moovinfast Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 So I think Im going to pick up a spotted mandarin tomorrow and try out our QT tank. Its a 10 gallon that I turned into a AIO tank. Has a false wall at one end with the heater, return pump, and a ball of cheato. Tank also has 1-2 inches of sand and I made a foam/rock wall with LRR. Was also going to put in some PVC pipes for him to hide in. My question is what do I feed him while he is in the QT tank? I want to get him to eat frozen prepared foods before he goes into the main tank. Do I need to set up a seperate copepod breeding tank and phytoplankton grow out bottles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapture Rabbit Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Frozen copepods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason7504 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 well i wouldn't keep it in a QT tank for too long or at all since it will starve in a relatively short time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltfinsax Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Do Mandarin's need to be put in a QT? Being they have skin and not scales? I thought most stuff never bugged them. I could be way off base on this but might check into it. save alot of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Steve, you are correct, mandarin's, because of their mucous covered skin, do not need to be QT'd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcoralfarm Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I would recommend setting up a copepod breeding system. THese guys will not normally go to frozen foods and can starve quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciao Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Talk to Garrett. He's had good success in getting them to eat frozen food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonH Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I kept a copepod-only eating mandarin in a 29gal successfully for a couple years (YMMV) - he is now living in Undertakers tank. Now, here's the important part... I believe the key to success was this: When I bought the $20 fish (actually before to prepare) I also bought a $100 hang-on-back refugium. I put a little sand and a bunch of live rock rubble in the refugium. The refugium acted as a copepod breeding ground. I have read that 90% of copepods are killed by the impeller when they pass through a pump in a typical under-tank refugium setup. Since the HOB refugium was gravity fed back into the display, it provided ample copepods and my mandarin stayed fat and happy. I kept a close eye on him for any sign of starvation. And when I had a problem with my HOB refugium, I was very quick to give him away. In 2-3 years, he never once even glanced at prepared food (mostly rods). So, if you don't have a HOB refugium, I would recommend building an area somewhere in your tank that the mandarin can't get to and stacking/piling live rock rubble to create a copepod breeding ground where they are safe from the mandarin. I've heard of people using strawberry baskets to shield the rocks. They are absolutely gorgeous creatures, and I understand why people want them and risk getting them, but they do have a terrible track record for taking prepared foods, and can quickly deplete the pod populations in tanks less than 80+ (maybe 100+) gallons. Oh, and as others have mentioned, no need to QT as they don't carry ich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I kept a spotted mandarin in a 29gal for about a year until it jumped. She was fat n happy. I used the mandarin diner trick that melev suggests and got her eating frozen foods. Very good looking fish!! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
culp686 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 mandarin We have had our mandarin dragonet now for 2 months. Hes in a 16 gal tank thats been running for 6 years. He has learned from our engineer goby to eat bio blend pellets and frozen mysis shrimp. Don't know if we got lucky but when the food goes in they both come out to eat at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCityAquarium Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I hatch a pinch of baby brine shrimp in a small cup every day, they hatch in 12 hours. I then mix with frozen brine and frozen coral food mix. Slowly ween them off the live food, over a couple of weeks. I have had great success this way. Mandarins can definitely get ich, I have seen them covered in it before, although not very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonH Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I hatch a pinch of baby brine shrimp in a small cup every day' date=' they hatch in 12 hours. I then mix with frozen brine and frozen coral food mix. Slowly ween them off the live food, over a couple of weeks. I have had great success this way. [/quote'] Sweet! When the time comes, I know where I'll get my next mandarin (clap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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