Mandarin Emergency

[loans_n_fishes]

This has actually turned into a thread that is probably best to put here.

http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=22023

Anyone have suggestions??


Angela

[Instar]

Angela,
They will eat small live ghost shrimp. You can normally find those around one of the local shops. If the fish don't eat them first, they can live in the tank. You might introduce the ghost shrimp at night and let the mandarin find them in the morning. They will hide from the fish somewhat. A great treat even if there are enough pods.

When feeding the fish, if the current blows the frozen brine around a bit, they will eventually learn to eat that and frozen mysis too. Chances are better if it is NOT garlic drenched.

[loans_n_fishes]

I feed my tank frozen mysis every day. The powerheads blow it around quite a bit, but he doesn't seem interested in it. I also put some dead zooplankton (kent) in there. Not sure whether he is eating it. If he is, it is after some of it settles.

He's been camping out at the pile of rubble/algae that I made yesterday. Hopefully, that will start making a difference soon. If it is helping, when will his belly look fuller?

Until my fuge gets in full swing, I will get some ghost shrimp as you suggested. Do they need to be enriched somehow? Maybe that will do it. If not, I'll send him to a foster home until my fuge is ready to support him.

I would still like to set up a fuge attached to my main tank. Anyone available to take a look at it? (Austin) If I can't get it on the 75, perhaps someone could help me put it on the 40 cube? Then, I'll move him over when it is established.

[pickle311]

contact the guys a reef nutrition, they have some food that Mandarins supposedly love

[loans_n_fishes]

Well, I stopped by "the dome" and got a bag of brine. The ghost shrimp were too big and they don't carry live mysids.

The mandarin is eating them! He is very interested but rather slow about it. I dumped the whole bag in so the other fish wouldn't beat him to them. How long will the shrimp survive in my tank? Should I enrich them somehow?---soak in zooplankton or something?

[apedroza]

hey Angela I posted on the other thread also, but I used to use a couple of those plastic specimen containers pet shops use. I would drill some holes in it fill it with chaeto and rubble and use that as a makeshift fuge. Use to work pretty well if you could seed it with plenty of pods.

[loans_n_fishes]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of doing. Hopefully, that will work until I get my 40 up with the fuge attached.

[DaBird47]

Don't know if you have time left but you might try some of the "Aqua Pods" (or "Pods in a bottle"). They are pods and cheato in a small bottle that you pour onto your live rock or into a fuge... check with your LFS ,...Worked for me...I have Pods everywhere now...hope this helps...

[apedroza]

I fyou need pods I can probably get some for you. My chaeto is crawling with them. I have thinned my chaeto alot lately giving pods to various members so if anyone has extra lmk, but I think I can spare a little.

[loans_n_fishes]

Thanks for the offer! I may take you up on that one of these days.

I just checked out the tank again and I see lots of the tiny white pods playing around in the sand. I saw a couple of bigger guys on the rocks. I have been watching the mandarin and he is continuing to graze. He still looks thin, though. He is not the quickest hunter in the world. :huh Also, I don't see any more of the brine. Is it possible they are hiding out, or are they all dead/eaten?

Do you guys think my mandarin is finding the pods, etc? When will I notice a significant change in belly size? My foxface's belly expands as soon as he has a big meal. Should the mandarin show similar gain?

I wonder when they will start making a protien shake for mandarins? :D

[hobogato]

its probably gonna take a long time to look normal. its stomach is probably shrunken and cant hold much now, so it will take a while for it to stretch back out to normal size.

[loans_n_fishes]

So, do you guys think I probably got it in time? He does seem to be eating ....hopefully he will turn the corner and not go into the light! ;)

[apedroza]

I think as long as he's eating he should be fine. I had one that was very emaciated and it took him forever to get a nice round belly.As long as he's eating he should be fine.

[Richard]

We just got in "Tigger Pods" which are large live red copepods, perfect mandarin size. They would work great and are supposed to breed like other copepods. I'm sure some austin shops are carrying them.

[don-n-sa]

sweet Richard...how much are they

[DaBird47]

I just picked up some of those tiger pods from Richard, those things are jumping around like popcorn :o ...

[reefguy210]

hm, i could use some more pods, since i thinned out my cheato a bit too much.

how much were the pods, and how big was the container or bag they were in?

[loans_n_fishes]

Aquadome just got some in a couple of days ago. I had called to see if they had any. They didn't, but got on the horn and found a supplier within an hour! Anyway, I plan to go pick some up in the next couple of days. I am not sure of the size/cost though.

My mandarin still seems thin, but continues to graze. I have seen more pods lately, so hopefully the population is starting to hold its own. Should he be a lot heavier now? :unsure

[Alamo]

It will take a while, but if you are seeing pods in the tank, thats a good sign that things should be okay, as his appetite slowly grows, that should give the pods a good chance to take hold.. did you do the mini intank fuge DIY style?