Mandarin Dragonet not eating

[Dez Ching]

Hi guys, I bought a Mandarin dragonet 3 weeks ago, and it seemed to me that it's not eating the pellets nor the Mysis shrimps which I'm feeding my other fishes with. It was seen nibbling here and there on the rocks and other areas, but I can see that it is getting thinner each week. Anyone has some experience to share how to make a Mandarin feed? Thanks.

[SubzeroLT]

Most mandarins eat only live food (eg. Brine shrimp or copopods).

Much effort is needed to train them to feed on frozen food/pellets which is supposedly quite challenging. There are some success stories here but not many.

Have you tried giving them live brine shrimps recently?

Best to get them full first then slowly continue to train them on other food slowly.

[Clement Chen]

mandarins are best kept in a larger matured tank. this is to ensure that they have sufficient copepods to eat. Thats what they are eating off the rocks. Them getting thinner means that u dun have enuff to sustain them. Maybe u can seed the tank by buying live copepods.

[Dez Ching]

I will try get some brine shrimps later on to feed it. Hopefully he eats, and carry on healthily in my tank forevermore.

[lalala00]

Try keeping it in a iso box and feed the pellets from there

[Dez Ching]

No need to feed it liao... When I came home last evening with live brine shrimps, my mandarin already died. I was a bad master... Sigh..., didn't realized that a mandarin has to feed with live copepods or live brine shrimps..., till the very last min... When it finally say goodbye to me, I learned...

Thanks for all advises guys. I'm a new learned man!

[pcw]

It will not survive in the long run if it is fed solely on brine shrimps.

[Dez Ching]

Hi Bro PCW, do you have any experience to share with me?
Coz' a Mandarin Dragonet is one of my wanted-to-keep fish. But before I acquire one now, I surely would like to be much confident to be able to support it's daily habits and livelihood. And certainly like to see it feeding good and lively. Can share with me how you keep yours from start, if you do? Thanks in advance.

[PoorPicasso]

Bro, how big is your tank? I have keep a mandarin for few months, saw it eat live brine shrimp but not pellets too.

[Dez Ching]

Bro, how big is your tank? I have keep a mandarin for few months, saw it eat live brine shrimp but not pellets too.

My tank is 422.

[pcw]

Try to isolate the mandarin first and try feeding it with a mixture of live food, frozen food and pellets. In my experience, not every fish is as receptive to pellets and its actually a hit and miss

[PoorPicasso]

My tank is 422.

if you have plenty of LR and you tank is established, there will be more food for it and it might be self sustainable...

[gdc0910]

got pods? if it's not eating and still alive after that long, probably it's feeding off something else..is it still fat?

[Guest]

I've a mandarin too. Always searching for food for months. 2 months to be exact. Pretty sure there's pod in my live rock because I seed them before. You should try seed your rock too.

This is a signature : hi

[Yono_Pranata]

You can try to direct feed it using coral direct feeder (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/skimz-coral-feeder-2-pack.html).. I bought it from aquamarin..

I direct feed the frozen brine shrimp to him twice a week.. Must feed him slowly and bit by bit.. Try to turn off the wave maker so that the brine shrimp won't easily gone away...

It has been with me for 5 months plus now and so far so good and getting fatter and fatter..

Cheers and good luck!

[PoorPicasso]

Can try ocean nutrient bottled tiger pod to seed the sump.