People kept telling me that you really need a fuge or sump to keep them in, isolated from the preditors, so that they can reproduce in a sort of controlled environment. That way they won't get eaten up right away and can keep breeding in a safe area. Maybe if you just kept putting some in every month to repopulate the tank it may work? I'm curious too! good luck-

 

[TheRealFF]

No no, you add the pods BEFORE you get the madarin. Let them populate for a few weeks or month then get the fish. It's an idea but im not sure it works. I'll try it as soon as my new tank is done cycling

 

[ntswift]

i may have worded what i said wrong. what i meant was that it will help a little bit by putting them in before, but the mandrin will still deplete your source really quick. the pods need an environment that doesnt have preditors so that they can breed and repopulate your tank. that way they dont get eaten up in a month. Unless you plan on getting an insane amount of pods and letting them breed for a few months with out any fish in the tank that will eat them. that might work. good luck either way.

 

[TheRealFF]

That's the plan hehe. Hope TOO much pods wouldn't mess up my tank

 

[Gatorfreak]

I've had a spotted mandarin for about 8 months and he's fat & happy. I have a 90 gal tank with a 30 gal sump/refugium. I have 150 lbs LR and also a HOB refugium. All of these things play a part in sustaining a pod population. I added my mandarin when my tank was about 8 months old.

Like ntswift said, you need places for pods to reproduce and grow without being depleted. I think the HOB refugium is a good thing to have. I can see pods crawling around in there and some inevitable end up going back into the main.

What is your setup? If you have a 500 gal tank with 800 lbs of LR, you could probably add one now and never worry. If it's a 30 gal he'd probably starve.

 

[SkinnyPete]

Sorry - no. That won't really work. You really need a huge amount of a pod population to support a mandarin. They eat hundreds a day. Unfortunately (and this is coming from someone that has 160lbs of live rock, and a 1 year old tank that just had to return a mandarin), it takes time.

You might be better off trying to find one that accepts prepared foods. Otherwise, just be patient.

 

[TheRealFF]

You might be better off trying to find one that accepts prepared foods. Otherwise, just be patient.

I lucked out when i bought a scooter blenny (i didnn't know they only eat pods) b/c he's eating flakes that i feed other fishes It takes awhile for him to catch one tho, probly cuz he's not used to eating flakes yet.

About the madarin, i'll probly get a HOB fuge i guess. My tank is a 30G with 40-50 pounds of lr.

 

[zuzecawi]

30G with only 50-60lbs rock? You'll starve it within six months. No matter what kind of pod population you build up, it'll never be enough in a tank that small to keep a mandarin. Even ones that eat prepared foods don't eat that much of it, they just supplement their already existing diet. Trust to advice of people around you, if you're working with less than 150lbs rock, you just shouldn't try it. Pods are just part of the picture too, mandarins also eat tiny worms, eggs, all sorts of things that are only present in a really well established tank. Mandarins do a LOT of migrating around, they have a wide natural territory. Unlike sand sifting species, they don't just dig in at one area and ignore the rest of the tank. My spotted mandarin is ALL over the place all day long constantly canvasing my tank. I've got a very established system, with 15 gallons of fuge space, and I still feel nervous about my mandarin. Please don't purchase this fish... some things are only pretty when they're alive. A good alternative though, for beauty, small size, and activity, would be a six line wrasse. They're very colorful, active, and readily eat frozen and flake.

 

[TheRealFF]

Alright then...

I wish he gives me his madarin: http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

 

[afilter]

Glad to hear the scooter is taking prepared food. I assume that means you are going to try and keep it. What about the YT?

Another reason your theory would not work is that the scooter is basically a dragonette and will quickly deplete your pods once they are available.

Again I would never recommend a mandarin in anything less than a 75g with a fuge and well establish pods population. Remember about 98% sold die of starvation. Unfortunaltely LFS do not educate people enough about them because they will just die in the LFS tank if not sold quick enough.

Kind of like sharks and probaly should not be in the aquarium trade. Both can be kept, but require a very specific environment.

 

[TheRealFF]

The YT, i've been talking to my dad about returning it daily... he keeps saying "talk about it later". It's like im going against my dad b/c of a 2 n fish lol

The madarin, i'll get one someday when i upgrade