Refugium as been attached for a while now. CPR HOB.

I thought about going 30 tall... but could not find one (cheaply).

I was thinking more like a "tower" style tank. Like 18x18x30". Petsmart carries something similar, not sure if it is big enough...I think the Petsmart ones are more like 12x12x18" which would have too small of a footprint.

Are there some big pods in the refugium yet?

a 30 tall is L24, H24, W12 . . . . I have a limited area for this tank... and a stand built for the foot print.

It appears that 24" is enough height for those breeding Mandarins.

Where's the mandarins Pat?

could be interesting in this?

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-pets-oth...AdIdZ274013037

My Mandarins spawn all the time in my 24" tank, the spawn quickly turns into a feeding frenzy.

http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer....Green_Mandarin

I think Pat's got a 20 high setup though, which is only 16" tall.

Jason.... shut up. LOL.

Coming coming coming.

I want the tank to cycle for months before adding the Mandarins. Probably no fish in there until June.

Myka has me thinking about it as well. If I do not have the height for a breeder then it may just become a Mandarin/Seahorse/Pipefish tank. Slow movers.

I will do more research before adding anything.

WES!!! Thanks!!! This is a fantastic resource!!!

That's a good idea. Although Seahorses prefer height to a tank. Why not try again to find a tall tank, and then you can breed Mandarins and Seahorses? Btw, getting Mandarins to breed is the easy part as it is quite common in mixed reef tanks. Collecting eggs and raising the fry is the bigger challenge.

So the tank is cycling nicely.

However... there are flat worms.

What is the best route to eradicate them now... before adding fish?

I do not want to add any fish to do the job. I know spotted Mandarins love flat worms.... but do Blue mandarins also eat them?

I also have heard people say reduced light cycle and/or running actinic only may help.

Has anyone got advice for me?

Again,

This is a Mandarin ONLY tank being set... so adding fish is not an option. It has sand, rock, chaeto as well as Kenya tree and GSP. I do not want to also eradicate the POD population I have built up to prepare for the Mandarin additions.... if possible.

Thanks.

I'm not sure if you've seen this? - http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html

Keep in mind that any medication that kill flatworms will also kill the pods. I don't see a way around that.

- Brad

Blue velvet nudibranch will do the job to a t

Salifert Flatworm Exit won`t hurt pods.

My buddy Jason had some Blue Life Flatworm Control.

Anyone else tried this product? He said it MAY not be as good as Salifert. I can't seem to find reviews on it.

I got flatworms also in my seahorse/mandarin tank got it from a lfs store when i got some macro algae. I just added the physchedallic mandarin last night and i see he is picking at the already, dont know if he is just sampling but i saw him nip a few.

The fattest and heathest mandarins and spotted mandarins I've ever seen were in a tank that had a flatworm problem.

Yes. Spotted Mandarins do eat FWs. I used one to clear my original 20G and they do a bang up job.

However, I plan to add Blue Mandarins, and I am not finding anything that states they too will devour them.

Anyone else seen Blues eat flatworms.

Wes let me know what your results are please.

I can confirm too through experience that Salifert's flatworm exit won't harm your pods. Depending on the size of the FW population though have a pile of carbon and a large water change ready to go.

Cycled!
 

Well... the tank is cycled. I am sure it has been for some time now and my tests have confirmed this.


Ph - 8.3

NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
NH4 - 0


Sooo..... It looks like I am going to add my Mandarin.

If they have one in the store tomorrow, it's coming home with me!

I have also decided that breeding is not in the cards right now. I am not going to set up another system to house fry anytime soon, so figured might as well get a nice one going in there.


I may also add a pipe fish. Not sure, but I may have too much flow for one... but we shall see.

Very exciting ! Hope you get one tomorow they are such awsome fish . If you can get them to try and feed it , see if they can feed it blood worms , mine has loved them frome day 1.

Today. Yes I bought one. I will have him and the pics tonight. He is paid for at Aquarium Illusions and ready for pick up.

