Blue Mandarin?

[Jeter22]

I have a fish only 55gl tank with about 25 pounds of live rock. The tank at this time has a Blue Jaw Trigger, Lemmon Peel Angel and a Red Legged Hermit Crab.
I really like the Blue Mandarin but have heard they are very picky eaters and need about 100 pounds of live rock to survive. But then again I've heard that they will eat frozen food.
Has anyone had good luck with keeping Mandarins alive on frozen foods and will the Blue Jaw Trigger be a good tank mate? The Trigger is very calm and shy.

 

[slitherbomb]

No, I would not recommend it. Mandarins very often revert to eating strictly copepods, even if they've been trained to eat frozen food. Also, even if you get one that eats frozen food, it wouldn't be healthy because they need to be constantly eating.

 

[twisted metal]

No, I would not recommend it. Mandarins very often revert to eating strictly copepods, even if they've been trained to eat frozen food. Also, even if you get one that eats frozen food, it wouldn't be healthy because they need to be constantly eating.

I agree. The mandarins will eat frozen food, bit it's not enough to fill there hunger. I guess is a way you could put it. Mandarins need copepods. I was reading some were they eat like 3 copepods per min. That's alot with in a week, months, years.

 

[carey]

I just picked up an ORA Blue mandarin a few weeks ago. i would not recommend it. :-(

Luckily I have pods in my cube for her and most likely I will be moving her to my 125g with 200lbs of rock. Mine is only eating a little bit of frozen food and the rest is pods.

They can and do revert back to pod eating for absolutely no reason it seems. Mine was raised on pellets but won't touch them now. Go figure. In my opinion the whole eating prepared foods thing is a marketing ploy to get you to buy them thinking they will be fine.

Good luck!

 

[Tank2379]

I agree, When I first got my mandarin I gave him up because he was not happy but he was eating prepared foods and eating Rods Food out of my hands, since giving him up I wanted another Mandarin but I waited until my POD population grew- Once I knew my tank was ready I Purchased a Red Mandarin which I loved and he was a little guy started eating Pods like crazy but my system was infested with PODs he didn't have to worry about it deminishing quickly. In the end he was Fat and Healthy and started to even eat prepared foods which was good becasue it was an extra food source. I don't have him anymore becasue I had to break down my tank but he is in a happier and bigger tank.

If I where you I would wait until you have a huge POD population and maybe some more LR to add to your 55G at least another 60LBS worth if you want to keep one. JMO

 

[mr_X]

Mandarin dragonets in general are very hard to keep unless you have a lot of rock and no other pod eaters (no wrasses or scooters). that said, i have no idea if the blue jaw or even the angel for that matter will find him a threat or consider him food. it's up to the individual fish.

 

[Jeter22]

Thanks for all the advice & testimonials. It's not what I wanted to hear but in' the end this hobby is about having healthy and happy fish. I'll talk to my LFS guy and see what I need to do to my tank in order to keep a healthy happy Mandarin. Thanks again everyone!