The Mandarin Fish Thread

How much live rock do you have? Mandarins need tons of live rock, or they'll starve to death.

My brother tried a manderine in a 50 gallon tank and just couldn't make it work due to lack of food. I believe that you will need to have an external source of live food available for this variety of fish. So factor in that cost as well.

i had a mandarin live a little over a year in my 135. i had plenty of pods and none of the tangs bothered him, neither did the clowns. i found him dead one day, he was in a big snail shell that had a hole in it. his little flag pole fin was stuck in the hole and he couldnt get out. :sad:

Mandarins will be very iffy in a 40.

Must have an external source of pods and you can't have any pod competitors like a 6-line, for example.

You can supplement pods externally ($$$). A large refugium with plenty more LR and macro will almost certainly be required. Also try a pod condo by smashing up some LR then putting a salad strainer or something similar on top to protect the breeding bugs. Also wait until everything is well established (+1 year at least).

mandarin

HI There

I have had a mandarin in my tank for ten months now.

To be quite honest my mum bought it for me as a birthday present and belive me i have learnt the hard way not to let anyone buy you fish for a present.

Anyway he is doing really great he shares the tank with tangs and even a trigger among many other fish,Its a 90 gallon tank and i think although i have only had marines for a year now, while you have to be carefull "luck" has alot to do with it.
I mean the write up in marine books on Mandarin fish is they should be left in the sea were they belong as they have a dismal survival record.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Mike

We have Mandarins at my work all the time and because of their special need i personally take cair of them. first things first dont leave the store with one untill you see it eat.(frozen food at best). so the ones we have at our store are with other mandarins target and green, as well as scooter dragonets(blennys) and sea horses and pipefish. theyall get along and i feed them twice a day with fozen misis shrimp and brine. i also add kent garlic xtreme to the food to boost their immune system. in my tank at home my mandarin regulary hids but is eager to come out and eat frozen food off the sand and rock. i target feed all my fish to reduce polution and to make sure they all eat. i also have a refugum to help keep up the pod comunity. lol i think my sae horse is hungry hes staring at me from the tank. ...anyway i also turn off the filter when i feed so the food doesnt get moved from when i feed the fish. fish learn quick where to come to eat, its good to train them!