ora mandarins

[sachabballi reef]

did ORA stop breeding their mandarins?

 

I can't seem to locate any :(

[YHSublime]

Yes. Vince and Steve told me it was over a year ago. I was looking for ORA with a hope it would take to frozen. Petland sometimes gets them (not ORA) but eating frozen/mysis.

[sachabballi reef]

crud. I really wanted a pair of these

 

[Marc Weaver]

I have had two ORA and two wild caught mandarins.  The two I had bought that were from ORA acted like they were too dumb to even feed at all and eventually died (on 2 separate occasions.)  It's almost like their drive to eat was not there.  I wonder if since they are tank-bred in a specialized environment they get too "domesticated" for even a reef tank??  The 2 wild ones adapted quickly to frozen foods and are still doing well today.

[Quantum Aquaria]

Yep.  They indicated that the cost to care and breed them didn't justify what they were selling them for and that they couldn't compete with the availability and cost of the wild caught ones.  They then focused on breeding the greeen spot mandarin, but even those have been on and off on the stocklist and availability.  I spoke to them last week and they indicated that they "might" reattempt breeding their stock again, but not date as to when.  We were lucky enough to get 1 green spot out of them for our store opening. 

 

In our experience, mandarins are very particular and wild caught or not, they are the same... although the tank bred ones are healthier, a change in environment will cause a mandarin to suddenly forget how to eat.  It just takes time and care to ensure they eat frozen... which is why they are listed in the difficult or advanced category

[sachabballi reef]

ironically i wasn't as worried about them being tank bred and eating frozen as I was to how they look...lol...I wanted this pattern vs the usual suspects I see everywhere...I have always had great success with this fish and would like to try a pair this time...

 

now where to find them....

[Huly]

ironically i wasn't as worried about them being tank bred and eating frozen as I was to how they look...lol...I wanted this pattern vs the usual suspects I see everywhere...I have always had great success with this fish and would like to try a pair this time...

 

now where to find them....

Yeah I was going to get a female in the ORA order but sadly they stopped per MBVette :(  I was hoping from ORA it would be healthier but they are looking for me a good female for our boy.

[Integral9]

Yep.  They indicated that the cost to care and breed them didn't justify what they were selling them for and that they couldn't compete with the availability and cost of the wild caught ones.  They then focused on breeding the greeen spot mandarin, but even those have been on and off on the stocklist and availability.  I spoke to them last week and they indicated that they "might" reattempt breeding their stock again, but not date as to when.  We were lucky enough to get 1 green spot out of them for our store opening. 

That makes me sad. 

[sachabballi reef]

sigh...i am so sad....

[YHSublime]

ironically i wasn't as worried about them being tank bred and eating frozen as I was to how they look...lol...I wanted this pattern vs the usual suspects I see everywhere...I have always had great success with this fish and would like to try a pair this time...

 

now where to find them....

Mine came from Petland before she went carpet surfing (chased out by a now gone pissed off lemon chromis.) was not eating frozen in store, as claimed (I asked to see her eat) however, she was eating frozen after a few weeks of carefully and artfully placed small pieces. Worth checking out.

[YHSublime]

Oh, different colors though, sorry, just re read.

[sachabballi reef]

yep...but thanks...

i guess I need to let that dream go....

 

will ask the LFS around here to hook me up with a pair of the typical ones...