Mandarin Gobie????

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Fishbone13

Fishbone13

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Messages
325
Location
Boston MA
I've bought 2 mandarins in the past and I'm wonder'n if there is a better way cuz each time they basically end up waste'n away and starve'n to death. I always try to pick one of the bigger healthier looking ones in the tank and I also look for one that is nip'n at the rocks or at least looks like it's try'n to feed.

And I also get a couple bottles of tigger pods and put in about 1/2 a bottle a night every other day till they are empty. But each time they never eat and rarely nip'd at the rocks. And sadley after about 2 months they both died.

As you all know this is a great look'n fish and I would love to be able to keep one for a decent amount of time but with the price of the tigger pods be'n the same price as the Manderin which $20.00. I wouldn't mind so much if I actually saw him eat the tigger pods but that wasn't hapen'n. Soooooo....

I was wonder'n If any of you have any special techniques or advice on what i can do to be able to keep one of these great look'n fish alive long enough to enjoy.
 
First, there is no such thing as a mandarin goby, it is a dragonet. They require well established tanks with a ton of live rock. You will never be able to supplement enough pods to keep it alive. The only other option is to find an ORA that eats prepared foods, even then I have heard they revert back to eating pods once they get in the aquarium.
 
Easiest way to do it, tape a picture of one on the front of your tank. These fish are best left to those with more experience and those who know what to do and what they are getting themselves into. To be simple, the fact that you are referring to them as a goby tells me that you haven't done much, if any research on them. Please read more and do tons more research on the fish. When you think you have read enough, keep reading. It's entirely impossible to know more than enough about these fish.
 
How long did it take them to starve to death?
 
First of all I am well aware they are called Dragonets. I am also aware there Are green Dragonets as well but i prefer the mandarin. And for you're information Thom I do all the "RESEARCH" I can on all the fish I find interesting or fish I want to have in my tank. I own books Marine Fshes, Reef Aquarium Fishes and Salt Water Fishes by Scott W. Michael, Marine Invertabrates by Ronald L Shimek And Read them all cover to cover. I joined this site because i thought it would be cool to be able to have discussions and maybe get some helpful hints and tips that the "BOOKS" don't tell you. Not to get a weak joke about tape'n a picture on my tank or to be criticized about not do'n enough research according to you. I just joined yesterday but if I am correct it looks like you are a community moderator for this site, I may be wrong cuz I didn't do enough research on the ins and outs of this site but if you are someone who is supposed to be helpful you come across as a loudmouth clown and you're buddy purevil21 up there isn't too far behind ya. I just wanted a tip or any inside knowledge if you had any... Guess not. And to answer you're question Ray since you are the only one who seems to be attempt'n to help, I have a 75 gallon tank with alot of live rock. I only had one dragonet at a time it was i tried on 2 seperate occasions to maintain one and I did everything the guy at the store told me and still no luck.
 
Hey Nick, It took about 2 months for the first one and i almost made 3 months with the second. i think the tigger pods were work'n with that one but i'm just guess'n. He was bigger so i think it just took longer to fade away.
 
And how old is the tank? I like to recommend a tank and rocks be a year old before trying one of these fish. Believe me, a single mandarin can keep a pod population a bay in a 75g. 2 or a mandarin and any other fish that eats pods is too much and they'll starve.

Let's all stay civil with this discussion. :)
 
Admittedly we see probably a question a day about someone trying to keep a mandarin in a small tank where they just will not survive. Since you didn't tell anyone the size or your tank or really much about your set up, we tend to assume it's another one of the same situation.

Thom is, however, pretty right. You could read everything in existence and there would still be more to know about the mandarins. While those are good books, they don't say much about the mandarins specifically. What Thom was referring to by "research" was not necessarily "books" but doing as much googling and reading as many things about the mandarins as possible. There are a lot of great articles and pages out there about mandarin care, that are worth reading.

I would suggest you do that kind of research for anything you own, not just the mandarin. There's always more information out there for everything. We like to encourage research. We also love conversations and sharing practical experience. Saying that pods were too expensive makes it seem like you're looking for an easy way out. Unfortunately, that's the thing with mandarins, to keep one, you're going to have to add pods. They go through them so quickly.

