Keeping Mandrin fish

[hermitcrab]

Hi all, does anyone have any experience in keeping mandrin fish? am considering to keep one in the near future, i read that it feed mostly on pods and those small small creatures? It seem quite difficult as the reproduction rate of pods in tank is difficult to control also.

I was think what if the amount of pods cannot meet the appetite of the fish? which other food can be used to feed the mandrin fish. Please advise.

[Solo77]

For me, made a bold step to adopt one. So far so good. Has been observing its stomach, seems full(hope not gastric problem of indigestion or bloated air...lol).

You are right that they feed on pods and small small creatures. I always see the fish pecking on the rocks but dont know what it is eating...lol....for sure, they dont behave like other fishes - fighting for pellets, mysis, brine shrimp, etc. For me, i waited for my tank to be more "established", still trying hard, and introduced many shrimps...especially female one, lol....they will produce eggs ...so when baby shrimps appear, i think it is a food source of them also. Observed pods and small shrimp before i commit in buying the mandarin. A word of cautious, i understand some reefers have succeeded in keeping one mandarin and subsequently add another and in the end, both died. Maybe due to insufficient food.

Anyway, they are cute and peaceful. Ignored other fishes and just go round the rocks to look for food. Good Luck for you. : )

Hi all, does anyone have any experience in keeping mandrin fish? am considering to keep one in the near future, i read that it feed mostly on pods and those small small creatures? It seem quite difficult as the reproduction rate of pods in tank is difficult to control also.

I was think what if the amount of pods cannot meet the appetite of the fish? which other food can be used to feed the mandrin fish. Please advise.

[Solo77]

Oh, maybe you can try to buy from Henry. I did ask him before and he told me his mandarin will eat his henry goumet. When you choosing one, look for one that is fat and going round pecking ....at least you know this fish has been eating like pig before getting caught and likely cant stand of hunger and start eating after you bought it....also..fat one got more reserves....lol

Maybe you can try other more hardy one but i think mandarin still the cutest. All the best.

p/s : Me still trying. : )

For me, made a bold step to adopt one. So far so good. Has been observing its stomach, seems full(hope not gastric problem of indigestion or bloated air...lol).

You are right that they feed on pods and small small creatures. I always see the fish pecking on the rocks but dont know what it is eating...lol....for sure, they dont behave like other fishes - fighting for pellets, mysis, brine shrimp, etc. For me, i waited for my tank to be more "established", still trying hard, and introduced many shrimps...especially female one, lol....they will produce eggs ...so when baby shrimps appear, i think it is a food source of them also. Observed pods and small shrimp before i commit in buying the mandarin. A word of cautious, i understand some reefers have succeeded in keeping one mandarin and subsequently add another and in the end, both died. Maybe due to insufficient food.

Anyway, they are cute and peaceful. Ignored other fishes and just go round the rocks to look for food. Good Luck for you. : )

[Weapon_Master]

Pods will still be the primary source of food for these cuties. I've had success previously getting it to feed on frozen Brine/Mysis shrimp but it will take a while. Therefore need to ensure that you have enough pods to sustain them till then.

I've had buddy whom noticed that keeping Chaeto ie Refugium actually helps keeping up the Pods numbers. That be another supplement to keep these cuties alive.

[dachkie]

ya henry got nice mandarins, i had 1 which i thought was gone as i din see it for 1 week, then henry told me to get his mated pair which are already feeding on henry gourmet and he still fed them to show me,

after adding the new pair, my old 1 which i though was gone came out and now he also eating henry gourmet, suggestion to get mandarins from henry,

btw i am not advertising for him, as mandarins are ver finicky eaters, its better to play safe

[hermitcrab]

ya henry got nice mandarins, i had 1 which i thought was gone as i din see it for 1 week, then henry told me to get his mated pair which are already feeding on henry gourmet and he still fed them to show me,

after adding the new pair, my old 1 which i though was gone came out and now he also eating henry gourmet, suggestion to get mandarins from henry,

btw i am not advertising for him, as mandarins are ver finicky eaters, its better to play safe

Hmm, who is Henry, me bad with name's, is this his PM name or some LFS owner.

Yup, i have refugium with chaeto with pods also, but the pods look so small, i think need a hundred a day to feed a mandrin, at the rate, i do not think i can sustain, unless i have a separate tank for pods. Wah so in the end i need to feed the pods in order to feed them to the mandrin. so chim.

[dachkie]

Hmm, who is Henry, me bad with name's, is this his PM name or some LFS owner.

Yup, i have refugium with chaeto with pods also, but the pods look so small, i think need a hundred a day to feed a mandrin, at the rate, i do not think i can sustain, unless i have a separate tank for pods. Wah so in the end i need to feed the pods in order to feed them to the mandrin. so chim.

thats y its better to get those that can feed on prepared food, but feeding habits of mandarins are they feed constantly throughout the day, but i only feed my tank every alternate days, so far so gd, been keeping them for 3 months already, little humming helicopters

[dachkie]

oh btw henry is the owner of marine life, at west coast (hong leong garden ) he dont sell many fishes and corals, mainly cleaning crews and some other fishes, but dont expect to go and see tons of variety of fishes. but he knows his fishes well , so u can expect to get good healthy fishes from him

[sanjaypills55]

Sorry to jump in the thread..

