New Mandarin Not Eating

khrios · 08/19/2008, 12:48 PM

I got a Mandarin Dragonette from liveaquaria on friday and from the get-go it didn't look too hot. It seemed very stressed. After aclimating it and watching it for a while, it doesn't seem to be actively moving to look for food. I have checked on it every day since, and it just seems to move to a few spots and hangout there, but I have NOT seen it eat yet. I am very worried. I have tried dosing garlic extreme to the tank twice when I fed the other fish (6 line wrasse and ocellaris clown, both small) but it hasn't seemed effective. I have a 125g tank w/ lots of LR/LS. I have been adding phyto to see if that increases the 'pod populations, but only for the last few days. What should I do?

HumanIMDB · 08/19/2008, 12:57 PM

Do you see lots of pods in the tank? If you can't see them and the mandarin isn't "feeding" on them (i.e. you see it picking at rocks) then it could be that the wrasse has eaten them all or is eating them before the mandarin gets a chance.

You could try a Mandarin Diner like Melev uses, but only if it likes Formula 2 pellets.

Good luck!

HumanIMDB · 08/19/2008, 12:58 PM

P.S. Do you have a protected place for the pods to reproduce without being eaten? Fuge, pod pile, etc.?

khrios · 08/19/2008, 02:09 PM

came home for lunch and the mandarin was stuck to my PH

It wasn't picking at anything. it hardly moved at all. I was pretty sure it was a goner before I even put it in, but I didn't know what else I could do. I think I might get one from my LFS. They have a few that look very healthy and have been there for a while.

No fuge, but I just setup a pod pile and I think I'm going to get some live copepods to make sure there's lots of diversity, before I try getting another fish.

I did lots of research on mandarins before getting one and my tank conditions should be fine. I think I just got a sick/overly stressed fish.

Any suggestions before I try again would be greatly appreciated. Where's a good place to get live copepods? I looked at http://www.oceanpods.com/ and I have seen stuff on ebay. Anyone have a reputable source?

Sk8r · 08/19/2008, 02:10 PM

Do not keep a wrasse and mandy in same tank. The fish may well have been stressed, however.

Fizz71 · 08/19/2008, 02:11 PM

A six line is a tough tankmate for a new mandarin. I would definetely go spotting for pods tonight (use a red light) to see what the population looks like. Sixline's don't need pods, but if they're there it will hit them big time.

Unfortunetely many mandarins are starved far before you've even bought them because they won't eat anything in the pod-sterile tanks that pet stores have.

khrios · 08/19/2008, 02:39 PM

Sk8r, you said "ok on the mandy" when I asked you about it on the check your fish purchases thread. I have never seen a fish so inactive. Throughout the 4 days it survived in my tank, it maybe moved within 1-2' of where it started. Always a the bottom hiding in a cave under some LR.

I will go pickup a red light and look for pods.

My LFS usually has pretty healthy specimens, so I think it would be better to get it from there.

HumanIMDB · 08/19/2008, 03:17 PM

Definitely sounds like it had problems before you got it.

I'd make sure you get a good pod population before attempting to keep another one. If you add pods and never see them, you can bet the wrasse is eating them all before they can reproduce.

If you can't setup a refugium, make sure you have a generous amount of pod piles for them to hide out from the predators.

Stocking pods will only be a short term solution as it will cost you a fortune to keep up with the demand...unless you setup a dedicated breeding tank for them at which point you should have just added a refugium.

08/19/2008, 12:48 PM	#1
khrios Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portland Posts: 212	New Mandarin Not Eating I got a Mandarin Dragonette from liveaquaria on friday and from the get-go it didn't look too hot. It seemed very stressed. After aclimating it and watching it for a while, it doesn't seem to be actively moving to look for food. I have checked on it every day since, and it just seems to move to a few spots and hangout there, but I have NOT seen it eat yet. I am very worried. I have tried dosing garlic extreme to the tank twice when I fed the other fish (6 line wrasse and ocellaris clown, both small) but it hasn't seemed effective. I have a 125g tank w/ lots of LR/LS. I have been adding phyto to see if that increases the 'pod populations, but only for the last few days. What should I do?

