Mandarin fish and substrate question

[Liz]

Hi all,
I would really like to get a mandarin (or two) for my 120 gallon set up. I understand that mandarins spend alot, if not all, of their time on the bottom eating pods etc ...
Does the type of substrate matter or rather does the sand bed have to be really fine sand as opposed to the coral rubble?

If so my next question is has anyone ever used sand from a beach instead of spending £20 for a tiny bag of which I'll need at least 7 bags to cover the bottom. Is this a wize move or a very bad move. The sand I'm thinking of is very fine and is made of broken shell.

Thanks in advance
Liz

 

[lando]

I do not think the substrate matter as much as the amount of LR and the age of the tank. You should have LOTS of LR and a very mature system to support these fish.

 

[Liz]

Hi Lando,
Thanks for the quick reply. My tank is stacked almost wall to wall with live rock guessing about 100lb of Live rock. I've had the tank for the last 9 months but bought it fully set up from a collegue who'd had it set up for two years. Prior to that set up in a 60 gallon tank. So it's well established. It has 100s of pods both in the sump and in the main tank.
I understand that they rarely eat food you put in for them because they aren't as quick as other inhabitants plus they relaly only eat pods.

I will have to do some more research before i actually buy these little guys but just wondered about the substrate. I'd rather get the advice than cause suffering.

Thanks
Liz

 

[fishfirst]

I think you might have enough liverock/pods for one mandarine for the long term basis.

 

[lando]

Sounds like a mandarin would be very happy in your set up. I would, however, restrict it to one. Two may deplete your pod population too quickly and they can be very agressive toward each other, espically if you get two males. Good luck...Lando

 

[austinsdad]

Mine spends time on the rocks more than the sand. That's where the pods live and hide out mostly anyway. IMO, the substrate isn't a big issue, just the pod population.

Sounds like you're ready for one to me too. I also agree with Lando. Just one.

 

[Liz]

Excellent - my birthday pressie request is sorted. I'm not certain that I can wait until March though. Might have to bribe my boyfriend for valentines

Thanks again
Liz

 

[steve r]

you can help them learn to eat frozen food like mysis shrimp by turmning off your pumps when you feed. if the food is winging all over the place the will never get it. many will also eat live brine. you can gut load the brine by putting some phytoplankton in with the brine for a few hours before you feed. they will eat the plankton and pass that along to your fish

steve r

 

[Goofyjas]

Not to leech off your topic but I have always wanted one of these, finally after having my tank up for about 1.5 years I got a small male ( hoping to get a small female ) in a 110 reef, very fine sand ( the problem with this is when it got kicked up it al stuck to him on his coating) I have a very very large pod population with my own little factory from www.ipsf.com ( works great!! )
I put him in on a tuesday, saw him tuesday and wednesday morning and I havent seen him since ( this was last week)

Do you rarely see them? I would have thought by now i would have seen him again I only have 4 small clowns, a coral beauty and an Eibls angel in the tank)

If you do want to get 2, I would go for a small male and female, thats what everyone has told me.. you dont have to put them in at the same time but some say do some say dont. I only got one because thats all the store had. they are the coolest fish !!

Goodluck with yours! I am going to maybe pick up a small female this week and see what happens.

Oh, when I got mine, it came into the store, was acclimated, as soon as it hit his tanks ( about 11 hours later) I bought it bagged it and spent a while acclimating him in my tank due to my salinity being a little higher then the store, he was great for 2 days now he is MIA! thinking maybe stress of all the moving in one day? duno any ideas?

thanks!

 

[jester]

I see mine all the time and mine eats frozzn mysis and live brine and bloodworms i got lucky he also picks pods off all the time but when i feed all my fish he comes out and goes to town on the food i put in there i love this fish but when i first put mine in i barley seen him for about 2 weeks now he is all over the place

 

[austinsdad]

mine eats frozzn mysis and live brine and bloodworms

You lucky so and so! Didja do something to help him along that way? Curious minds wanna know. 8) Was thinking that if I could do that, I'd get another mandarin - -but then again, I'm fully stocked, everyone gets along fine, and I 'm not going to rock the boat. Talked myself right out of that one. This time.