I am trying to train onto NLS finicky eater pellet. Loaded with garlic ha ha!

As for pics... the two of them are acting very shy. They swim about a lot... but usually on the back side of the rock wall and therefore hard to get a good shot of.


Soon. Sorry people. I am trying.

Based on some advice received through here... I have gone out to grab 2 pounds of live rubble and made a dedicated "pod pile" in the main display as well.

Not the most eye appealing... but this tank is about the Mandarins.

I already have the refugium filled with sand and rubble so hopefully this will help.

I also added "reef bugs" to the tank. Apparently its a good product so I figure I will give it a whirl.

Anyone used reef bugs before?


Still... bad pics. Be patient.

Thanks.

I have used "reef bugs" before... I didn't have mandarin's but I did you dry rock. I noticed some "small life" within about a week or so, as well as most of my fish ate some of the stuff.

The male never made it.

The female however, fat. She hides when she sees me still but appears motivated to move about when I drop NLS pellet in.

I believe she is eating this.

If you deposit the food onto a small tray (like a plastic mayonnaise lid) everyday the Mandarins will get used to going there for food.

After many many months ... She finally stays out long enough for a photo.


http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...b/42624725.jpg

Yay! Are they eating well these days?

I see you have red bubble algae...that stuff is worse than green bubble algae. Trust me, I've been through that one. The balls are filled with slime...they are gross. I would suggest you attack it aggressively.

I do not attack any algaes in the tank.

Great for pod habitatation. The male never made it a month unfortunately, but she is fat!

I have not seen her take NLS yet, but I feed it three times a week and she Definately becomes aroused by it's presence.

My HOB fuge is amazing. For a 20g... I think I succeeded in making a mandarin suitable tank.

Needs more coral though. Kenya and gsp is all that's in there. More Softies wanted.

As for bubbles again... Attacking would mean adding something? Emerald?

I was able to remove my green bubble algae manually. Just don't pop the bubbles. It took months in my 10g and I didn't think I was ever going to win but eventually it went away.

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

Thanks, but this has been running for about a year now.... with Mandarin.

And it is a HOB refugium, not overflow. CPR HOB Fuge with Koralia pump.


But yes, HOB overflows are the devil. Prone to siphon loss and hard to dial in.

Thanks.


Here is my Fuge video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL4DAwEs-D4

Gauging interest....

Might shut this system down.

Baby coming, this small tank is more work than my sump system.

Minus the fish.

Sadly, I see a shut down coming.

No time for two tanks.

Considering adding my mandarin to my 70g display. Them selling the Royal Gramma and storing the tank.

Took time to get a good 20g set up so why sell it. I'll
Get the bug for more tanks. In fact, asides from the display tank... The rest will eventually be a part of a new build. In my bar.

Maybe sea horses and mandarin.

We will see.

Hoping the mandarin takes to my tank.

Maybe I'll acclimate her to my sump. Drop all the rock from my 20 in there too.

The shut down has begun.

Starting moving all the rock to my other systems sump. Corals going today.

Gramma will be up for sale immediately and the Mandarin is going to make an entrance to my 70G system.

I may leave the tank running empty for a bit as I cannot seem to bring myself to dismantle the absolutely amazing refugium I have populated.

Might breed pods in there. Not much to think about.

I have high hopes of a new Mandarin build in the following year. BIGGER and built into my bar. Should be fun.

:wink:

Thanks for following.

corals sold.

So the shut down is almost complete.

Gramma has been sold.

Majority of the rock has been moved to my 70. The mandarin, maybe tonight I'll acclimate her to the 70.

The fuge is also going to the 70. Going to hang it on the front Of my sump. Since I never built the bottom skirt yet, I can accommodate it now to fit.

Mandarin moved to the 70.

A few frags found while moving rocks.

GSP, kenyas. Small green Paly colony.. 4-5 heads.


Shut down.

Waiting to see the mandarin thrive in it's new home :wink:
I said it before but, good luck with the transfer, I hope it all goes well.
I too would want a beauty like that in my DT instead of, say, a back room tank

Acclimated her last night. During the dusk cycle of my lights... Then shut all lights off and dropped her in.

Today she looks fine, no signs of any aggression from others tank mates at all.

The fuge is going with her too!

What does this mean ?
Are you installing an external fuge ?
I don't get it ....

Yes external. CPR HOB fuge... Moving it from the 20 to hang on my 40g sump.

If I'd read further back, I doubt I would have asked that rather dumb question :rolleyes:

All good.

Are Mandarins super hard to keep? They look awesome. Could I keep one in a mixed reef tank?

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/saltwater...ll-article.htm
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/saltwater...ll-article.htm

I am attempting to do the same thing except on a more lazy scale. I am keeping them in my main tank and just watching for mating signals when they are in the tank. These two articles i found seem to explain quite a lot if you are looking for more information. I also made sure that they had plenty of nooks to hide in so they feel more safe and promote mating

They are not easy. They require a live food source to survive as most won't eat anything else. "Most".

In a bigger community target should be fine, but you will never have more than a spawning show. The fry will either be eaten or filtered out.

I ran a 20 dedicated tank. With refugium (currently for sale) on back. It ran for two years and I shut down as no time.