Has anybody had any sucess in keeping madrin fish alive with live adult brine shrimps...(ones you can buy from LFS).

Anyway remember that even though the mandrin fishes you buy from hong leng will eat his gormet, but you will require more frequent water changes, cause the uneaten food quicky dissolves in the water & pollutes it..

[hermitcrab]

hmm, ok, will try to make time to visit marine life lfs, now, now me just stocking up on the pods, make sure there is enough to sustain the mandrin fish for awhile at least. I do not think any lfs sell pods yet right?

[georgekoh84]

hmm, ok, will try to make time to visit marine life lfs, now, now me just stocking up on the pods, make sure there is enough to sustain the mandrin fish for awhile at least. I do not think any lfs sell pods yet right?

Bro, you can try Henry's reefgourmet to feed your mandarin fish, and get a smaller yet fat specimen

Just make sure ur skimmer is working well to skim the food particles that went down the overflow. And check ur filterwool

[hermitcrab]

hi anyone heard of "reef bug" this is supposely a food source for coral and pods, i was thinking, if the pods multiply after being given a constant for source, then the mandrin fish should have enough pods to sustain right?

[hermitcrab]

Hi, me got myself a mandrin fish, i had observe this fish for at least 4 weeks at the lfs, so should be quite stable. So now i will start to worry about the pods populations. Will update as and when.

[dachkie]

hi anyone heard of "reef bug" this is supposely a food source for coral and pods, i was thinking, if the pods multiply after being given a constant for source, then the mandrin fish should have enough pods to sustain right?

i using reef bugs, duno about pods buts corals open damn big when u dump in a fresh supply of reef bugs, i know there is a population of amipods in my tank but i just cant see them, i only realize because now i am in the process of aquascaping my new tank, so the other nite when transfering my rocks from old tank to the new , i saw a amphipod corpse (quite big) floating arn

[hermitcrab]

ok, well, i decide to try an assortment of way to keep this mandrin, went to Henry's ML and bought their gourment food, have not try it yet. most like to do it abit later.

[hermitcrab]

Hi, i think i am going crazy soon, my mandrin does not seems to like Henry Gourmet, but my crabs and snail are going crazy over them. cannot seem to get the mandrin to eat them and my pods supply is running low, struggling to feed reef bugs to both the pod and mandrin, hope my pods will reproduced faster, if really no choice i think i will have to buy some LR to get the pods liao.

I suddenly have a urge to go sea side and catch those SW bugs and feed them to the mandrin, but too tired liao, struggling with project, exam and work.

Anyone with good ideas?

[Vfong]

Hi

So far i had couple of mandarin, now 2 in 2 different tanks

Both feeds on brine and mysis shrimp.

U can first try with life brine shrimp, i usually slow or even stop the strong

return flow, so that the mandarin have a chance to see and eat them

more or less target feed, pump the brine shrimp towards where they are

or going to. After sometime with live, u can try frozen brine or mysis shrimp

So far i of the mandarin is 1.5 years and the other abt 1 year.

They also eats those red eggs ?? u find in sushi.

So it is actually possible that they feed on other stuff than pods.

[hermitcrab]

Hi

So far i had couple of mandarin, now 2 in 2 different tanks

Both feeds on brine and mysis shrimp.

U can first try with life brine shrimp, i usually slow or even stop the strong

return flow, so that the mandarin have a chance to see and eat them

more or less target feed, pump the brine shrimp towards where they are

or going to. After sometime with live, u can try frozen brine or mysis shrimp

So far i of the mandarin is 1.5 years and the other abt 1 year.

They also eats those red eggs ?? u find in sushi.

So it is actually possible that they feed on other stuff than pods.

Wow, the red eggs, hmm, then it means the mandarin meal allowance is bigger than mine liao. ok, will try the frozen brine and mysis shrimp first.

[hermitcrab]

Hi,does any one knows if Mandrin fish eat flat worms?

[fishchemist]

Hi,does any one knows if Mandrin fish eat flat worms?

No they don't take flat worms.

Yellow coris wrasse and 6-line wrasse do feed on flat worms. I used to have flat worms growing all over my Elegence but after introducing a yellow wrasse all signs of flat worms are gone within a month.

[RockyBoy]

Mandrin are picky eaters and they prefer live pods. Need matured live rocks to have lots of pods.

[Solo77]

Think they do eat live brine shrimp, saw mine eating after months of keeping. Didnt really train but think she saw others eating like mad ....

All the best. They are really cute. Hehe. Took me sometime before i dare to buy and try. : )

Mandrin are picky eaters and they prefer live pods. Need matured live rocks to have lots of pods.