08/19/2008, 12:57 PM	#2
HumanIMDB Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 1,556	Do you see lots of pods in the tank? If you can't see them and the mandarin isn't "feeding" on them (i.e. you see it picking at rocks) then it could be that the wrasse has eaten them all or is eating them before the mandarin gets a chance. You could try a Mandarin Diner like Melev uses, but only if it likes Formula 2 pellets. Good luck! __________________ Chris Rivers Will do computer support for frags. :) Click on the Red House to see our AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build thread. Current Tank Info: 10 Gal (Aqualight 96W Quad 50/50, AquaClear Power Filter 70 with Chaeto lit by 6500K Bulb, AquaClear Power Head 20, 50w Tronic Heater), 92 Gal All-Glass Corner (Cycling)

08/19/2008, 12:58 PM	#3
HumanIMDB Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 1,556	P.S. Do you have a protected place for the pods to reproduce without being eaten? Fuge, pod pile, etc.? __________________ Chris Rivers Will do computer support for frags. :) Click on the Red House to see our AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build thread. Current Tank Info: 10 Gal (Aqualight 96W Quad 50/50, AquaClear Power Filter 70 with Chaeto lit by 6500K Bulb, AquaClear Power Head 20, 50w Tronic Heater), 92 Gal All-Glass Corner (Cycling)

08/19/2008, 02:10 PM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Do not keep a wrasse and mandy in same tank. The fish may well have been stressed, however. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/19/2008, 02:11 PM	#6
Fizz71 FragSwapper Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: West Lawn, PA Posts: 5,800	A six line is a tough tankmate for a new mandarin. I would definetely go spotting for pods tonight (use a red light) to see what the population looks like. Sixline's don't need pods, but if they're there it will hit them big time. Unfortunetely many mandarins are starved far before you've even bought them because they won't eat anything in the pod-sterile tanks that pet stores have. __________________ --Fizz Current Tank Info: Current system is 8x2x2 240g peninsula setup with a single "chamber" 100g sump in the basement with an RDSB. All corals are 100% home grown from frags of fellow reefers (low natural reef impact).

08/19/2008, 02:09 PM	#4
khrios Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portland Posts: 212	came home for lunch and the mandarin was stuck to my PH It wasn't picking at anything. it hardly moved at all. I was pretty sure it was a goner before I even put it in, but I didn't know what else I could do. I think I might get one from my LFS. They have a few that look very healthy and have been there for a while. No fuge, but I just setup a pod pile and I think I'm going to get some live copepods to make sure there's lots of diversity, before I try getting another fish. I did lots of research on mandarins before getting one and my tank conditions should be fine. I think I just got a sick/overly stressed fish. Any suggestions before I try again would be greatly appreciated. Where's a good place to get live copepods? I looked at http://www.oceanpods.com/ and I have seen stuff on ebay. Anyone have a reputable source?

08/19/2008, 02:39 PM	#7
khrios Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Portland Posts: 212	Sk8r, you said "ok on the mandy" when I asked you about it on the check your fish purchases thread. I have never seen a fish so inactive. Throughout the 4 days it survived in my tank, it maybe moved within 1-2' of where it started. Always a the bottom hiding in a cave under some LR. I will go pickup a red light and look for pods. My LFS usually has pretty healthy specimens, so I think it would be better to get it from there.

08/19/2008, 03:17 PM	#8
HumanIMDB Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Winnipeg, MB Posts: 1,556	Definitely sounds like it had problems before you got it. I'd make sure you get a good pod population before attempting to keep another one. If you add pods and never see them, you can bet the wrasse is eating them all before they can reproduce. If you can't setup a refugium, make sure you have a generous amount of pod piles for them to hide out from the predators. Stocking pods will only be a short term solution as it will cost you a fortune to keep up with the demand...unless you setup a dedicated breeding tank for them at which point you should have just added a refugium. __________________ Chris Rivers Will do computer support for frags. :) Click on the Red House to see our AGA92 Corner Reef Tank Build thread. Current Tank Info: 10 Gal (Aqualight 96W Quad 50/50, AquaClear Power Filter 70 with Chaeto lit by 6500K Bulb, AquaClear Power Head 20, 50w Tronic Heater), 92 Gal All-Glass Corner (Cycling)