Mandarin Goby

[Coldwater]

I just bought a Mandarin Goby a week ago and its not eating much. Yesturday it ate a few brine shrimp. It is in a 33 gal aquarium with two dwarf puffers, a Percula Clown and a baby yellow tang. I have roughly 13 pounds of live rock that I have had for just 8 months. The guys at the fish store said it would be fine. Tanks for any help.

Matt

[aznufo]

that's too many fish for a tank like that and also you'll need more rock

[AJ_77]

Yeah, your tank ideally would be at least a year old, with about 50 lbs LR, and not so many tankmates. But hey, it may pull through - here's some articles to read:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandarins.htm

[Aquattro]

The guys at the fish store lied.

[Coldwater]

O.k Thanks for the help. I stil cant belive the guys at the store said it would be fine.

Matt

[christyf5]

Which store did you go to?? Take it back. Seriously.

Christy :)

[Coldwater]

I bought it from some small store in Victoria. Normaly I go to a store in Nanimo called "My Fish Tank". They are great there.

Matt

[Bob I]

As Alan says "ideally". However, Mandarins can surprise you by doing well in iffy situations. If it ate brine shrimp, which is basically like eating air :eek: , it may take to Mysis, which is much, much better. If it was not skinny when you bought it, it may have enough reserves to last it until it takes to proper food. However, more live rock would improve your chances, .but if you can take it back please do so

[bulletsworld]

I have a Mandarins that would only eat pods. Then when I had to QT him and let main tank fowl, my mandarin went in a small 10gal tank. I was really worried about him since he won't eat for over a week. Finally after he started Brine Shrimp then I tried mysis and at first didn't eat it but then took to it after I soaked with with a bit of "Selcon" and sometimes garlic. Worth a try or else he could be sick and take him back if you can.
best of luck.

[Quinn]

You know while we're on the topic of unsuitable conditions, that tang will need a much larger tank very soon.

Also I am wondering what you mean by dwarf puffers. My understanding is that dwarf puffers are strictly a freshwater fish (not even brackish). There are no "dwarf" marine puffers. And most of the marine puffers kept in captivity get quite large, according to what I've read.

Do you happen to know what your NH3, NO3, NO2 readings are at?

[Old Guy]

I have a blue spotted puffer that is full grown at about 3.5 inches. Most toby's max out at 5 in.

[trilinearmipmap]

I have to take issue with the statement that brine shrimp are of no nutritional value.

I read this once on the internet and then it seems it has been repeated 5000 times.

If brine shrimp are of no nutritional value, why are they the most commonly used method of raising freshwater fry, with a long record of success?

Anyway I don't want to steer this off topic but if there is evidence that brine shrimp are of no nutritional value, please point me towards it.

[bulletsworld]

Hmm....I'm taggin along. I wonder too, now that you mention it.

[AndyL]

Freshly hatched BBS are very nutritious - within 24 hours of hatching, the yolk sacks have been consumed and they've lost most of their nutritional value. I'm sure this is where the misconception comes from.

Andy

[StirCrazy]

O.k Thanks for the help. I stil cant belive the guys at the store said it would be fine.

Matt

stores have one purpose to sell things to make money.

Steve

[Aquattro]

Freshly hatched BBS are very nutritious - within 24 hours of hatching, the yolk sacks have been consumed and they've lost most of their nutritional value. I'm sure this is where the misconception comes from.

Andy

True. The statement should say "adult brine shrimp, by themselves, have little if any nutritional value" and that "adult brine shrimp is nutrtionally comparable to popcorn" is one of my favorites.

Newly hatched brine contain a highly nutrititous yolk solk whose value decreases the longer they are held within the first 24 hours.

[Coldwater]

"My fish tank"sold me the dwarf puffers. They only get to be about 2.5 inches long and cost about 10 bucks. Also they are yellow and have black dots on them. On the Mandarin goby subject, he just ate a few mysis shrip today (There was mush rejoicing). After that he moved around a little bit more in search of more mysis. The yellow tang within the next 3 weeks is going to be moved into a 127 gal custom made aquarium. My NH3 is 0 ppm, NO3 is 2 ppm and my NO2 is 0 ppm. Is any of that good?

Matt

[Aquattro]

You're readings are fine. Some more rock, and your NO3 will probably go down more. Every now and then you get a mandarin that eats dead food. If you got one, you're the exception. Are you moving that to the 127 also?

[Coldwater]

The only reson I think the mandarin eats dead food is that the food caught in the current. That would be a great idea, before I never thought about moving the Mandarin.

Matt

[trilinearmipmap]

I have always thought about getting a Mandarin and I wonder if they will eat other FW live food, for example Grindal worms.

[Aquattro]

I have always thought about getting a Mandarin ....

What size tank are you running?

