Mandarin troubles

[clownfish_reefer]

My mandarin has been in a breeder box for about week in attempts to get it to eat frozen food, although no success yet. I have tried frozen baby brine, frozen cyclopods, and blood worms. I mixed these in along with some live tigger pods but it seems to just pick the pods off and ignore everything else. I’ve only seen it eat frozen blood worms once. Today I even got some live brine but it still prefers the pods. My question to everyone is should I just try to give it to an lfs or still continue trying with it?

 

[edsbeaker]

It’s wonderful that you are thinking about the welfare of this animal.

Wild mandarins are extremely hard to get to eat frozen. They totally rely on pods. If you are not able to supply enough pods for him, he will sadly starve to death. It is probably best to give him to someone that can give him the care he needs.

 

[littleminnnow]

You can keep pods in a small jar with an airstone and spriulina powder!

 

[clownfish_reefer]

It’s wonderful that you are thinking about the welfare of this animal.

Wild mandarins are extremely hard to get to eat frozen. They totally rely on pods. If you are not able to supply enough pods for him, he will sadly starve to death. It is probably best to give him to someone that can give him the care he needs.

I think if it continues like this I might have to give it up. I do wish the best for it that’s why I’m trying so much with it but it is very difficult to get to eat anything else. Probably for the best.

 

[clownfish_reefer]

You can keep pods in a small jar with an airstone and spriulina powder!

Would I have to keep buying pods? I have looked into culturing them but lfs said that it’s very difficult. Buying pods nonstop does cost a lot in the long run.

 

[edsbeaker]

You could do that, but I think they go through thousands a day. They continue eating every minute of the day. All they do is hunt for pods.
If the tank is big enough, though, you could try to establish a pod population, but that takes time. It’s the kind of thing that is better to do before you get the Mandarin.

 

[clownfish_reefer]

You could do that, but I think they go through thousands a day. They continue eating every minute of the day. All they do is hunt for pods.
If the tank is big enough, though, you could try to establish a pod population, but that takes time. It’s the kind of thing that is better to do before you get the Mandarin.

Before I had seen some pods on my glass but I think the mandarin made quick work of them. Establishing a better population is something I wish I did before hand looking back on it.

 

[edsbeaker]

If your tank is big enough, I’m thinking 40 gallons or more, you can always work on getting a good pod population going that can sustain itself long term, with enough pods to keep a mandarin fat and healthy in the future. I’m thinking of finally trying one myself.

 

[clownfish_reefer]

If your tank is big enough, I’m thinking 40 gallons or more, you can always work on getting a good pod population going that can sustain itself long term, with enough pods to keep a mandarin fat and healthy in the future. I’m thinking of finally trying one myself.

Correct I have a 45 gallon. I think that’s something I will do if I get rid of the one I have right now and get another one. If you’re planning on getting one I highly recommend getting one trained on frozen it’s a life changer! Ask to see if it’s eating in store if you buy it in person.

 

[towels]

I’ve been using the printed reef mandarin feeder with frozen baby brine during qt since there are no pods. It works great. There a diys of the same style feeder in the event you want to get one going asap

Try the baby brine and a bit of frozen brine and they’ll hopefully starting taking chomps at it

 

[edsbeaker]

Correct I have a 45 gallon. I think that’s something I will do if I get rid of the one I have right now and get another one. If you’re planning on getting one I highly recommend getting one trained on frozen it’s a life changer! Ask to see if it’s eating in store if you buy it in person.

This unfortunately is not really the case. There has been a lot of cases of Mandarins supposedly trained to frozen starving to death due to there need to continually need to feed all day long. They also have a lot of trouble competing with other fish at feeding time because they are slower eaters, and the food is gone before they get anything substantial. One more thing, many revert to eating only pods again and refuse the frozen, and starve.

The safest bet is to buy the tank bred ones from Biota. They have never had pods and have grown up only on frozen or pellets, but even they sometimes starve.

 

[clownfish_reefer]

I’ve been using the printed reef mandarin feeder with frozen baby brine during qt since there are no pods. It works great. There a diys of the same style feeder in the event you want to get one going asap

Try the baby brine and a bit of frozen brine and they’ll hopefully starting taking chomps at it

Will keep trying with the baby brine mixed with pods hopefully I get a reaction out of it. I’m thinking of just giving this one away for the better of it and getting a captive bred one/one that’s already trained on frozen.

 

[edsbeaker]

I’ve been using the printed reef mandarin feeder with frozen baby brine during qt since there are no pods. It works great. There a diys of the same style feeder in the event you want to get one going asap

Try the baby brine and a bit of frozen brine and they’ll hopefully starting taking chomps at it

The cases of failure totally outweigh the success stories. It may work short term, and when alone in QT, but chances are that this will fail when they are released into a tank and they can’t get enough to eat because of competition or the fact that they eat all day long. The majority of Wild caught Mandarins will starve without pods. If you want to increase your odds get a tank bred Mandarin.

 

[clownfish_reefer]

This unfortunately is not really the case. There has been a lot of cases of Mandarins supposedly trained to frozen starving to death due to there need to continually need to feed all day long. They also have a lot of trouble competing with other fish at feeding time because they are slower eaters, and the food is gone before they get anything substantial. One more thing, many revert to eating only pods again and refuse the frozen, and starve.

The safest bet is to buy the tank bred ones from Biota. They have never had pods and have grown up only on frozen or pellets, but even they sometimes starve.

I’ve read that in order to keep them fat with frozen you need multiple feedings a day. You are right about the competition for food/them randomly stopping eating frozen and just sticking to pods. Seems like you just have to get lucky with the specific fish you get.

 

[towels]

The cases of failure totally outweigh the success stories. It may work short term, and when alone in QT, but chances are that this will fail when they are released into a tank and they can’t get enough to eat because of competition or the fact that they eat all day long. The majority of Wild caught Mandarins will starve without pods. If you want to increase your odds get a tank bred Mandarin.

I agree. I went with a biota pair for this reason and they're getting nice and chonky. My dt that awaits them is full of pods

 

[edsbeaker]

I agree. I went with a biota pair for this reason and they're getting nice and chonky. My dt that awaits them is full of pods

That’s great that you got yours from Biota. They have a much better chance of survival. Good luck with them.
I’m hoping to get one or a pair in my 170 Gallon, put sadly I can’t find even one pod. I think all this dipping of corals these days, and using dry rock takes its toll on trying to get a pod population established.