New baby mandarin!

[Abiroad]

We just got the most precious tiny baby mandarin at the LFS.
She was so skinny, it was pretty much a rescue situation i couldn't leave her there.

I'm no expert but I figured I had more of a chance of saving her then the LFS seeing as they had her in a tank with no substrate and were feeding her roe which she ignored.

My pods are plentiful, and i know this is a risk but i had to try. While i was drip acclimating her i threw in a few frozen brine, not expecting ANYTHING and she munched them instantly. so i fed her more and she hovered over a pile of them and devoured them. she also ate out of the feeding baster later that evening in my tank.

She was covered in sand this morning from hunting in my macro algae in the tank.

She seems adjusted.

Does anyone have any tips or their own experience with mandarins?

 

[sgr7781]

So! Beautiful!!!

 

[obscurereef]

Very cute Poor little guy. That's awesome that she ate. A tip would be to spread the food on the rocks so they can hunt all over instead of just picking from a cup or wherever. I do that for mine..not sure if she actually picks at the frozen food, but worth a try. Also, if you see a mandarin at night (sleeping), don't freak out...they look like zombies, but they're still alive. Really cool camouflage.

 

[Abiroad]

Thanks! She is a little under an inch big she is so presh.


I know brine is not very nutritious. But i feel like if shes taking any prep'd food that is a good sign.

What does everyone else feed? Whole tank included, I'd like to stop feeding my whole tank brine as often as i do.

 

[Abiroad]

Very cute Poor little guy. That's awesome that she ate. A tip would be to spread the food on the rocks so they can hunt all over instead of just picking from a cup or wherever. I do that for mine..not sure if she actually picks at the frozen food, but worth a try. Also, if you see a mandarin at night (sleeping), don't freak out...they look like zombies, but they're still alive. Really cool camouflage.

Do they turn sort of pale?
My boyfriend leaves for work at 5 and was texting me to get up and check the fish it looked weird, but when i got up the tank lights had already come on and she looked fine besides having some sand on her face haha.

Her stomach is already a little less concave

 

[obscurereef]

I feed cyclops, nutramar and mini mysis.

 

[Abiroad]

what are cyclops?
I have fed mysis.
I guess its just all about variety right?

 

[obscurereef]

This isn't my mandarin. Just found it on google. They look pale and sometimes like they're decomposing.

 

[Abiroad]

Oh man!! Yeah that must have been what he saw because he was wigging out but she was completely fine when i woke up so that had to have been it

he said she looked pale.
That's nuts!

 

[obscurereef]

Cyclops are I also feed freeze dried-cyclops-eeze, but the frozen is prob. better (copepods). The cyclops is more for my filter feeders/corals, but maybe my mandarin picks at it. Not sure.

 

[Abiroad]

okay kind of like phyto-feast?
Thats what i use for the filter feeders

 

[obscurereef]

Well that's phytoplankton which is much smaller. Cyclops are about the size of copepods. Maybe a bit bigger. They're freshwater.

 

[Abiroad]

aha! i see. Thanks

 

[Unicorn1]

Dream fish right there, I hope she pulls through!!!

 

[bettaowner]

I need to get that fish some day. it is beautiful.

 

[carey]

I had the most success with my mandarin by feeding several different frozen foods. I started with frozen cyclops, then moved up to baby brine, big brine and then mysis. I still feed an assortment of frozen food but she has been eating pellets for over a year now so I don't worry nearly as much as I used to.

And yep, they look like they are dead when they sleep. lol My fiance woke me up one morning to tell me the mandarin was dying, took a look and she looked really bad. Luckily I didnt freak out cause I knew already but she gave him quite the scare. hehe

Good luck !

 

[Edro]

I had the most success with my mandarin by feeding several different frozen foods. I started with frozen cyclops, then moved up to baby brine, big brine and then mysis. I still feed an assortment of frozen food but she has been eating pellets for over a year now so I don't worry nearly as much as I used to.

And yep, they look like they are dead when they sleep. lol My fiance woke me up one morning to tell me the mandarin was dying, took a look and she looked really bad. Luckily I didnt freak out cause I knew already but she gave him quite the scare. hehe

Good luck !

Welcome back Carey......

 

[Abiroad]

I had the most success with my mandarin by feeding several different frozen foods. I started with frozen cyclops, then moved up to baby brine, big brine and then mysis. I still feed an assortment of frozen food but she has been eating pellets for over a year now so I don't worry nearly as much as I used to.

And yep, they look like they are dead when they sleep. lol My fiance woke me up one morning to tell me the mandarin was dying, took a look and she looked really bad. Luckily I didnt freak out cause I knew already but she gave him quite the scare. hehe

Good luck !

When you feed her frozen do you put the needle up to her? Mine are off the needle when I brought her home but since that day when I put the needle near her she hides ad doesn't come out for the rest of the feeding. She did eat some live bring which makes me happy and we are soon. Pod condos

 

[carey]

I use a turkey baster to broadcast feed to her, or at least I used to. I still use the baster but she doesnt need to be target fed anymore, she has a great feeding response once food hits the water.

You just want to slowly ease the tip of the baster in and very gently shoot the brine or other small food to her area.

 

[herp_mommy]

just fyi, your "she" is a "he"