my tank is done

[Convict2161]

Convict, I wasn't talking about just you not mentioning the mandarin, but others as well who never mentioned anything. Including any readers who never posted

As for the mandarin eating frozen - awesome. Good luck with him.

No worries. Hard to read online sometimes ya know?

 

[mr_X]

What do you guys think I have a green Mandarin a tomato clown and a damsel. 1 anemone and 12 pounds of live rock

View attachment 149885

I think the anemone is bleached, +1 on the mandarin, and that tank looks barely 6 weeks old, not 6 months.
I would research the lighting to make sure it's sufficient.

 

[fishlover07]

I think the anemone is bleached, +1 on the mandarin, and that tank looks barely 6 weeks old, not 6 months.
I would research the lighting to make sure it's sufficient.

that's because I just recently added more live rock to the tank

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Honestly, and please don't take this wrong, I honestly don't believe any of the fish or the anemone belong in a ten gallon. The tomato and damsel will both get to large for a ten. The mandarin may be ok if he is alone and constantly being fed but I've never heard of them being reared for long in anything close to a ten. The anemone will need strong light and good stable water parameters but having three fish with him will make keeping the water quality suitable very unlikely. I kept a ten gallon reef tank for years and they aren't as hard as some people make them out to be, but...

 

[fishlover07]

Honestly, and please don't take this wrong, I honestly don't believe any of the fish or the anemone belong in a ten gallon. The tomato and damsel will both get to large for a ten. The mandarin may be ok if he is alone and constantly being fed but I've never heard of them being reared for long in anything close to a ten. The anemone will need strong light and good stable water parameters but having three fish with him will make keeping the water quality suitable very unlikely. I kept a ten gallon reef tank for years and they aren't as hard as some people make them out to be, but...

I respect your opinion but I strongly. disagree

 

[mr_X]

that's because I just recently added more live rock to the tank

There is no old rock in that tank as far as I can see. You should disconnect that air line from that aquaclear power head too. You don't want bubbles in a salt tank.

 

[Riverhawk]

I have to agree with coralline... Damsels r too nasty tempered for a ten, the clown gets too big; and can get agressive too, and the nem isnt happy either....

 

[CleverBs]

See this is the trouble with these sites and one thing I'm not a fan of. People are always there to point out something they think is wrong when they don't actually know. I would be worried about your nem but not because of lighting but because of nutrients in the water. It looks unhappy based on the picture but not because of lighting but because of water quality. So I have two points of advice that you can easily do to help solve potential issue. One make sure you do regular water changes and keep you nitrates below 20 which can be difficult in a smaller tank but you can do it! And maybe you already do. 2nd annenomes are sensitive to salinity so if the tank doesn't have an auto top off try and give it a top off daily so that the salinity stays constant and your nem should look fuller. If you ever think there may be something wrong or want to just make sure it's healthy put on a pair of gloves if you want (I don't) and just touch one of the tenticals lightly with your finger and see if its sticky. If its sticky he's ok. But by looking at him he's not ok. One thing that could be making him look tht way is the bubbles. They will stick to it and cause irritation. Bubbles in salt tanks are bad.

Good luck with the tank and as always good luck in the hobby.

Also a note on mandarins because they are my favorite fish and I have trained 3 of them to eat frozen foods. If he has an interest in all with frozen foods start weening him off pods and on to food slowly slowly slowly and when he actively come up to feed when you feed and stuffs his face you are ready to not buy $$$$ pods again lol. But if you notice him not eating frozen anymore go get pods because they will suddenly go on a frozen food hunger strike every now and then it seems.

Sadly I have to agree with mr.x in saying that clown doesn't belong in that tank along with the damsel. Now there is one thing that could change this. If you got your nem healthy an the clown started hosting it you could leave it in then tank because he won't need much room. However I'd ditch the damsel. I was lucky and got a damsel that's very sweet and you may have one to but I can tell you keeping you water quality up with those three fish is going to be a difficult task and will probably require 2 water changes a week.

 

[fishlover07]

See this is the trouble with these sites and one thing I'm not a fan of. People are always there to point out something they think is wrong when they don't actually know. I would be worried about your nem but not because of lighting but because of nutrients in the water. It looks unhappy based on the picture but not because of lighting but because of water quality. So I have two points of advice that you can easily do to help solve potential issue. One make sure you do regular water changes and keep you nitrates below 20 which can be difficult in a smaller tank but you can do it! And maybe you already do. 2nd annenomes are sensitive to salinity so if the tank doesn't have an auto top off try and give it a top off daily so that the salinity stays constant and your nem should look fuller. If you ever think there may be something wrong or want to just make sure it's healthy put on a pair of gloves if you want (I don't) and just touch one of the tenticals lightly with your finger and see if its sticky. If its sticky he's ok.

Good looking tank and as always good luck in the hobby.

Also a note on mandarins because they are my favorite fish and I have trained 3 of them to eat frozen foods. If he has an interest in all with frozen foods start weening him off pods and on to food slowly slowly slowly and when he actively come up to feed when you feed and stuffs his face you are ready to not buy $$$$ pods again lol. But if you notice him not eating frozen anymore go get pods because they will suddenly go on a frozen food hunger strike every now and then it seems.

thanks probably most helpful post I've ever got I have a question about my Mandarin though. will Mandarins starve themselves Without eating frozen food or will they eventually give in. Because right now he's eating the frozen pods but IM worried hell stop eventually and how big of a tank would I need to grow the pods. Like a two gallon?

