Chubster The New Mandarin--Dead.

ReefSparky · 02-21-2008, 02:57 PM

Well, I have no clue what the problem was. As some of you have read; Chubster was a brand new spotted mandarin addition. He was purchased on Feb. 15. He was eating great at the store, and in my tank too. Within 15 seconds of adding him to the tank, he was wolfing down 'pods.

The only thing I found strange was he was a swimmer. I have no experience with mandarins, but I read up on them real well before buying one. I know they require 'pods. I also know from experience in seeing them that they tend to be bottom dwellers.

Well my Chubster was always eating. He never appeared stressed. My other inhabitants are two banggai cardinals, a skunk shrimp and a modest cleanup crew of a few nassarius, blue legged hermits, and cerith snails. I own two corals, a mushroom and zoa-covered rock. They look fantastic. The mushrooms are already growing and reproducing, even. All in all, the tank continues to do very well.

My water quality is great. Ca is about 450; Alk is 11.2, no ammonia nitrates or nitrites. pH is spot on at 8.4.

Maybe somebody with more experience with mandarins can tell me if they ever swim. Chubster swam quite often. When he swam, he never appeared stressed. He seemed to like "riding the waves" that the Vortech produced. He was always eating. Every time I looked at him he was slowly migrating around and in between LR, sucking down 'pods.

My skunk shrimp always tried to latch on to him and clean him off. He seemed to tolerate it, but was clearly none too pleased. He usually gave the shrimp a few seconds to pick around on his fat body, and kinda walked away.

I have no clue what went wrong. Every other tank inhabitant shows no change in personality. Last night, I looked for him for a few minutes, didn't see him, and reluctantly grabbed the flashlight to spy the nether regions of carpet behind the tank. The pulse started to go up in anticipation. I've seen this before. Yup. There he was. Looking just like a letter C. I found Chubster on the carpet dried up and lifeless.

I'll never have a top on my tank. I want the O2 exchange and don't want any light obstructed by salt spray on a glass top. I've been picking my fish very carefully with a "no jumpers allowed" policy. That's why I don't get a firefish, which I love. They tend to jump.

So? What am I missing? Was the fact that Chubster swam, a warning sign that I should have realized meant something important? What's going on here?

amcarrig · 02-21-2008, 04:39 PM

Sounds like normal dragonette behavior to me and you haven't had it long enough for it to starve to death. Most likely, your fish just freaked and decided to go carpet surfing. It happens to all of us. I've found my fair share of fish "potato chips" (to quote Matt) behind my tank.

omard · 02-21-2008, 04:54 PM

Crap...so sorry.

Mandarins are sensitive little fish. New environment/tankmates probably just freaked him out.

Not normal to jump unless has reason to.

I just added a little tiny one to Nano...seems to be adjusting pretty well. Peeking about and nibbling on things I can't see.

But have never witnessed either (spotted green in main or psychedelic in Nano) "swim" much in open water. Always hug rock or tank side closely when moving about....

Don't give up. Try another when you feel up to it. Replacing soon will help relieve sense of loss.

Scott

sweetriden76 · 02-21-2008, 04:55 PM

sorry for the loss, maybe some type of large mesh nylon screen would prevent a future mishap, thatd allow the gas exchange and light and if the mesh was large it wouldnt obstruct the light alot, it might not prevent a fire fish from slipping through but certainly would keep a manderin in the tank...sorry again for the loss, that just sucks, he was an awesome looking fish...

stylaster · 02-21-2008, 05:44 PM

I've found my fair share of fish "potato chips" (to quote Matt)
mmmmmm fish chips i had those last night, but i dont think it was mandarin
Sorry about the loss those are neat little fish, i have had one jump out before also. Usually the most common jumpers are wrasses and firefish.

ReefSparky · 02-23-2008, 04:51 PM

Well, I think I'm going to get another. One door closes and another opens, right?

missionsix66 · 02-23-2008, 05:29 PM

Well sparky, Sorry about the fish. There is an article in this months aquarium fish international about the survival rate of various fishes (including dragonets). My mandarin stays out of the water column unless it is on it's way to a piece of equipment that my pods hide on/around. And I don't have a top on my tank either. As I was reading your post when you got to the part about the firefish I thought SHUCKS! mine hasn't jumped out. So, I look over and, Where's my firefish? Sucker was gone and I couldn't find with flashlight. So, I put a couple of morsels in the tank and he came out. It was probably burrowed in sand bed. I've had it for a long time though with no problems.

Otty · 02-23-2008, 05:57 PM

Sorry for your loss my friend. I just found one of my shrimps on my intake to the CL, those things have killed more invert then anything else in the tank. Anyone gets close to it and they get sucked in.

lunatik_69 · 02-23-2008, 07:23 PM

Sorry for your loss Sparky. For the future, try introducing any "fish jumpers" at night when the lights are off. Its less stressful for the new fish and helps it to adjust to a new home and avoids any conflicts that may occur in the day when all the fish are awake and looking around. Luna

baugherb · 02-23-2008, 08:06 PM

Sorry for your loss.....