30g Reef after 1 week

[chimmike]

[quote=SassyAngel111;857893]

Originally Posted by chimmike

There was a brief cycle, the LR was fully cured when I bought it,

Chimmike, again I am sorry if I sounded to harsh, but if you would have posted that your LR was fully cured when you had bought it in your 1st post, I would not have went off like that. OH by the way I do like the aquascaping.

no problem, it's understandable. I've been reading a lot on reefcentral and here

[fijiwigi]

I guess I missed the part about the fully cycled rock as well

[cmor1701d]

Please return the mandarin unless you know it is eating frozen food. Unless you add a 75 gallon sump with another 90 pounds of LR (slight exageration) you will not be able to maintain the pod population. It is suggested that a mandarin not be added till a tank is mature (8 months or more) so the pod population can grow,a nd that's in a 75 or larger. If you can afford a $20.00 of pods every day then go for it. If not please don't starve this fish to death. Save that $20 every day, and in a year you can buy a 125 with everything needed to maintain it, and stock it.

Also, please drop the sailfin blenny. I know from personal experience that they need a lot algea to survive and will starve once it's gone.

[chimmike]

I get the odd feeling you're the pessimist on the board?

No offense though

[pat8you]

I don't know about pessimist but he is just letting you know that the mandarins will eat a lot of pods and its going to be really expensive to keep him fed because you have to buy the pods live from your LFS and it will add up fast. They are a somewhat difficult fish to keep as it is. I feel for you though. I really like those fish and i can't have one cuz my tank is to small. Not trying to be mean or anything, he is just trying to warn you so you know what your up against.

[chimmike]

the one we got from the LFS is approx 1" long. He's small. We'll be buying pods, but he also seems to be eating the frozen food we've put in.

[pat8you]

Thats really good if he's eating frozen food. Most of them put their nose up at it.

[chimmike]

he's been in the tank 3 days now, completely unstressed and appears to have made himself at home instantly.

I'm keeping a close eye on him just to see if his attitude changes too.

I've got some sort of coral growing, but I have no idea what it is. I put a question on the "what is it" area

[cmor1701d]

Originally Posted by chimmike

I get the odd feeling you're the pessimist on the board?

No offense though

None taken and I'm not being pessimistic. I've just read too many "Why did my mandarin die after 2 months in my 30 gallon tank' posts to not advise against it, UNLESS you have seen it eat frozen or other prepared food.

Yours is apparently eating frozen food so you may be lucky. I have also heard of some that stopped eating prepared foods too.

By the time you notice the sunken belly it's usually to late. You can not appreciate how many pods this fish eats in a day unless you have one. They are constantly foraging the rocks for pods. I have a 185# of LR and another 15# of LR rubble plus a pod pile. Yes I have a lot of pods in my tank and my mandarin has been doing well for a couple of years now.

[roka64]

I agree with Cmor. Being the "pessimist on the board" saves lives and a lot of stress. Fish are not like dogs and cats or other animals we can really touch. Sometimes, I feel our SW friends don't get the respect they need (a simple flush of the toilet as opposed to a gravemarker in the back yard is a huge difference, to some). A lot of the advice given (especially if a lot of folks say it) can and are based on experience or a lot of reading.