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.