Green Mandarin - When is it right to introduce?

[rgun2515]

Probably, the number one reason why I switched from fresh to salt water 5 years ago was because of this fish. I kept one with some success in my 90G. It lived for about 2 years. I was able to train it (Starve it till it had no choice) to eat frozen foods. This time, I want to do it right. The pod population in my tank is growing. I would say for every square foot of glass, you can count 15 pods walking around. In the sump it's higher. Maybe 30 per square foot.
Now naturally, I can't see any on or in the rock, I just have to assume they are there if they are on the glass...
I never added pods, so they must have come on the Live Rock I got from members of this site. - THANKS...

My question is, at what point do you think a Green Mandarin can live on live pods alone...

 

[inkblue]

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

 

[Deanos]

Search MR for "mandarin".

There are several threads which answer your question.

 

[JLAudio]

I was successful with one for about a year and sold him to "emmanuel" on this site and hes still fat and healthy and he's probably had him 6 months. I believe the contributing factor was
A. A well established tank (although upgrades, majority of rock and sand was 3+ years old.
B. A hang-on Fuge that was given tiger pods and a few occasion and you could see them swimimin like crazy in their. Many of my fish would hang out by the return of the fuge eating pods. I believ this top be superior to sump fuge, because the water does not have to go through pump.

 

[rgun2515]

Just thought I would update this post. I can still see many pods in both the tank and the sump, and my Mandarin hunts the rocks all day pulling, what I assume to be pods, off the rock. Thing is "and I plan to video this, when feeding time comes around, the Mandarin eats formula one pellets! No joke!

If I can catch this on film, I will post.

By the way, he is fat and happy...