TRAINED mandarin in a 24 gallon

[Cameron6796]

Before the mandarin brigade attacks me i want to say i know about their food requirements etc my question is meant towards trained mandarins because i would never buy one not eating prepared foods.

I may be getting a IM NUVO 24 tank and i have it all planned out and ready to be put into action. I know where I can get a guaranteed trained mandarin dragonet that will eat pellet or frozen mysis ( local breeder) my question is:

SINCE ITS TRAINED WOULD IT BE HUMANE TO HOUSE THIS AWESOME FISH IN MY TANK (established for 4-8 months) OR WOULD THERE STILL BE ANOTHER ISSUE OTHER THEN FEEDING.

 

[Mebbid]

If you're willing to feed it 3 times a day then it should be okay. One daily feeding won't cut it rhough

 

[carey]

I have my mandarin in a 60g tank and it seems to be just the right size for him. He is constantly moving around too, never still for a minute. I used to have him in a 29g biocube when he was small which helped with training him to eat prepared foods but was inadequate as far as size. I'm familiar with the nuvo 24 and to be honest, there just isn't enough room for one in my opinion.

Also, just because it's guaranteed to eat doesn't mean it will. LOL I purchased an ORA one that was guaranteed to eat pellets but he didn't. Took a month of several times a day feedings of every known frozen food to get him to start eating. I was feeding like 6 times a day too. It really is hit or miss regardless of "gurantee". I also had a refugium set up when I first got him which is what he ate from for that month he was training. Without that refugium he would have starved, no question in my mind. And once you do get one, you still have to monitor daily to make sure he is still eating, they can revert back to pods at any time.

Hope that helps.

 

[Cameron6796]

Okay thank you for all your help

Oh btw its not ora ( i read somewhere else they usually aren't a really eating pellet) its from a friend who raised a bunch of them. Im probably going to wait until i get my 120g haha

 

[Jakepen]

And once you do get one, you still have to monitor daily to make sure he is still eating, they can revert back to pods at any time.

What do you mean they can revert back to pods?

 

[carey]

I did extensive research and waited quite a while before i added mine but in everything I've ever read they can one day just stop eating prepared and go back to pods only. Thats why I still feed several times a day and closely monitor his tummy to make sure he doesnt get thin on me which is a sign that it won't end well for the fish.