does a mandarin carry ich and how do you qt

jeffscustomcage · 12/09/2010, 10:19 AM

can a mandarin carry ich and what is the best way to qt before putting in m,ain tank

muppet · 12/09/2010, 10:22 AM

I imagine that if you were going to QT a mandarin you'd have to feed him live pods, which could mean a pretty decent investment in bottled pods at the shop.

frankpayne32 · 12/09/2010, 10:43 AM

I am no expert but I have read that the slime coat of mandarins prevents them from carrying ich. Most people recommend not to quarantine them in a typical quarantine set up.

Sk8r · 12/09/2010, 11:26 AM

I do not quarantine dragonets, neither scooters nor mandys, and have never, ever, in 20 plus years of reefing, had one develop ich once installed. Buy from a good store, and be sure the fish is eating: watch them feed before buying. Their bodily consistency is like having a handful of warm Jello, they are not a good home for ich as a result of that extreme slime coat, and while I aggressively promote the use of quarantine for other fishes, this is my one exception, and the exception of most experienced reefers.

sslak · 12/09/2010, 02:27 PM

Agreed. Dragonettes are the one fish you can just acclimate and introduce to the display with no QT.

If you subscribe to the "a tank with ich will always have ich" side of the argument, then my tank has ich and my mandarin did not develop any symptoms when I introduced it. I saw a spot or two on one of my clowns when I moved my tank from one house to another.

9 months later my mandarin is healthy and happy.

Whisperer · 12/09/2010, 03:46 PM

My red mandarin did not have ich but she lost her entire tail from fin rot. My poor mandarin goes about her business not knowing she's missing her tail. On the topic of ich, I have seen mandarins with ich on their fins.

Sk8r · 12/09/2010, 03:55 PM

Poor baby. I'm glad she has a good home. Rare that a fish survives once something has gotten to the --- I think the word is peduncle---the base of the tail or fin where the cartilaginous structure is, like our 'hand bones.' Usually if there is more than the peduncle left, the fin will regrow: if less, the fish doesn't survive. But mandys break a lot of rules, with their intense slime coat and general hardiness above and beyond expectation.

The white stuff most often reported as ich on mandarins is actually bits of sand stuck to them. I have known them to actually get ich in cases of water conditions so incredibly bad I suspect it did in their slime coat. I rather doubt a mandy that has gotten that sick in general is that likely to survive, except by extraordinary effort. And sadly, this is definitely not a fish to pity-buy unless you are well-skilled with mandys and have a setup that will let you treat them. A novice with a new tank just is not in position to rescue this species, and generally when they get into that shape, they are goners.

Whisperer · 12/09/2010, 04:00 PM

I saw several bones sticking out but it has healed, just a stump now.

Sk8r · 12/09/2010, 04:04 PM

If it was not very long ago, it might try to re-grow.

The most likely start of the damage was another mandarin. I've never seen them get in a fight with any other species, not even other dragonet species, but two mandys in the same tank will either mate or one will rip the other to shreds.

Sk8r · 12/09/2010, 04:04 PM

If it was not very long ago, it might try to re-grow.

The most likely start of the damage was another mandarin. I've never seen them get in a fight with any other species, not even other dragonet species, but two mandys in the same tank will either mate or one will rip the other to shreds.

12/09/2010, 10:19 AM	#1
jeffscustomcage Moved On Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: zion illinois Posts: 294	does a mandarin carry ich and how do you qt can a mandarin carry ich and what is the best way to qt before putting in m,ain tank

12/09/2010, 10:22 AM	#2
muppet Misanthrope Join Date: May 2010 Location: Plainville, CT Posts: 2,759	I imagine that if you were going to QT a mandarin you'd have to feed him live pods, which could mean a pretty decent investment in bottled pods at the shop. __________________ Vertex IN-100 Skimmer 5g fuge area in the works JBJ Ocean Pulse 1600GPH wavemaker CoralVue 4x54 fixture running?: 2xATI Blue Plus, 1xRed Sea Pink, 1xRed Sea 12K, 10x1w LED blue moonlights Current Tank Info: Deep Blue 75G RR with 20H sump

12/09/2010, 10:43 AM	#3
frankpayne32 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,177	I am no expert but I have read that the slime coat of mandarins prevents them from carrying ich. Most people recommend not to quarantine them in a typical quarantine set up. __________________ Frank Payne Advice to new hobbyists: listen to people that have a tank you would like to have one day, not to those with a high post count. Current Tank Info: 125 gallon in-wall (build thread is my homepage).

12/09/2010, 11:26 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I do not quarantine dragonets, neither scooters nor mandys, and have never, ever, in 20 plus years of reefing, had one develop ich once installed. Buy from a good store, and be sure the fish is eating: watch them feed before buying. Their bodily consistency is like having a handful of warm Jello, they are not a good home for ich as a result of that extreme slime coat, and while I aggressively promote the use of quarantine for other fishes, this is my one exception, and the exception of most experienced reefers. __________________ 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%.

12/09/2010, 02:27 PM	#5
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	Agreed. Dragonettes are the one fish you can just acclimate and introduce to the display with no QT. If you subscribe to the "a tank with ich will always have ich" side of the argument, then my tank has ich and my mandarin did not develop any symptoms when I introduced it. I saw a spot or two on one of my clowns when I moved my tank from one house to another. 9 months later my mandarin is healthy and happy. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

12/09/2010, 03:46 PM	#6
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	My red mandarin did not have ich but she lost her entire tail from fin rot. My poor mandarin goes about her business not knowing she's missing her tail. On the topic of ich, I have seen mandarins with ich on their fins. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

12/09/2010, 03:55 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Poor baby. I'm glad she has a good home. Rare that a fish survives once something has gotten to the --- I think the word is peduncle---the base of the tail or fin where the cartilaginous structure is, like our 'hand bones.' Usually if there is more than the peduncle left, the fin will regrow: if less, the fish doesn't survive. But mandys break a lot of rules, with their intense slime coat and general hardiness above and beyond expectation. The white stuff most often reported as ich on mandarins is actually bits of sand stuck to them. I have known them to actually get ich in cases of water conditions so incredibly bad I suspect it did in their slime coat. I rather doubt a mandy that has gotten that sick in general is that likely to survive, except by extraordinary effort. And sadly, this is definitely not a fish to pity-buy unless you are well-skilled with mandys and have a setup that will let you treat them. A novice with a new tank just is not in position to rescue this species, and generally when they get into that shape, they are goners. __________________ 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%.

12/09/2010, 04:00 PM	#8
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	I saw several bones sticking out but it has healed, just a stump now. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

12/09/2010, 04:04 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If it was not very long ago, it might try to re-grow. The most likely start of the damage was another mandarin. I've never seen them get in a fight with any other species, not even other dragonet species, but two mandys in the same tank will either mate or one will rip the other to shreds. __________________ 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%.

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