QT mandarin, or straight to DT?

[Gretchacha]

I’m evolving a mixed reef tank that currently has rock, sand, snails, conch, corals, coco worm, rock anemone, pom pom gracilarus macroalgae, phyto, pods, and brine shrimp. A large wild caught mandarin is on his way to me from Alyssa’s Seahorse Savvy next week slong with 2 small brittle stars and more snails. The website claims the fish are prophylacticly dewormed, but I have no details/confirmation of this. I also have established 2.5 g coral QT with macro algae, gravel, and copepods available. The questions are: 1) should I treat the mandarin in any way, 2) should I observe him in the coral QT, 3) start a larger fresh QT, or 4) place him directly in the established DT. He will get some roommates in a few months. I’m concerned about him eating enough and having his space figured out before room mates come. But I am also concerned he could be a carrier of a disease he is immune to or not showing and then QTing the other fish would be futile when I add them.

 

[mjw011689]

I’m not familiar with what medications mandarins can tolerate, but regardless of where you get it from and what the seller says they did, the correct answer will always be quarantine. Is it likely that anything happens if you don’t? Probably not. But there’s no reason to risk it.

That being said a 2.5 g tank is not adequate for a qt. Aside from the fact that mandarins are hunters and would deplete any food source in there within a day, it just leaves you with zero room for error in the tank that is probably going to be the most stressful for the fish.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Straight in the DT .

 

[i cant think]

I’m evolving a mixed reef tank that currently has rock, sand, snails, conch, corals, coco worm, rock anemone, pom pom gracilarus macroalgae, phyto, pods, and brine shrimp. A large wild caught mandarin is on his way to me from Alyssa’s Seahorse Savvy next week slong with 2 small brittle stars and more snails. The website claims the fish are prophylacticly dewormed, but I have no details/confirmation of this. I also have established 2.5 g coral QT with macro algae, gravel, and copepods available. The questions are: 1) should I treat the mandarin in any way, 2) should I observe him in the coral QT, 3) start a larger fresh QT, or 4) place him directly in the established DT. He will get some roommates in a few months. I’m concerned about him eating enough and having his space figured out before room mates come. But I am also concerned he could be a carrier of a disease he is immune to or not showing and then QTing the other fish would be futile when I add them.

I don’t do QT and never have, I personally wouldn’t worry and the reason why is;
Unless you’re QTing everything (Sand, Inverts, Rocks, Corals ect) you will always have disease in your tank. If you want then do observation however most forms of chemical will eradicate a mandarin’s main (and likely only) food source. I don’t like QTing even when working in an LFS unless the fish itself is showing sign of disease and it won’t overcome it. However most healthy fish will overcome a disease.

 

[Gretchacha]

I’m not familiar with what medications mandarins can tolerate, but regardless of where you get it from and what the seller says they did, the correct answer will always be quarantine. Is it likely that anything happens if you don’t? Probably not. But there’s no reason to risk it.

That being said a 2.5 g tank is not adequate for a qt. Aside from the fact that mandarins are hunters and would deplete any food source in there within a day, it just leaves you with zero room for error in the tank that is probably going to be the most stressful for the fish.

My 10g fish QT is in use, so I can’t put the mandarin there for observation. It seems generally recommended to put a mandarin straight into DT for stress and food reasons, and also that they have a thick slime coat unlikely to be diseased and can’t take copper. Everything else in the tank was qt’d, and there are no fish (and never have been since changing to salt water). But in a few months, I will be adding a pair of clowns and royal gramma.

 

[Tamberav]

Did you ask them how long they had the fish in their possession?

When I kept wild mandarins, I did QT them but because it was easier to train them all to take frozen that way.

I would probably just put him in the DT because you could observe him there for a few months before adding fish.. so really the DT and 2.5g are the same... only thing you gain with the 2.5 is not having to fallow the DT if the mandarin had known disease but because of their thick slime coat, there is a decent chance the fish would not show disease anyways regardless of where you put it.

They do not handle copper the best which leaves hypo for ich/flukes (but not velvet).

Can't change it now but the easiest method would to have just bought a captive one direct from Biota. Chances of disease are slim.

 

[Gretchacha]

I appreciate your perspective on this matter. I see the point about him not showing signs of infection no matter where is observed. The only reason I would even consider adding him straight to DT is that there are no other fish, so I can easily fallow the tank without any other treatment if necessary, and he has the highest chances of success there due to lower stress and more food. I akways QT, I don’t always prophylacticly treat. But I always observe and get them eating for 30 days in QT. The idea of straight into DR is scary. (FYI- first saltwater tank but was in freshwater aquascaping and fish breeding for 3 years prior).

Although captive bred was tempting, reading others’ experiences with small fish that aren’t eating prepared foods and die quickly from Biota stock, that didn’t look like a good idea. I thought a big well-fed boy would at least have enough energy stored in him to handle shipping stress and new tank acclimation. That’s why I went with this one.

 

[JGT]

I QTed a mandarin with copper and Prazi. No issues. Fed him frozen brine and Mysis while in QT.

 

[Gretchacha]

Wow! Impressive. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

However most forms of chemical will eradicate a mandarin’s main (and likely only) food source.

Just an fyi, neither copper nor Prazi kill pods. I've chemically QT'd 4 mandarins at this point. The meds do not kill the pods.

 

[Gretchacha]

Just an fyi, neither copper nor Prazi kill pods. I've chemically QT'd 4 mandarins at this point. The meds do not kill the pods.

Oh wow! That surprises me! Does metro kill pods?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

They do not handle copper the best which leaves hypo for ich/flukes (but not velvet).

Have you found this personally? I've seen it said multiple times. Never found it to be true using either Coppersafe or Cupramine.

Oh wow! That surprises me! Does metro kill pods?

Metro is not part of my qt prices so I cannot help you there.

 

[Gretchacha]

Have you found this personally? I've seen it said multiple times. Never found it to be true using either Coppersafe or Cupramine.


Metro is not part of my qt prices so I cannot help you there.

Okay thanks. I also have read, on humble.fish and other sources, that mandarin are sensitive to copper. The seller also does not treat mandarin with copper. It seems that copper is widely believed to not be compatible with mandarins.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Okay thanks. I also have read, on humble.fish and other sources, that mandarin are sensitive to copper. The seller also does not treat mandarin with copper. It seems that copper is widely believed to not be compatible with mandarins.

Hence my questions. I've read this everywhere for years as well.

In practice,I have not found it to be true. I like getting others experiences as well.