Don't get frustrated with us, we're just trying to make sure you know all you can about this fish that really is just so fragile. :)
 
Hey Ray
The tank is a little over 2 years with this set up. I was wonder'n how many bottles of tigger pods should I add before I attempt add'n a new Mandarin and do the tigger pods reproduce fast enough? I have a BiColor Angle and a Lemompeel Angle, They seem to be always nip'n the rocks. thats why I got 2 bottles last time but I still think that wasn't enough.
 
I'd let the tank go mandarin-less for a year if it were me. That'll let the pods establish themselves and breed enuf to sustain. I did keep a fat mandarin in a 72g for years and added no pods, but the tank had about 100 lbs of rock that didn't have a mandarin in it for the first year almost.

Have no experience or knowledge of tiger pods.
 
Hey Flake,
Thanks for that response. Like I said I just joined yesterday and really just made that first post cuz that was the main reason I wanted to join. I was google'n question about the madarin and this site came up and i checked it out and it looked like this was the place for me. The cost of pods is not a problem at all i was just say'n they are of both equal value and it was look'n to me that the mandarin wasn't even try'n to eat them. I mean they would be right in front of him and he wouldn't even try. So my question was mainly to see if there are any tricks to get them to eat them. And if you know any of the sites on line for the mandarin please let me know. Everything I have ever come up with off of google is the same stuff in the books or story's like mine with no answers at least not yet anyway.
 
Thanks Ray, I'll give it a shot. I really want to be able to keep one, they just look unique and cool. Plus I kinda like the challenge.
 
Ahh sorry if my post came of harsh, wasn't intended. I respond to a quite a few threads that are asking about mandarins, and get carried away sometimes because often people have no clue besides what color they want. Again, sorry if my post sounded harsh.

If, after you wait for your tank to get established, you can either grab an ORA mandarin, or I typed up an article-ish post in the Saltwater Fish and Coral Profiles subforum. It may be of some help if you want to attempt to train it to eat prepared foods. Keep in mind they constantly peck at rocks, no matter if a pod is there or not, so you may have just missed it eating pods. They also seem to be more active just after the lights go out, which is when there is quite a bit of activity with pods.

Just a recommendation on books, if you ever happen to come across "Reef Secrets," grab it. Can't remember the authors' names, but it is packed full of info that is up to date with almost everything. Most books out there now refer to PC lighting as the "greatest leap in aquarium lighting" which is usually a huge red flag that the book is out of date. Hope I helped a bit in this post, and again, very sorry if I offended you.
 
Hey Thom,
Thanks for the info and apology accepted and I'm sorry if I took the comment the wrong way. I'll look for that book. No hard feeling's and you're White Sox are do'n alot better than my Red Sox so maybe thats what got me worked up a little more than I should have. Thanks again
 
Not to derail the thread, but I haven't payed attenton to the Sox in a year or two, was a little angry about them letting Dye go...

Back on topic... As for the tiger pods, they are a bit big if I remember right? Mandarins need the smaller ones such as amphipods and copepods because their mouth is small. This is also why when/if you get them eating prepared foods, you will have to chop some foods up into tiny peaces. I have a few links buried that are on feeding techniques, I'll find them for you in a bit.
 
Thank's Thom,
That would be great any help would be or articles would be awesome. I was think'n they were too big for the Mandarin but the salesmen at all the aquatic stores I go too are pretty insistant that tigger pods is all they eat, but what you said makes more sense.
 
Caring for a Mandarin Goby
Food Presentation
Pod Eaters - or - Mama Don't Feed Me No Balogna
Melevsreef.com - Melev's Mandarin Diner
Melevsreef.com - Mandarin Care


These two are on breeding, but still interesting....

Breeding the Green Mandarin - Microcosm Aquarium Explorer
Marine Ornamental Fish & Invert Breeders Association • View topic - Dragonettes & Mandarinfish Breeding/Spawning Overview

There are some areas of bad info. in some of these, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Forgot to say, welcome to AA! Hope I have helped resolve some questions.

*Other mods/admins, if you see any problems with these, please take any neccassary actions.*
 
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