[Bob I]

Let me begin by saying there are exceptions to every rule. According to Fenner my Mandarin should be pushing up daisies. I just checked my records, and I bought him on February 1st of this year. He ( all my fish are male until proven different) was one inch long. Today he is twice that size. He lives happily in my 33 gallon semi cube with two Purple Firefish, and a Yellow Clown Goby. There is X number of pounds of LR. The tank is 18 inches deep. I know he eats Mysis, as I have seen him rise to half the depth of the tank to get some at feeding time. Is he an anomaly :question: , perhaps, but I know for sure I have saved this little guy from certain death had I not gotten him away from my LFS. Not only that but he has brightened my life just watching him. :rolleyes:

[Ken]

Hi Moray Guy, Mandarin fish are difficult fish to keep in captivity in some cases. A mature aquarium with lots of liverocks, livesand, and copepods makes a better chance of survival. They like to roam around the bottom, picking at the liverocks endlessly in search of critters. I consider this is one of the challenging fish to keep, and I highly respect those aquarist who dedicate their time, patience and skill in providing a good environment for them. I agree with the rest of my fellow aquarist, it is not fine, you have been misinformed. Best of luck. Regards Ken l

[trilinearmipmap]

I have always thought about getting a Mandarin ....

What size tank are you running?

120 gallons,small chaeto fuge, 100 pounds live rock.

Probably when the tank is older a mandarin could scavenge a livelihood, however I want a healthy plump mandarin and not just one that survives.

I've got live food cultures from my FW fish breeding and I'm hoping mandarins would like live worms.

[Aquattro]

A mature 120 will provide more than "just surviving". My mandarin (who met with a recent unfortunate demise) was more round than long. She found plenty of food over the years I've had her. If you have a fair (100+) amount of live rock, you should have afat happy mandarin living well on pods.

[Quinn]

Bob, of course, you're a little more experienced...

Matt, I really think you should try to get a latin name on your puffers. I know very little about freshwater fish but those do sound like freshwater puffers... I know they are commonly kept in brackish tanks but I'm really not sure they are comfortable in a pure marine tank.

[Coldwater]

The guys at "My fish Tank" keep the puffers in a all marine tank. They said it would do quite well. I have no clue how to find the latin name for them but I wil try.

Matt

[Aquattro]

you could call them and ask the name....

[Cap'n]

Matt, I really think you should try to get a latin name on your puffers. I know very little about freshwater fish but those do sound like freshwater puffers... I know they are commonly kept in brackish tanks but I'm really not sure they are comfortable in a pure marine tank.

I agree. They sound a lot like an African or Indian polka-dot puffer, possibly a figure-8 puffer, all of which can survive in brackish to salt water but are essentially fresh-water fish. Why don't you see if you can find a picture of them from the web? Then we could help identify it for you.

Try these:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?siteid=20&pCatId=39&TopCatId=39

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?siteid=20&pCatId=954&TopCatId=954

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?siteid=20&pCatId=836&TopCatId=836

[christyf5]

The guys at "My fish Tank" keep the puffers in a all marine tank. They said it would do quite well. I have no clue how to find the latin name for them but I wil try.

Matt

I've seen those puffers and they are commonly sold as brackish water puffers. I've always thought they were these ones http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Tetraodon&speciesname=nigroviridis which says freshwater/brackish.

Christy :)

[Quinn]

And the one Christy posted hits 6" in length...

[Coldwater]

Christy has found them. That is exactly them. Um dont really know what to do? 6" is a little bigger than 2.5". Also my dad isnt allowing me to get the 127 gal from my uncle so the tang is going to have to wait. Well everything seems to not be going well with me. On the good side this will help me get the aquarium. Well I dont know what to do.

Matt

[Quinn]

You could brick the fish store who sold... <paff> <bam> <sock>

Sorry, had to get my evil alter-ego under control there. Complain bitterly to the fish store that sold you them, never shop there again, and find someone who has the right setup for the fish.

:bad-word:

[danny zubot]

My suggestion would be to add a whole bunch of live rock, and perhaps see if you can swap someone for some live sand. Thats how my tank became suitable for my manderine after only 6 months. Be careful of the other tanks inhabitants if you want to keep the manderine, some will compete for the same food. I had a 6 line wrasse who ate most of the copopods in my tank, but I have been fortunate that my manderine will eat mysis and krill when really hungry.

[Coldwater]

Today I saw my mandarin is eatingsome sea worms. Is this bad or good?

Matt

[christyf5]

Ya know, I was in the store yesterday and noticed all those puffers in the hospital tank :rolleyes: Not sure what is up there. How is yours doing in the saltwater environment??

Christy :)

[EmilyB]

Today I saw my mandarin is eatingsome sea worms. Is this bad or good?

Matt

Bristleworms? :confused:

When my female mandarin arrived she was really hungry and I saw her eat a small bristleworm. Have never seen that since she moved into the big tank tho.

[Coldwater]

My mandarin ate some bristleworms. My puffers are doing fine, and out of all my fish they are the only ones who havent been sick. They were also the first saltwater fish I have ever had.

Matt

[Quinn]

:rolleyes: Good to hear they're the only ones who haven't been sick. You are able to correlate fish behaviour with general wellbeing quite well then?

[Cyclo]

Heres a FAQ from RC on mandarins.

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3

[Coldwater]

O.k thanks so far. The Mandarin is doing fine and eating a little more mysis.

Matt