Green Mandarin

[Brownbear88]

Was think about getting one of these guys but my tank has only been up 4-1/2 months, any thoughts? Or know we're I can find one who eats more then just pods? I have a 36 gallon bowfront with 2 clowns and a royal gramma. Lemme know y'all!!! Tanks!

[allan]

Need to make sure you've a burgeoning pod population. Those mandarins, if they ignore prepared foods, eat only pods... And they eat all of the time!

Better chances getting a spotted mandarins to eat prepared foods.

[Scutterborn]

Fo sho ^

ORA mandarins are already trained on prepared foods. I read a study before I got one. It stated a mortality rate of approximately 10% when not trained.


- Ben -

[Big_Pun]

the Ora ones are not as great as they are hyped up. Emily and have owned two and both didn't eat anything once in a reef. we tried pellets ora recommended, Ova, and all kinds of frozen.

[Milly]

I have had my green mandarin for about 5 months in a 20L Wild caught. He eats frozen food just fine

[Big_Pun]

yup like milly better luck with wild caught.

[CoryDude]

Unless your tank is packed with live rock and/or run a refugium, I'd stay away from them.

[allan]

To do anything less is irresponsible. I've had one in my 190 for about a year, but swapping over to a new tank with the old rock diminished his food supply significantly. He lasted about four months.

Hoping that they will eat is a roll of the dice. I've had two... And a scooter Benny... None of the three ever ate anything I put into the tank.

I want to get another, but won't be until around next summer to ensure a stable pod pop to sustain it.

[allan]

Unless your tank is packed with live rock and/or run a refugium, I'd stay away from them.

+1

[LuckySingh]

i been wanted to get one also for my large display tank but always scared if i can keep em alive....i can easily keep up with my pods population but hate to get a fish that feeds on her own rather me feeding her...kinda like hit and miss situation..
+1 on what chris said i read quite a bit stuff over the months that ORA mandrines r quite more sensitive than wild caught...atleast u know if u hve tank full of live pods wild caught will sure feed on em..

[Ms_Big_Pun]

Like Chris mentioned, I had an ORA one (and I forgot to say something at MACNA to them) and it eventually died. He was not the only pod eater in my tank as I have a Hector Goby, pipefish, a scooter blenny and a wrasse. I try to dump 1/2 to 1 bottle of tigger pods monthly into my 20 gallon. I can tell when my pod population dies down because my pipefish will be much more active. My tank also likes Ova and bloodworms and my picky eaters will eat some of the two as well.

[Brownbear88]

i have also done a lot of reading and still am a little unsure. its a 36 gallon tank with 50+ lbs of Live rock but still. is there a way to know if you have a large enough pod population? if i have to feed him his own food thats not a problem, i pay a lot ( almost to much ) attention to my tank so that wouldn't be a problem. i donno any more thoughts/suggestions ?

[Scutterborn]

Dude, my 28g nanocube looked like a snow globe because o pods before my mandarin. Couldn't find one pod a week later. They hunt ALL DAY LONG.


- Ben -

[Ms_Big_Pun]

i have also done a lot of reading and still am a little unsure. its a 36 gallon tank with 50+ lbs of Live rock but still. is there a way to know if you have a large enough pod population? if i have to feed him his own food thats not a problem, i pay a lot ( almost to much ) attention to my tank so that wouldn't be a problem. i donno any more thoughts/suggestions ?

I would say dumping a bottle of pods monthly would be pretty good for one mandarin. Like Ben said, they hunt all day long. You might not see them for hours at a time because they are perched in a rock just picking away at pods. Chris and I can tell when the tank is running low because ours will be much more active and we will see her more often. Ours was wild caught and she does, as far as I can tell, pick at some frozen food.

[Brownbear88]

Well fingers crossed got the guy and some pods yesterday and after about 45 min he was happily eating so we will see, don't mind if I have to buy him his own food, coolest fish I've ever seen

[Brownbear88]

16868
sorry i cant get a better one but here is a pic of the guy

[allan]

By far an awesome fish. I kept one for years without adding pods.

But like Emily said earlier, you see him swimming up high and looking around, it's time to put in some pods.

Check with the others but I would wait until night after the lights are out, turn off the pumps and pour it in. Give it a bit o time to ensure the bugs get down into the rock work. Idealistically you want a sustainable population. I think I did this by feeding heavily and placing rubble rock piles here and there (out of sight) that allowed the pods to grow unmolested until over population forces them out of those areas where they can't hide from the mandarin.


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