mandarin dragonett is starving!!

[ektorgt]

today my mandarin dragonette seemed real weak...
it stayed on the bottom kind of breathing fast...
it looks real thin and small
I have had it for like a month now
is there anything i can feed him because my tank has been running for only about 3 months and i didnt know i had to have it for about a year to buy this kind of fish....

 

[DragonForce]

40 lbs of live rock is not enough for this fish. I would take the mandarin back to the LFS asap, or find someone who has a minimum of 80 lbs of LR to give it to.

 

[No_Floaters]

Exactly what DragonForce said. Your tank is too young to support a dragon. Just not enough pods. Take him back or give him away as soon as you can.

 

[Scottm]

baring finding better facilities for it you can get pod cultures to feed it.

 

[ellisz]

Setting up a refugium would be a good idea as well. I am not sure 80 lbs or LR would be enough. As the mandarin grows, his appetite will grow as well. Either a refugium or replenishing your pod population from time to time would be needed.

I probably have 110 lbs in my 75 and I run and refugium and a frag tank. A predator less tank will grow pods like crazy.

Mike

 

[Macmommy]

Could someone recommend a good source for him to get pods quickly if the LFS doesn't have them?

 

[ellisz]

Local reefer or maybe even ebay. I think Inland Aquatics use to sell them as well. A google search might ueild more. If there are any reefers in your area that breed fish, they sometimes grow their own food sources.

 

[Bearfan]

I got a bunch in my chaeto from ellisz.

 

[ellisz]

Always wondered if any made it through shipping. Good to know

 

[macman7010]

you can order pods from a variety of sources, but I agree that adding some good cured live rock would be a good quick answer to the problem. The fact is without having enough rock or a refugium its likely even if you get some pods your mandarin will just eat them off to start starving again.

 

[revhtree]

See if someone would hold him until you can get your tank up to speed for him...

Adding pods now seems a little to late.

Sorry...

 

[seaham358]

IMO giving the fish to someone who has the proper tank would be the answer here. Adding more LR now with a weak fish is not the answer. If there is any die off and you get a mini cycle that is just going to add to the problem. There is no guarantee that the LR will have lots of pods. Adding a fuge is a good idea but it will take months to get it producing large numbers of pods needed.

 

[ektorgt]

woow thanks for all the advice everyone...
I decided that the easiest way to solve the problem was taking it to a lfs....
they wouldnt give me store credit cause i bought it online....
but anyways i left it there for them to take care of him... i didnt want him to starve to death in my tank...
i got a bicolor pseuchedonomis and a 3 stripe damsel instead...

but thanks for everything really...

 

[Scottm]

good idea I have to culture my own pods to feed mine and it is alot of work. I have set up a refugium to help which reduces by alot the amount of LR needed to support one.

 

[ektorgt]

i hope the new fish get well with the fish i had cause sometimes the new fish get harassed.....

is there anything i need to know about taking care or about special needs for these new fish...

(3 striped damsel and bicolor pseudochromis)

 

[JPloman]

I would suggest in the future, prior to purchasing fish ask if your tank is ready for them.

I personally would not put a fish in a tank that had not been running for under 6 weeks, that would be a damsel fish. After about a year is when I would start getting into other types of fish. That is a personal opinion, take it or leave it.

The damsels that you have purchased are the more aggressive type, be cautious when mixing with other fish.

 

[tripper]

I disagree that you need to wait a year to start adding different types of fish to a tank. After the cycle is complete I would start off with a hardy fish like a clown or chromis, and move up from there. I would only add one fish every 4-6 weeks but you can definitely add at least one hardy fish soon after the cycle is complete and you have done a 15-20% water change.

tripper

 

[revhtree]

Kudos to you ektorgt for doing the right thing. The LFS may still sell it to someone that cant support it, but you did all you could do after finding out more info on them. Most all of us have made mistakes like this in the past and if we learn from them, then we and the hobby are all the better for it.

 

[Hara]

I disagree that you need to wait a year to start adding different types of fish to a tank.

Waiting a year is only for some kinds of fish, those that eat exclusively off the rock for example. No one suggests that is the plan for all fish. Some are known to not eat prepared foods and the mandarin is one of them.