I had 2 mandarins in my tank before my yellow tang killed my beloved male (sold that yellow tang right away) and when they spawn they can get overboard and a cover is essential. I fetched my male mandarin on the floor one day after their spawning.

they both rise to the surface and sometime they even jump out of the water, so be aware of this. They need a high tank for that reason in order to properly spawn.

My female is so big and not laying any eggs since the male is gone, so I had to buy another one and he's in quarantine right now, but look at my female! She is in dire need of spawning!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=lP2JT_EboRA


Somebody suggested you get a live white worms culture and this is very good food for them and if you had this, your male would probably be alive still as they usualy go for that food quick. They also love masago (caplan eggs that you find on sushi) as this is part of their natural diet. I do not beleive that mandarin can live from pods alone in such size of tank, especially two.

You should get form white worms and feed them with white bread soaked in milk and Selcon. I enrich my white worms with Selcon and been giving this to my copperband for nearly a year now. He bearely eats anything else and he's fat and healthy. My female mandarin really loves the live white worms and if you get another male there are good chances that he will survive with this food.

As for coral, be aware that some coral will eat pods as well, so it is best not to put anything that will compete with the madarins for food, especialy if that's all they eat.

There's only one now.

She seems to be taking NLS as well.

White worms were not available readily. None alive at the LFS when I looked.

My female is doing great. The tank will support one no questions. Two. I don't know.

I'll start a culture of white worms for you if you need one Pat

Are you sure she's full of eggs? I have seen mandarins spawn, and when they are full of eggs, none of them ever looked like that. I hope it is though. Hopefully it isn't gall bladder disease or constipation. Is she still eating?

Sure Ken. I would not mind trying them out.

give me a week, I'll make up a sub-culture for you.

Ken Let me know day ahead when you will be there so you can give me a run down.

Thanks.

Rick in Morinville had to shut his system down and I grabbed his Royal Gramma.

She is beautiful and healthy. I figured it was a nice safe addition to the mandarin system. Should not be a threat or competition.

She has been in there some time now and both the mandarin and gramma are happy.

The Mandarin actually ventures around the tank more with the addition of a tank mate.

New lights coming soon.

Upgrade long overdue.

Moving from dual 65w pc to 4 bulb T5.

Stay tuned.

Dont do it
 

Dont use the hob overflow. Drill the tank and put a bulkhead in, it will save tou the worry of wondering if the siphon fails