How to train your dragonet :)

[WishNewFish]

Hi,

 

I currently have a mandarin dragonet in my QT, he arrived fine and active.

 

I want to find out from experienced reefers how they trained their mandarin to eat pellets.

Mine doesn't even eat live food forget pellets or frozen food.

 

When mine arrived, he was active and moving around and his belly was not that hollow -

I started with frozen mysis shrimp with selecon and garlic but it didnt attract the mandarin.

I use capelin roe to no avail.

The only thing he is marginally eating are trigger pods, that too not eagerly hunting them, eating them slowly even if they are swimming right in front of his mouth he doesnt eat trigger pods right away.

 

I used live brine shrimp and live bloodworms too but he doesn't eat them.

I have housed him into a small .5 gallon refugium so his food will be all around him. That didn't seem like its making him hungry.

 

Any tips?

Edited March 31, 2016 by WishNewFish

[Bruleyii]

Keep in mind they have really tiny mouths. I've heard a lot of people stop trying to get them to froze or pellet and setup a feeder for baby brine. Paul shows how he has his in his thread. You might want to check that out.

[Bruleyii]

I think he starts talking about his feeder here

[Squishie89]

I find mandarins and pipefish prefer tisbe copepods. The tigger pods are a bit big.

[paul b]

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

[Bruleyii]

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/diy-target-feeder-mandarinfish-pipefish-2804/

 

There we go. Even better.