Stay tuned.

Ahem. I bought a pair.

Did you buy that nice big male in the top left tank?

No. Too big.

There was a male female pair in one of the tanks so took both.

After a long... Long acclimation, mandarins are in the tank. The make is exploring and already hunting.

Pics once they come more into view.

Both mandarins are good. They are still hanging out and following each other so hopefully they stay " friendly ".

in the long run you will not be able to produce the pods required in this size of tank for one mandrin little lone 2. but they are eating blood worms so you need to train them to eat a more ballanced food for them as blood worms are good for a suplament but not a staple. a high quality small pellet or something like that would be an ideal food to get them eating, but don't buy a bunch see if you can borrow a few table spoons from some one till you know you are sucessfull in getting them to eat it.

If I saw this sooner I would have urged you to go with a min of a 90 gal for a pair of mandrins but to late now. one way to help with the production of pods is to fill your refuge about 1/2 to 3/4 full of rubble rock. I did this in my 94 gal but hid the piles of rubble under the rock work and in the sump. with over 240 lbs of Live rock and rubble I went from tones of pods to seeing them once and a while with in a month of adding the mandrins so they are a large consumer and mine did mate several times as the tank was 24" tall. in hind site a 30" tall tank would be better but 24" works for the most part.

Steve

I kept a pair for almost a year in a 12 gallon aquapod...
The tank had been established for YEARS prior to the pair being added and there was also the benefit of having the sump space in the back to pack with liverock rubble for 'pods to breed where there was no predation.

2 years later, that same pair is living in my 95 gallon.

It can be done in small systems, but they have to be perfect and dialld in for this specific species.

This is not my first time keeping mandarins. Thank you for your concern, but I am sure you will see that I have taken steps to support them.

I plan to train for frozen food.

Also... There us nothing else in this tank. Large. HOB fuge and this tank has been running non stop for about 4 years. I revamped it this year. V


Anyone who experienced Nano reefing knows keeping mandarins in a small tank IS very, very possible.

I do appreciate your comments !

no problem, I wasn't saying it can't be done, just that it is harder and more work ensuring you get mandrins that are taking dead food and taking the time to switch them to a more ballanced food.

I myself have been trying to figure out what to put in my 30 gal when it is finnished and I was thinking of one mandrin but I am still on the fence as I go away frequently for a couple days at the time so I wouldn't be able to feed it several times a day.

Steve

I had one over two years in a fully mixed reef. This tank I am using now used to be my nano.

It did eventually take frozen and then my tank crashed. Sad.

I figure I did it with one and 4 other fish. Why not two in a dedicated tank with fuge.

I had a mandarin in my old 110 gallon. Whenever I fed NLS pellets it would become visibly excited and race around snatching anything up that made it to the bottom. I didnt try to train it, it just sort of happened after a couple of months. I think it might've grabbed one by accident one day and that was that

Im 6 months now with my mandarin in a 15 gal , Just added a sump last week . Dunno why everyone is so against it , there fish, i feed it just like the rest of my fish . I am going to try and get it to eat pellets though , if you have any sucess with that let me know .

the biggest reason is they are very resistant to eating man made or dead food, it is rare to see one which does eat food other than live pods. Now we are starting to see more as they are starting to be captive bread.

12 years ago when I got my pair there were only rhumors of mandrins that would eat anything other than there natural food, now you can actualy see them eating other stuff in pet stores. but mandrins eating prepared food (weather it be blood worms or what ever) is still an exception not the rule. and as captive raised ones become more common more people will be able to enjoy them.

Steve

I lost my female after 3 years but the male hung on for about 5 years in my 94, but mine were typical mandrins, would check out what I put in the tank then turn up there nose at it.

hey and why do you not have any pics up yet? :mrgreen:

Steve

I've seen mandarins in local stores every now and then that are already eating frozen. I believe Ken had some ORA ones that ate frozen a little while back.