Paddy's Mandarin Paradise
 

So... I love Mandarins.

I am going to set up a tank for a mated pair. Either Blues or Reds. Most likely Blue Mandarins.

There will be no other tank inhabitants, asides from a few snails, that the pair will need to compete with.

The tank is either going to be a 20 G (that I already have in the basement running) or, if I can find one, a 30 TALL.

I plan to minimize corals (A few softies maybe) in this tank and go more macro algae and what not to give the PODs a haven for reproduction as well.


At this stage, I am looking for input as to what would be the IDEAL conditions for a Mandarin only tank. Keeping in mind my tank size is set due to the space it occupies.

Awesome Patrick. Can't wait to see what you do.
Are you going to do a refugium to help supply their food requirements?

The tank is basically going to be a refugium. I will also be dosing PODS.

I may get a HOB refugium for it. Who knows.

That sounds REALLY cool... I love Mandarins!

I would definitely do a HOB refugium, like a modded AC110. 2 Mandarins will decimate the pod population in a 20 gallon in no time flat so having lots of inaccessable places for the pods to reproduce is absolutely key

Sounds cool Pat!

"pod piles"... shells turned upside down with holes in them... cheato balls... These areas in my fuge are where I see the clouds of copepods swimming about (I know they are copepods, i've checked them out under microscope). Low flow will help. High nutrients is also just fine. (will help/allow algae and phyto to grow... phyto being a copepod food source).

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Cheers,

Chris

PS. My fuge is 71gal dedicated fuge, with caulerpas (2 types), cheato, and mangroves... a sandbed, rock... There IS a large clownfish that motors around in there hunting the larger pods (amphipods and Isopods)... And a bullet goby (gobiosoma macrodon), who is fatter than fat from eating copepods... and my copepod population is still through the roof. Low flow, good light/(old lights too), sandbed... miracle mud, algaes, areas for the pods to be 'safe', these will definitely help.

If you can try to do larger size!

Plus im sure you can find, or train, the mandarins to eat prepared foods. If you manage this... then no worries at all! Should be able to buy some already eating it.

Cheers,

Chris

Are you going with a drilled tank and refugium?

This is exactly what I was thinking!

Very cool idea , mandrins in nanos are great because then you can see how beautiful these fish really are. I picked up a blue mandarin last saturday to put in my 15 gal (no fuge , or sump) and already she loves frozen blood worms , im trying to get her to eat out of a diner (small jar ) so i dont have to find her and get a bunch of food in the rocks around her . Im hoping once she eats in the diner on a regular basis i can put other foods in there like flake or pellets and she will eat those too .

I MAY have found a 30 gallon tall to work with.

If so... then I may get a HOB overflow and use the 20 for a sump/fuge.

Please give me an update on how this goes. Seems like a good idea.

I have had bloodworms in the jar for 2 days now and feeding in the area around the jar (its flat sand in the back of my tank ) she found the blood worms in the sand , and now hangs out in that area alot more.She swam in the jar and ate all the worms today and then came back and hung out in it a few times.

I love my mandarin. She is also by far my most expensive fish ever.

Well... it seems I am not able to find a 25 or 30 gallon tall (that is a condition I like) through Canreef.

I have started to look at new tanks.

If I don't find a new tank priced "well enough" then I may just go ahead and start setting my 20 gallon back up.

AQUARIUM ILLUSIONS just got a huge shipment of BEAUTIFUL Fiji live rock and I am going to grab a few pieces and start curing it. I will not add Mandarins until the tank is 6 months old so I have to get moving.

I am definitely going forward so keep your eyes peeled.

If anyone out there has an Aqua Clear 110 or HOB Refugium please drop me a PM.

Thanks for watching. MORE TO COME!

Looks like I found a refugium for this tank.

A local reefer (Blacknife) is trading it to me for some frags!

Thanks a lot for contributing to the Mandarin build!

Cant wait to see it Pat!

Awesome! I love Mandarins to so I'm really looking forward to seeing this!

me too

Hmmmm.... does anyone want to see the beautiful fiji rock I picked up at Aquarium Illusions?

nah...:razz:

come on, you know we all love pictures!! :biggrin:

[quote=paddyob;598071]Well... it seems I am not able to find a 25 or 30 gallon tall (that is a condition I like) through Canreef.

I have started to look at new tanks.

If I don't find a new tank priced "well enough" then I may just go ahead and start setting my 20 gallon back up.

QUOTE]

I don't know if they still carry them but I picked up a 25g tall at Big Al's for about $30-35 this past summer for tank only.

