Growing food

[MisterTang]

So I became quite attached to the Mandarin Dragonet in the frag tank at Aquaco, and decided that I'd really like one. Now I know that you shouldn't even think about keeping one without some established feeder organisms living in your system. There have been a couple threads lately on growing copepods or brine shrimp, but I don't like these methods because they (apparently) can't grow intra-system. Besides really wanting a Mandarin, I also like the idea of adding an extra layer of 'naturalism' into my system - the whole process of chucking a smelly icecube into my tank just doesn't seem very natural, so I'd like to start growing something that my fish will eat.

 

Since the brine shrimp experiment by another user on here apparently didn't work so well, I'm hoping that someone else will chime in - what live food do you grow in your system, how do you keep it alive, and where did you get it?

[Coral Hind]

What size tank do you have? I would not put a mandarin in a tank unless it was big enough to support an established pod population.

 

My reef tanks have lots of copods and amphipods that came in on the live rocks and also when I got some macro algae from a fellow reefer. If you have an area of the tank that is free from pod predators then the pods will mulitply easily. You could use a hang on refugium. Looking at the tank at night time and you should see them on the glass and rocks. I had a mandarin in a 75 for three years and I never fed him. He just hunted and picked at the rocks all day.

[MisterTang]

What size tank do you have? I would not put a mandarin in a tank unless it was big enough to support an established pod population.

 

My reef tanks have lots of copods and amphipods that came in on the live rocks and also when I got some macro algae from a fellow reefer. If you have an area of the tank that is free from pod predators then the pods will mulitply easily. You could use a hang on refugium. Looking at the tank at night time and you should see them on the glass and rocks. I had a mandarin in a 75 for three years and I never fed him. He just hunted and picked at the rocks all day.

 

75g plus 20g sump. Chamber 1 in the sump used to have little white shrimps that would swim in it, but unfortunately, the little critters didn't survive the move :(. Would the 'pods survive the trip through the return pump?

 

I know that I haven't got any of these in my tank right now, so what's the best way to introduce them? The generosity of members?

[extreme_tooth_decay]

You'll find that opinions differ greatly here.

 

My own opinion is that your population of pods is totally irrelevant. You really need to get a mandarin eating prepared foods (like any other fish). I had a mandarin for years (that got very fat, see pic), and it was because he went crazy for PE mysis. He would come out and actively compete for it whenever I fed my fish.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to put a mandarin in a small or nano tank either. For me, either I can get him eating prepared foods, in which case he will be great, or I can't, in which case he is a goner.

 

just my $.02,

tim

 

 

 

[steveoutlaw]

Most of the pods won't "survive" the trip through the return pump......but that doesn't mean that the fishies won't eat what's left of them.

[MisterTang]

You'll find that opinions differ greatly here.

 

My own opinion is that your population of pods is totally irrelevant. You really need to get a mandarin eating prepared foods (like any other fish). I had a mandarin for years (that got very fat, see pic), and it was because he went crazy for PE mysis. He would come out and actively compete for it whenever I fed my fish.

 

 

Tim,

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you in concept. This then begs the question as how to make the Mandarin eat prepared foods? How long did it take? Did you have to feed him 'pods in the interim?

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Tim,

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you in concept. This then begs the question as how to make the Mandarin eat prepared foods? How long did it take? Did you have to feed him 'pods in the interim?

 

 

In my case, I put him in my display, and would squirt a whole bunch of extra PE mysis near him with a turkey baster when I was feeding my tank. After doing that for a week or so, he took to them. After he was eating PE mysis, he would also pick at formula one usually.

 

I'm sure it's hit or miss. I do think the PE mysis is a big part of it, though. Picky fish seem to like it.

 

Might consider keeping him in a specimen container for a while while you train him to eat. Sadly, in the end, I'm sure it's true that some mandarins just won't be able to be trained to eat prepared foods.

 

tim

Edited July 21, 2008 by extreme_tooth_decay

[NightOwl]

My current mandarin eats prepared foods he made the switch over to prepared foods using a technique similar to the one Tim used. One thing that helped is when I first started getting him to eat prepared food was mixing some live brine in with them. During my feedings I turned off all the pumps as well as I have a lot of flow in the tank. Eventually out of curiosity he would try to eat the brine or mysis and now sometimes even eats ocean nutrition pellets. I soak all food in garlic, zoe, and selcon. I think he has grown to like the garlic flavor as the formula one pellets have some type of garlic in them. The stink but the fish seem to love them. One way to get a good variety is to get some macro algae from other members. Cheto is a great choice! If you have a refugium they can reproduce without predidation and eventually make their way back into the main display. If you decide to get macro algae from people make sure your pod population has reached sustainable levels before introducing a mandarin as they eat all day long. They will slowly starve and it is not a pretty sight to watch.

Edited July 21, 2008 by NightOwl

[jamesbuf]

My Mom has a large ball of chaeto in her main tank, which her scooter blenny hovers around all the time. He's nice and fat now and it definitely reaping the benefits of having the chaeto, and pods that come along with it, inside the display tank.

[MisterTang]

My current mandarin eats prepared foods he made the switch over to prepared foods using a technique similar to the one Tim used. One thing that helped is when I first started getting him to eat prepared food was mixing some live brine in with them. During my feedings I turned off all the pumps as well as I have a lot of flow in the tank. Eventually out of curiosity he would try to eat the brine or mysis and now sometimes even eats ocean nutrition pellets. I soak all food in garlic, zoe, and selcon. I think he has grown to like the garlic flavor as the formula one pellets have some type of garlic in them. The stink but the fish seem to love them. One way to get a good variety is to get some macro algae from other members. Cheto is a great choice! If you have a refugium they can reproduce without predidation and eventually make their way back into the main display. If you decide to get macro algae from people make sure your pod population has reached sustainable levels before introducing a mandarin as they eat all day long. They will slowly starve and it is not a pretty sight to watch.

 

What is your garlic solution comprised of? I hear of people doing this all the time, but read conflicting reports on how 'garlicky' the solution should be.

 

Sadly, in the end, I'm sure it's true that some mandarins just won't be able to be trained to eat prepared foods.

 

Tim, I suspect you're right. It would be nice to be able to buy one from a member getting out of the hobby that has already trained theirs, but I suppose I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled and look for one at an LFS that doesn't look thin already, so he'll live long enough to give it a try.

 

My Mom has a large ball of chaeto in her main tank, which her scooter blenny hovers around all the time. He's nice and fat now and it definitely reaping the benefits of having the chaeto, and pods that come along with it, inside the display tank.

Yes, but how did they get there is my question! Do they just naturally come in on the chaeto? I thought 'pods were really small, so I don't know how to identify a ball of chaeto that also contains 'pods.

[Hilary]

I got chaeto from several members, and most had pods in it. I also "jump started" my HOB when I first set it up by seeding it with pods bought at an LFS and turning off the pump for a couple of hours. Don't know if that was a waste of money, but both fuges are now crawling with them.

[NightOwl]

I have used Seachem Garlic Guard, Kent Garlic Extreme, and my own pressed garlic and have not had any issues with the fish refusing the food. The garlic extreme and pressed garlic have been the worse in regards of smell but the fish ate it none the less.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Thanks