 

[Godfrey]

Yes to the mandarins starving themselves and I searched a lot on growing pods and you could do it in a two gal tho it is a little difficult and you'll also have to grow phytoplankton to feed the pods but that's not hard either lots of good info on the web

 

[CleverBs]

thanks probably most helpful post I've ever got I have a question about my Mandarin though. will Mandarins starve themselves Without eating frozen food or will they eventually give in. Because right now he's eating the frozen pods but IM worried hell stop eventually and how big of a tank would I need to grow the pods. Like a two gallon?

You will never be able to grow enough pods to feed your mandarin. This is why the only mandarins that arnt trained that survive the log haul are in very large 100+ gallon reef systems that are very established and well maintained.

And yes most would rather die then ever touch frozen food. The other issue you have with them is when you are training them they need to be feed like 4 times a day because they arnt like a clown fish that will stuff it's self when you feed. They are grazers and will eat all day long and if you watch them they are like humming birds. Constantly moving and fins go very quickly meaning they burn a lot of calaries quickly. When you get them to readily except frozen they will start to eat quicker. Just like a copper banded butterfly fish. When they first start eating they will follow the frozen food around for a bit as they inspect it then finally eat it and by this time all the other food has been eaten settled or pulled out by your filtration. However when they get comfortable over time and recognize the frozen mysis as food they will begin to eat faster because they know its food and easy to catch and they don't have to sneak up on it.

Finally what helps is get cyclops shrimp to start out with. They are about the size of pods and are rich in nutrients. Feed a little at a time and let him eat one or two then do it again and do this a few times a day. Be really carful though or you will feed to much and distroy your tank. Then when he's eating cyclops well then switch to brine soaked in a vitamin enriched product. This is because a fish eating just brine is going to lack a lot of protein and vitamins because brine lack nutrients. Ones this is going smoothly you up it to mysis soaked in Vitamin supplement. This will cause the fish to be fatter and healthier. Also most of the supplements have garlic in them that will intice the fish to eat as well as boost their immune system.

And like I said not every mandarin will go for this. Iv has sucsess with 3 and failed with 4. Red and green mandarins are the most difficult. Spoted and a bit easier and scooter blennies are the easiest but still no cake walk.

Feed in a lower flow area and feed in the same spot in the tank every time. This will help it get used to eating in a specific location making it easir for you. Also get something like a turcky baster. I use a large syringe without the needle to feed because its less invasive to the fish the. Your hand in the water with the food. My mandarin comes right up to the syringe when it enters the water now.

 

[mr_X]

you could also try live black worms. all the problem fish I have kept have loved them, and have associated them with my hand, and hence tried prepared foods I have tossed in.
I disagree with the anemone advice, because no one really knows what a creature that has no brain, is thinking.
I just touched my rose bubble tips and they didn't feel the least bit sticky.
I have no doubt they are healthy.

 

[CleverBs]

you could also try live black worms. all the problem fish I have kept have loved them, and have associated them with my hand, and hence tried prepared foods I have tossed in.
I disagree with the anemone advice, because no one really knows what a creature that has no brain, is thinking.
I just touched my rose bubble tips and they didn't feel the least bit sticky.
I have no doubt they are healthy.

Hm, iv always been told that healthy nems have sticky tenticals. i revised my post after looking at the picture of the nem again. Its in need of a few things and I am sure its probably past saving to be completely honest.

 

[Whiplash187]

Also a note on mandarins because they are my favorite fish and I have trained 3 of them to eat frozen foods. If he has an interest in all with frozen foods start weening him off pods and on to food slowly slowly slowly and when he actively come up to feed when you feed and stuffs his face you are ready to not buy $$$$ pods again lol. But if you notice him not eating frozen anymore go get pods because they will suddenly go on a frozen food hunger strike every now and then it seems.
.

Nice i should try doing that to save me money. But what if my mandarin doesnt like frozen pods? Should i try and try until he does eat it?

 

[CleverBs]

Nice i should try doing that to save me money. But what if my mandarin doesnt like frozen pods? Should i try and try until he does eat it?

frozen pods are worthless. dont even bother. keep trying it will take time its wont be over night, Took me 2 months to get my last one to eat readily.

 

[Ingy]

My LFS has trained a mandarin to eat frozen by putting a small jar on its side on the sand. It was angled slightly so the mouth was lower. Then he'd squirt the frozen into the jar and the mandarin eventually found them.

 

[Whiplash187]

frozen pods are worthless. dont even bother. keep trying it will take time its wont be over night, Took me 2 months to get my last one to eat readily.

Ow thanks but sometime if i make a mysis with brine shrimp eggs with vitamins to target feed my corals i see my mandarin eating brine shrimp eggs but not eating mysis, is that a good start if his eating the brine eggs?

 

[CleverBs]

Ow thanks but sometime if i make a mysis with brine shrimp eggs with vitamins to target feed my corals i see my mandarin eating brine shrimp eggs but not eating mysis, is that a good start if his eating the brine eggs?

yes thats why I suggested feeding cyclopes, Mandarins have very small mouths and so they will not take to mysis beings they are larger.

 

[Whiplash187]

yes thats why I suggested feeding cyclopes, Mandarins have very small mouths and so they will not take to mysis beings they are larger.

yeah i got a little confuse, i thought they will take mysis too but thanks so i guess im in the right track and sorry for the misunderstanding

 

[fishlover07]

Update on the tank I got rid of the damsel got stronger lighting. My Mandarin is good and stats in the front now and my clown hosted my anemone.