I obtained a CPR AF2MD REFUGIUM.

It cost me $40 and a couple frags of SPS.

It came with the light (not a bit of salt creep at all) and pump.

Since I now have this... I am going to forget about the larger tank and proceed with my already cycled 20... and improve it.

I bought 20 pounds of live sand and will add later today.

Once I clean the refugium up, I will post pics!

That was a pretty good scoop:biggrin:

Come on with the pics Pat. Gotta see that rock.

coming coming coming.


I cleaned the refugium. Looks new! The pump does not work though. The impeller was bulging and unable to be removed.

I had an extra power head around and it does the job nicely.


Now....

I think I will run this tank filter free. Refugium (sand?/chaeto?/rubble?) and extra power head.

Any thoughts?

Remember this tank will house only two mandarins, macros and softies. I do not see the bio load being to overly pressing.

PICS
 

So here it is... the beginning.

The refugium IS on the front of the tank right now.... water test and waiting for set up.

Stay tuned!




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It is going to be in my soon to be developed music room.
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The first few pounds of rock. Going to get more this week. Premium Fiji. Have not seen this in a store in a long time. Not this nice anyhow. Aquarium Illusions got a HUGE shipment of it.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/pic...pictureid=4325

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I bought 20 pounds of Carib Sea live sand as well. Most for the tank bottam as it looks like crap being bare... and a couple inches for my refugium.

Anyone want to lead me down the road to a great POD rich refugium? Substrates? Macros? Rubble?

Also... asides from chaeto... which macros can go into a tank without going asexual?

You need to come in and get a culter of our white worms, my mandarins love it, and the one in my 10gal begs for them all the time.

Ken

Ok the sand is in place. I put about 2" or so in the designated baffle area of the refugium and the rest into the tank.

I was bare bottom since the move last July and man I am glad thats over.


Refugium placed. Only other circulation is a Koralia Nano. I am considering just adding another of those as they are small and place nicely.

Refugium. Done.

The set up
 

Burning the midnight oil.

Basic set up is done. I need to get more rock. More circulation. A new heater. Chaeto.

Pics tomorrow. Tired.

Jason and Ned came over tonight and we had a couple beers over aqua scaping the tank.

We got a pretty good base down and I'll work it from there. I am going to take the basic configuration and create more open spaces and passages between for the Mandarins to explore. I need to use the epoxy to ensure the pieces stay in place.

Do I have pics? Not tonight. Will I? Yes. See yah soon :twised:

Progress!
 

Well here are a couple progress pics... for some reason any pics I upload lately are seriously messed up.. pixely. Not sure why. Sorry in advance.

Here is the first go round with the rock work. I am going for a mini mass in the 20 so the Mandarins can swim all sides.

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Refugium beginnings...

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Revamped Aquascape
 

Well, I think I am happy with the rocks now.

I did some shuffling and made some neat caves. Have a look and let me know what you think!

FTS:

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The cave entrance....

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Also added two pounds of live rubble to my refugium. Looking good!

Also... added the second Koralia Nano.

One more and I am set.


I dropped a bag of carbon in the first chamber in the fuge. As they tank is cycling it is pretty green/yellowy. Gotta clear that up.


Looking for ideas on what to put in here. It is going to be soft corals. I have currenty a Kenya tree and GSP in there.

Anyone have any nice softies to contribute to the cause? Trades for?

Looks great Pat.

Thanks Brotha Man! See yah in a week.

I have a feeling. Feeling is telling me that I am probably going to move the rocks again. A little.

Something is not quite right.

Hey Patrick, this is a cool idea. I love Mandarins too! :D Have you kept a pair before? Do you plan to breed them?

I have not kept a pair before.

I do intend to try breed them. It is obviously being done elsewhere, and mandarins are known to tank breed.

I figure if I set up the tank to directly cater to them, no competition, then there is a chance they may.

I am open to suggestions if anyone has them, in regards to breeding Mandarins, raising fry, ideal conditions, etc.

I love Mandarins and hope to do well.

The tank is cycling. I will perform the first water tests today to see where its at. I will not be adding Mandarins until June-July.

To help my PODs reproduce in the meantime.... should I feed the tank anything specific?

If you plan to breed them you will need a taller tank. They make an ascent as they breed, and they won't be able to complete the act if the tank isn't tall enough. A breeding pair will probably need a bigger tank as they are quite aggressive to each other when not breeding. Separating them my be required.

For pods, I suggest an attached overflow style refugium to provide a safe place for pods to breed.