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07-12-2008, 08:26 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Stylophora
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: West Chester, Pa Age: 23
Posts: 972
|  mandarins
I have been wondering about these guys. I hear everyone say that they only eat copepods and are difficult just because of this. First, how old should a tank be before introducing one, and second, I have seen live copepod food at the lfs that says specifically for mandarins and picky eaters. Would this be an acceptable substitute or addition to the natural food found in the tank?
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Equipment: 55 gal, Remora Skimmer w/ maxi jet 1200 pump, 4x54w T5 lighting, 2 super actinics, 2 12,000K actinic white bulbs, 55+ lbs fiji live rock...
Inhabitants: Ocellaris Clownfish, Yellow Tailed Damsel, Six Line Wrasse, Yellow Watchman Goby, 3 Chromis, Crocea Clam, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Corals: Zoas, Yellow Fiji Leather, Pineapple Brain, Frogspawn, Pearl Bubble, Blastomussa Merleti, Monti, GSP, Green Psammacora | 
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07-12-2008, 08:34 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Living in the Wind.......
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elizabethtown, IN Age: 40
Posts: 3,945
  
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At least 1 yr. _________ Scott 265g (Peninsula)
3x400w MH's, 4x95w Actinics, AAT Lunar Lights, OM 4-way CL, PM Bullet 3 Skimmer, DelZone Eclipse 1 O3 Generator, WavySea Plus for return, AAT Kalk Reactor, KNOP Ca Reactor w/PM Second Chamber, TradeWinds Chiller, ACIII Controller, Oceanus ATO, PM PO4 Reactor, 75g Sump, 30g Fuge Born March 5, 2007 Parameters My 265 Gal. Tank Thread   | |
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07-12-2008, 08:46 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Stylophora
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Quebec City
Posts: 967
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Otty  At least 1 yr. | This is a good rule of thumb for these guys. The Q on the substitute food I think it should be an ok idea however they can be fussy dont forget. this is why its good to have a healthy colony of copods in the tank so they can eat a the time they wish as apposed to when we feed. _________ http://www.3reef.com/forums/image.ph...ine=1200113573
55gl skimmerless, 80lbs live rock, DIY wavemaker running 3x MJ1200 with hydor deflector.
2 DIY fluidized reactors Carbon & ROWAphos
LIghts- 2x 50/50 atinics T10's , 2x life gro T10's ,
1x20,000K T12, 1x6,000K T10.
Fish-3
Coral-13. | |
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07-12-2008, 08:49 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | PICTURE POLICE
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami, FL Age: 39
Posts: 5,041
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Otty At least 1 yr. | I agree with this, unless you buy the small bag of "live copepods" and have some kind of refugium to protect them so they can reproduce. I have them all over the place to include the overflow chamber. After about 1-2 months, you can add the mandarin. You'll know when your ready by the amout of copepods that are everywhere. Luna _________ 9YR OLD 90G/55g custom sump/refug Mag18 Aquac 180skimmer 692w MH AC jr,yel&kole tang,midas&convict blenny,B&G chromies,Blk/yel fin chromie blackcap,nemo,neon goby,6line; Blastomussa Merleti,Acan ,BUBBLE,Torch,LTA, Acropora(2) Moon, assort zoas, yel& G star polyps, P&B ricordia, montiporas, cup&candy corals, xenias,B/G mush,flower ane(2), cherry red mussa, dusters,cleaning crew..  | |
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07-12-2008, 09:30 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Montipora Digitata
Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Manchester UK Age: 24
Posts: 1,084
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you could try and find a mandarin that will take frozen foods - would be much easier to keep. But they are not aggresive feeders so they don't compete well for the food. _________ | |
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07-12-2008, 09:36 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Peppermint Shrimp
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Urbana Age: 24
Posts: 403
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I think that the size of the tank along with the amount of live rock comes in to play. I had a mandarin doing very well in a 15 gal. BUT it did eat frozen mysis. He would not eat in front of me though, I would have to hide. Did finally die when I was transfering my tank and had a problem. He ended up on the carpet and then into the tank with no acclimation. Anyway. If you can find one that is eating frozen or at least looks nice and fat health. And you can buy copods somewhere, go for it. I would add copods to my 15 bi monthly. They would go buck wild. Everywhere in my tank. Then the mandarin would fatten up, then slowly thin out. One day he just started eating frozen. My buddy also has a mandarin that eats pellets. You could lucky. _________ 75 gal, 6x54 watt ho t5, coralife super skimmer, fluval 204, ehiem ecco 45, 2 stealth heaters, 2 kolaria 1, 2 kolaria nanos, 125lbs lr, 100 lbs ls, ZOASSSS!!!!!!
[SIGPIC] http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...g?t=1214346477 | |
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07-12-2008, 09:32 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Stylophora
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: West Chester, Pa Age: 23
Posts: 972
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thanks for the advice, will take all this info into consideration | |
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