Help Me Make My Mandarin Fat

[ellebelle]

I got a blue manadarin about three weeks ago now. I got him from NWA, and he was in reasonable shape - not super fat, but not thin either. The lines on his abdomen were faintly visible. They told me he was eating cyclopeez at the store, but I haven't seen a lot of evidence of that. Occasionally he seems to sample it, but it looks like he spits it out. He does seem to live the baby brine shrimp.

Regardless, I have tons of pods. I've been feeding phyto into my fuge for weeks now, and when the light comes on it looks like the whole thing is alive with little, tiny swimming dots. They're in the cheato, they're in the sand, they are everywhere. When I shake the fuge, I can see them falling out of the cheato and getting sucked into the drain.

But, the manadarin isn't getting any fatter. (He's not getting any THINNER either, so that's good at least) Either the pods aren't making it into the tank in great enough numbers OR they are being eaten out of the water column by my big, fat pig of a fairy wrasse before they make it into the sand.

Any suggestions on how to better get the supply to where it is in most demand?

 

[inline6]

Some members here have had luck with those sushi eggs from the asian markets. Not a promise that they'll eat tho.

 

[Domboski]

I'm surprised to hear he spits out the cyclopeeze. What a stickler! I don't have a lot of great ideas for you but I imagine if you have that many pods in your fuge you must have a ton in your tank (assuming you don't have a UV connected to your return). It may take some time for the Mandarin to plump up too. Have you tried mysis?

 

[ellebelle]

I had a UV sterlizer on BEFORE I got my mandarin, but it's been disconnected for at least three weeks now.

I tried one kind of sushi egg - I put it right on top of his little pod pile, and he swam over it. I want to try the orange sushi eggs because they're a little smaller than the ones that I used. I've tried feeding him mysis, but thus far he hasn't been too interested. Part of the problem might be that he doesn't like it when I put my hands in the tank (he always hides in the back) and the other fish will often snap up all of the mysis shrimp before he makes his way around to where there is still some. Though, the other day one drifted his way and actually hit him on his back and he paid no attention to it.

It could be that he is eating the cyclopeez and I'm just not seeing him do it. But the only time I have definitively seen him pick up some cyclo, I also saw him spit it out.

 

[Domboski]

One of my mandarans learned to eat cyclopeeze off of a dead sea fan I had in the tank. I would use a baster and spray the eeze on it and a lot would stick to it and he would pick right off of it.

It sounds like your Mandaran is still conditioned to eat live foods. The mysis is not makling "live" movements which would trigger a feeding response. Try shaking your chaeto into the main tank once a week for a while to help get things moving.

If you don't use a baster, try using that to help target feed him. I'd keep trying the mysis too. I've heard of people infusing the mysis with garlic which prompted the mandaran to eat but I don't know the succes rate with that nor have I tried it. I always kept target feeding mysis to the Mandaran until they started eating it.

In the meantime, use baby brine shrimp (although a pain) to keep him eating. BBS and the pods in the tank has enough nutrition to keep him in good shape while you are trying to get him on frozens.

Keep at it and it will eventually happen! I have bought a lot of Mandarans from NWA and they all went to mysis eventually.

 

[JHOV2324]

Really thats the first time i heard that...usually the success rate of a mandarin surviving is slim....Ronen has a huge fat mandarin...i think he feeds it blaklava....:biggrin:

 

[ellebelle]

Lots of people have successfully kept mandarins if they go into it knowing what it is they eat and are prepared to provide that. I think the reason why so many mandarins die is because people purchase they because they're pretty without knowing their specific feeding requirements.

Blue mandarins are usually less picky than spotted mandarins (or so I've heard). The ones that Melev keeps eat pellets out of a little jar - and actually, I think jhale told me that his started eating pellets too.

 

[Domboski]

Lots of people have successfully kept mandarins if they go into it knowing what it is they eat and are prepared to provide that. I think the reason why so many mandarins die is because people purchase they because they're pretty without knowing their specific feeding requirements.

Blue mandarins are usually less picky than spotted mandarins (or so I've heard). The ones that Melev keeps eat pellets out of a little jar - and actually, I think jhale told me that his started eating pellets too.

Iv'e heard of that too but mine never ate pellets. I wonder if it is larger Mandarans?? They can get pretty big (compared to what you see in most LFS').

I keep mine with seahorses and pipefish so they get plenty of Mysis and not much exposure to pellets. Seahorses on pellets? that would be awesome!!! LOL

 

[lazyreefer]

you can check out this site:

http://melevsreef.com/mandarin_diner.html

He created a "Diner" of sort. HTH

 

[ellebelle]

I've seen that site - my mandarin only eats pods though. So no diner for him yet.

 

[Domboski]

I'm ordering Live mysis on Monday and should have them on Tuesday. If you want some to feed the Mandaran let me know. I am sure he will eat them! They would at least give you the peace of mind that he is got a full belly for a while.

 

[ellebelle]

I just posted on your thread about that!!! I definitely would like to get in on that order.

 

[JHOV2324]

Wow melev had a great idea....i wonder if that will work with all mandarins or just the ones who are eating prepared foods...