Huly September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 We have a pair of Mandarins and well the male over the last year has gotten huge! We added the female June 13 2013. She looks like she has grown some but she still looks very small. We just added 2 bottles of Tisbe pods last weekend and try to add pods once a month just for saftey but is it normal for females to grow slower or stay smaller? We see her eating and hunting and she looks overall healthy but at the same time we are nervous with her small stature. Is there anything else we should be looking for or looking at? Anything specific we should do? Does she look thin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 Huly the problem is that your Male is a hulk so you are losing perspective in size I think. She doesn't look thin but she doesn't look like your male either. That was a small fish when you got her. As long as you see her pecking every ten seconds and you see pods in your tank she should be ok....but your male is out eating her at a fast pace so you are going to have to be sure that there is always sufficient time for regeneration in your tank....I can't remember what you have in there still..the wrasse is gone? Or is it still in there also eating pods? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly September 23, 2013 Author Share September 23, 2013 Huly the problem is that your Male is a hulk so you are losing perspective in size I think. She doesn't look thin but she doesn't look like your male either. That was a small fish when you got her. As long as you see her pecking every ten seconds and you see pods in your tank she should be ok....but your male is out eating her at a fast pace so you are going to have to be sure that there is always sufficient time for regeneration in your tank....I can't remember what you have in there still..the wrasse is gone? Or is it still in there also eating pods? Yeah that is what I was thinking but better safe than sorry! The male will also eat live brine but they female will not. No we lost the wrasse (that weird ulcer and was refunded by LFS) so the only two pod eaters are the mandarins. Pez and I are either blind or lack the sight of pods in our tank. We have never been able to see them properly. I have heard a magnifying glass helps but I need to get one. I regularly have mom and dad bring trigger pods and we grab the Tisbe when we can find them but I often wonder if those bags are empty as I see nothing in them but green algae. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 (edited) LOL i stick the tisbees in my tank once a month for my pair as well....and i always feel like somewhere at the tisbee factory someone is getting a good laugh at my expense...so I totally get it LOL.... For me I see amphipods all over my rocks and sand and glass when the lights are off....they run around like crazy bugs scurrying everywhere...so since I can see them I know they are regenerating and there must be all sizes in there for the pair. Plus my female is preggo again and I have to assume they wouldn't keep doing that if she wasn't getting enough to eat....but I think I worry about those two fish as much as I do my kids....in hind sight I wouldn't get them again...I am too worried about them all the time LOL..... Yeah that is what I was thinking but better safe than sorry! The male will also eat live brine but they female will not. No we lost the wrasse (that weird ulcer and was refunded by LFS) so the only two pod eaters are the mandarins. Pez and I are either blind or lack the sight of pods in our tank. We have never been able to see them properly. I have heard a magnifying glass helps but I need to get one. I regularly have mom and dad bring trigger pods and we grab the Tisbe when we can find them but I often wonder if those bags are empty as I see nothing in them but green algae. LOL Edited September 23, 2013 by sachabballi reef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly September 23, 2013 Author Share September 23, 2013 (edited) I understand 100% I think it is the horror stories we hear about them that are constantly in our head! See I do not see amphipods (i use to the large ones) but I do not see those anymore and I guess that also leads to my fear. Edited September 23, 2013 by Huly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 Easy enough to stock up though!!! Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly September 23, 2013 Author Share September 23, 2013 Easy enough to stock up though!!! Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 True very true! Maybe I need to do that. I think I am freaked over nothing but looking at the boy compared to the girl is just shocking! Next time you are by stop by and see what you think Jenn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 Jenn, do you buy and dump in amphipods for yours? If so, which ones? The algagen tangerine pods sound like they take a long acclimation period before dumping in if you want them to culture and survive in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly September 23, 2013 Author Share September 23, 2013 Jenn, do you buy and dump in amphipods for yours? If so, which ones? The algagen tangerine pods sound like they take a long acclimation period before dumping in if you want them to culture and survive in the tank. Never thought about that. Good point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 Lol huly you introduced Kelly Ripa to Shaq....I don't think they will ever even out I'll stop over this week and take a look Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova26 September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 My female mandarin is also a lot smaller then the male. They still mate and she releases eggs often. My guess is that if they are mating they are probably healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 The males are larger, here are my current breeding pair, the male is much larger. Here they are spawning, this female was a tiny baby when I put her in but has grown quite a bit. Not as large as the male though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 (edited) paul after they release their eggs do the rest of your fish just eat them or have you ever seen them hatch or anything? Mine is spawning for the second time but I never find anything Edited September 23, 2013 by sachabballi reef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 pretend you are paul- go to the beach and flip over some rocks in low tide, scoop up the mud, drop in tank, voila! instant pods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmatte September 23, 2013 Share September 23, 2013 Wow, Paul taught his Copperband how to clean his Mandarin........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 24, 2013 Share September 24, 2013 i think the copperband wants to eat the mandys...its sick of sharing the buffet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly September 24, 2013 Author Share September 24, 2013 Thank you so much everyone! I figured I might just be paranoid and it looks that way esp from Paul's photos. I have not been able to get a photo of my two together recently they always split up when I grab a camera. LOL I guess since there are so many horror stories about these fish it just always sticks in your head. I love my two and they are super easy fish if you do not let your mind get the best of you. I will look into get some more amphipods and other pods just to ease my mind and over stock my tank LOL. Hey Jenn (did not get photo of it as it happened too quick) but during feeding last night Homer had one end of a chunck of Roggers and the Tomini had the other. They were eating it like the spaghetti in Lady and the Tramp. That's Amore LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef September 24, 2013 Share September 24, 2013 Thank you so much everyone! I figured I might just be paranoid and it looks that way esp from Paul's photos. I have not been able to get a photo of my two together recently they always split up when I grab a camera. LOL I guess since there are so many horror stories about these fish it just always sticks in your head. I love my two and they are super easy fish if you do not let your mind get the best of you. I will look into get some more amphipods and other pods just to ease my mind and over stock my tank LOL. Hey Jenn (did not get photo of it as it happened too quick) but during feeding last night Homer had one end of a chunck of Roggers and the Tomini had the other. They were eating it like the spaghetti in Lady and the Tramp. That's Amore LOL Thats hysterical!!!! Lately that has been mine with blood worms....I forgot about them in the bottom of the freezer and just started rotating them in again and its causing a rucus in the tank....total feeding frenzy for some reason....and when they each grab an end and start eating I end up with what should be amore but turn into a battle for the food LOL.... how is your tomini? Mine isn't shy in the least anymore...but I was worried for a bit that everytime he sensed me coming he was going to dart for the caves...but he seems to be over it....such an awesome fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huly September 24, 2013 Author Share September 24, 2013 LOL Still a little shy but not when it is dinner time LOL. Honestly I think he just likes the back of the tank LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b September 24, 2013 Share September 24, 2013 (edited) The eggs hatch, (I guess) but in my 100 gallon tank that is filled with rocks and corals, I don't see any babies as they are this big -------> . <-------- They spawn early in the morning so I don't usually watch them spawn. Here is a video of them eating some baby brine out of the feeder. The copperband is a hog and is not supposed to be there as he has a supply of worms that he eats but he is friends with the mandarins, scooter bleenies and pipefish so they let him slide. Edited September 24, 2013 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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