Mandarins wise up.....

[Mr Cob]

I'm happy to say that my female Mandarin finally started eating frozen food today (Cyclops). She has been coming out in the open frequently while the male spends his time in the darker areas of the tank feeding on the pods.

I purchased both of them about two months ago and they have only been eating the live stuff but I've been trying to get them to take frozen food should my pod population ever decrease. I'm waiting on the male now. My female is pretty cool...she has a big blue splotch over her eye.

Also...

I have a penguin dual HOB power filter that I run carbon in from time to time and I filled each of the media baskets up with live rock rubble to hopefully keep a steady stock of amphipods and I checked it out today and that thing is LOADED with pods!!! I have it hidden by my reef since the rocks go to the top of the tank...but If anyone is looking at increasing their pod population naturally....it works great. (note: I removed the bio wheels also).

I have a sump too with macro algae and a nice pod population but have a reverse light cycle so I think the population is a bit slower with light. The filter is in the dark ALL the time and it seems to produce a ton of pods.

[SABOB]

Need pics to verify.Please post pics of Mandarins!!!!

[crabman]

i'm trying to get my mandarin to read this post, hopefully she'll understand. i might just have your's call mine and talk to her. seriously though thats sweet!

[Mr Cob]

i'm trying to get my mandarin to read this post, hopefully she'll understand. i might just have your's call mine and talk to her. seriously though thats sweet!

I know right. It's every mandarin owner's dream. Eat frozen food for saftey!!!

[quoteNeed pics to verify.Please post pics of Mandarins!!!!quote]

LOL! Don't you hate when there's something of interest with no darn pics! Sorry. Next time.

[fjr_wertheimber]

You should see Zcatzmeow's male mandarin, Beemer. That guy eats EVERYTHING. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. Hell, he's actually the LEAST picky eater in her tank.

[Mr Cob]

You should see Zcatzmeow's male mandarin, Beemer. That guy eats EVERYTHING. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. Hell, he's actually the LEAST picky eater in her tank.

Doesn't get any better than that! Can her mandarin give a workshop for ours?

[zcatzmeow]

I'm happy to say that my female Mandarin finally started eating frozen food today (Cyclops). She has been coming out in the open frequently while the male spends his time in the darker areas of the tank feeding on the pods.

I purchased both of them about two months ago and they have only been eating the live stuff but I've been trying to get them to take frozen food should my pod population ever decrease. I'm waiting on the male now. My female is pretty cool...she has a big blue splotch over her eye.

Also...

I have a penguin dual HOB power filter that I run carbon in from time to time and I filled each of the media baskets up with live rock rubble to hopefully keep a steady stock of amphipods and I checked it out today and that thing is LOADED with pods!!! I have it hidden by my reef since the rocks go to the top of the tank...but If anyone is looking at increasing their pod population naturally....it works great. (note: I removed the bio wheels also).

I have a sump too with macro algae and a nice pod population but have a reverse light cycle so I think the population is a bit slower with light. The filter is in the dark ALL the time and it seems to produce a ton of pods.

Woohoo!!!

What type of frozen cyclops is it? I have some "frozen" but it's in a little pump bottle. I haven't seen my mandarin eating it yet, but those little cyclops are hard to keep an eye on. Cyclops is a great nutritional food!

Filters will totally get a ton of pods, either in the rubble (thus reasoning behind building pod piles in your tank) or even in mechanical filtration. My guys love the standard blue/white filter floss....but it's so hard to get them out of it should you need to clean it or something

[zcatzmeow]

Doesn't get any better than that! Can her mandarin give a workshop for ours?

Well, ATM Beemer is booked with a full time teaching position in tank. I picked up a small female a couple weeks ago and she's not doing well with live or frozen. Beemer is currently employing the "Watch Me" method of teaching. Let's hope it works!

[zcatzmeow]

You should see Zcatzmeow's male mandarin, Beemer. That guy eats EVERYTHING. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. Hell, he's actually the LEAST picky eater in her tank.

I'm convinced it's luck of the draw. I haven't tried to teach him to any of these foods.

- live brine
- frozen brine
- frozen mysis (little ones)
- frozen bloodworms (Beemer's version of spaghetti)
- frozen PE mysis (the big ones)
- and one verified instance of him attacking and eating a live ghost shrimp (scared the heck out of me, couldn't tell who was winning, lol)

[Mr Cob]

Woohoo!!!

What type of frozen cyclops is it? I have some "frozen" but it's in a little pump bottle. I haven't seen my mandarin eating it yet, but those little cyclops are hard to keep an eye on. Cyclops is a great nutritional food!

Filters will totally get a ton of pods, either in the rubble (thus reasoning behind building pod piles in your tank) or even in mechanical filtration. My guys love the standard blue/white filter floss....but it's so hard to get them out of it should you need to clean it or something

The cyclops are frozen cubes...super tiny...she slurps them right up but only the ones that are moving from the koralias.

I took all the filter media out of the mechanical filter and occasionally i'll see a pod or two get shot through the spout and into the tank. Just have live rock rubble in the baskets.