Manderin Feeding Info Required Plz.

[lotuskid]

I know they mostly eat live food, and my tank has what i can only describe as an infestation of very small shrimp and pods which she is quite happily hunting.

The question i'm looking for an answer to is about supplemental food. I know bloodworm isn't a marine food but she seemed happy to eat a few defrosted bloodworm that were offered. So can anyone say what the nutritional values of bloodworm are?

It's good that she'll take frozen food but i don't wanna make her ill if it's not good for her.

Thanks.
Tony.

 

[Nolapete]

I've never heard of feeding a mandarin bloodworms, but I couldn't see why it would hurt. It's protein just like the pods. Just make sure to only supplement with them and that she continues hunting pods.

 

[darkcirca]

Actually I was looking at purchasing a new mandarin as the last one I got was sick and completely vanished in a day. The person I was going to purchase from has one that actually eats bloodworms and frozen mysis, and some other stuff, guess they can live it.

 

[5xevy]

I've had these bookmarked a while now:

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandarins.htm

http://joshday.com/mandaringoby.htm

Hopefully they'll help.

 

[Fishieness]

mine will pick at bloodworms. then i would feed bloodworms the same time id feed frozen mysis out of the same little pipette. she eventualy got used to the pipette and started eating frozen mysis. the hard part, however, is keep the clownfish away. lol. she isnt agressive enough where i woudl say shed be able to live entirely off them, but she is eating them. i woudl definatly try some mysis over the bloodworms. the bloodworms do not come from the mandarins habitat and do not contain all the amino acids necessary, necessarily. but some mysis with some selecon would be awesome. or even some bloodworms with some selecon.

 

[blockamon]

I would worry that the bloodworms don't have enough marine fats and amino acids. If he will eat frozen, I'd recommend PE mysis. Reef Nutrition Arcti-Pods are also an option.

 

[lotuskid]

Thanks for the great info and links.
I found out she seems interested in frozen foods when they move across the sand in the current. Guessin she thinks it's alive so she eats it. She even investigated a bit of marine flake and almost took it. Might try hatching some brine shrimp and see if she likes those.

 

[~Bella~]

Mine seems to be doing fine on frozen Mysis...Is that a Boxer? ( your avatar )

 

[ricsreef]

If your tank is loaded with pods.I would'nt recommend feeding it "unless" it's eating them faster than your pods will reproduce.Reason being you only need to feed what is absolutely necessary to feed.Adding extra food will more time than not spike nitrates very quickly.I haft to jump off the subject for a second and say.(BOXERS DO IT BETTER!!!)I had to say that.I have two of my own.Mandarins will eat alot of different foods provided it's small enough to get in it's mouth.Check out the links 5xevy has posted.

 

[Germanman]

mine will eat mysis, brine, and blood worms, i would try to get it on mysis but there is nothing wrong with blood worms. i feed one cube of it a day to my reef in the morning feeding. add that with a live culture of pods or mysis and ur set.