mandarin's and pod consumption

clown fanatic · 07/26/2006, 02:40 PM

i was at the petstore the other day and kind of wanted to rescue one of these poor guys. anyways, im probably not going to end up trying. i was just curious, that if someone was to get one they would obviously eat a good majority of the pod population, and how would this affect the tank? the lack of pods would bring about what? i usually only see people concerned with being able to supply the fish with a good amount of food.

clown fanatic · 07/26/2006, 07:39 PM

shameless bump

Mishap · 07/26/2006, 07:55 PM

A Tank with a healthy population of pods would reproduce faster than a mandarin could possibly eat them. I'm not too sure what the downside to having no pod population is, but I don't think there's any negative effect other then the fish don't have them around to eat.

Also, once a mandarin's stomach looks like its sucked in, it's pretty much too late to bring it back.

clown fanatic · 07/26/2006, 08:02 PM

what i was thinking is that maybe pods would do something as far as further decomposing waste. without them, could you expect more excess nutrients?

once their stomachs are sucked in why is it too late? do they become to weak to hunt?

Mishap · 07/27/2006, 04:55 PM

From my understanding, it's much like when humans are starved or malnurished. When you don't eat, your stomach shrinks. If you then eat alot, your stomach must expand to accomodate the food. This could cause your stomach to burst. So I believe the fish would fare the same way.

clown fanatic · 07/27/2006, 05:08 PM

i also had another question. in this fish book i have, it says that they WILL be eaten by anemones. how much more suseptible (spelling?) are they than any other fish from being eaten

Slickdonkey · 07/27/2006, 05:19 PM

I don't know whether anemones will eat pods, but when anemones are happy I think they tend to stay put, not run around the tank stalking pods.

Mishap · 07/27/2006, 05:20 PM

They "cruise" around the tank, hovering over the rocks and often the anemones. This leads to them being eaten occasionally. I have one in a 30g tank with a carpet now for about 4 months. No problems as of yet.

Shekki · 07/27/2006, 05:33 PM

Hey Clown,

I have a spotted Mandarin in my 24 gallon AP. I also felt the need to resue him from the LFS, because they sell a lot of them to people who don't even know how to feed them. I ordered pods online ($60 worth!) to make sure he'd have food. Turns out that he eats mysis and bloodworms, and still picks at the pods in the tank. Maybe I got lucky. One suggestion: make sure to turn off your pumps while feeding. They don't really chase food around the tank like other fish. Mine likes to pick off a big clump near the surface, and follow it as it floats down. One more thing. You'll think he's dead every night in the tank. They just kinda lay on the bottom. It's freaky!

Robb

socalreefer73 · 07/27/2006, 05:54 PM

No swim bladders?

Ryanqk · 07/27/2006, 06:22 PM

Yeak i love the behavior of these mandarins, i too had to buy live supplement copepods, at a comperable cost about 50 bucks for a lil bottle of em. The fish likes to cruise around and "pecks at the rocks, like a chicken. So colorful but be careful if you get one the leading cuase of death is starvation. mine is in a 30gl tank with tons of LR, rubble, and a good copepod population. I wouldnt risk putting one in a tank much smaller than that.
Ryan

socalreefer73 · 07/27/2006, 07:32 PM

Make a pod pile of LR rubble?

Mishap · 07/27/2006, 07:37 PM

You can get the mandarin to eat frozen food, or even flake for that matter. It just takes persistance.

scunan · 07/27/2006, 08:25 PM

My mandarin eats mysis shrimp

mraafat · 07/27/2006, 09:47 PM

i had a mandarin that ate most frozen foods (not forumal one or two). He was a great guy, and nothing ever bothered him. They can swim at all altitudes because I have seen him near the top of the glass once in a while, but they normally just glide over your rock-work. Ended up moving and had to give him up.

Alamo · 07/27/2006, 10:39 PM

I you want a mandarin imo you need a refugium so the pods will have a safe place to reproduce.

pnsnowboard · 07/27/2006, 11:14 PM

another great thing to do for a mandrin is dose phyto everyday or every other day because that will keep your pod population up because thats what pods eat and to have pods you need to have what they need to eat

Mishap · 07/27/2006, 11:18 PM

You don't even need pods or a fuge to keep a mandarin. period.

2fishy · 07/27/2006, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pnsnowboard
another great thing to do for a mandrin is dose phyto everyday or every other day because that will keep your pod population up because thats what pods eat and to have pods you need to have what they need to eat

So I was reading this thread & decided to search on google to see what makes up Phytoplankton and you wouldn't believe what I read....

"The smallest phytoplankton, the ultraphytoplankton (which includes picophytoplankton), include a single-cell planktonic form of the blue-green algae known as the cyanobacteria. This latter group was not really appreciated until the mid-1970s when it was "discovered" that this group of phytoplankton may contribute up to 70% of the world ocean's entire primary production. "

Here is the link to the article.
http://www.oceansonline.com/phytoplankton.htm

I didn't read the whole article yet...but FREAK me out!!!!

clown fanatic · 07/27/2006, 11:55 PM

thats very intresting 2fishy!

2fishy · 07/28/2006, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by clown fanatic
thats very intresting 2fishy!

Thanks...but unless you understand a lot of water chemistry & are interested in that type of thing...or maybe can't sleep, you may not want to read the whole thing because it was written for a class it sounds like, and now my head hurts from reading it this late at night!

But it is still very strange to think of cyano in that light!

GreshamH · 07/28/2006, 11:20 AM

Cyano is creditted with the earliest of O2 production this planet expereinced. FWIW< Blue green is a very nutritious algae and consumed by many around the world.

Reef_bones · 07/28/2006, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mishap
You don't even need pods or a fuge to keep a mandarin. period.

You don't need to be giving advice if that is what you tell people...

YOU will need pods to keep a mandarin. They eat all day long. No matter if yours eats frozen or flake it will still munch as many pods as it can find.

Angel*Fish · 07/28/2006, 12:07 PM

I have posted on so many mandarin threads... what you need to do is read, read, read as many threads as you can find plus there is a even a link on this board to FAQ about mandarins
If the search doesn't work, i'd recommend you invest in a membership --- it will save you much more money than it will cost you

I'm not sure about all that stomach talk at the beginning of the thread -- but just because his stomach's empty and he eats doesn't mean it's going to burst

If they were talking about an emaciated body - it still doesn't mean the fish cannot make it - obviously there is some point of no return, but i don't think it's reasonable to try and describe something like that on a thread like this in 10 words or less.

If you want my advice & if you're willing to go the extra mile if need be - try and save the fish - you aren't going to discourage the LFS's from selling them by not purchasing one as they are now considered "do-able" fish

Some say spotted mandarins are more likely to accept frozen foods - not sure if it's true.

I have a regular one in my fuge and the first time I squirted some live brine in there, he went for it. The spotted ones in the main tank like to pick at just hatched baby brine.

I better add that brine is not sufficient long term - but it's a start. I mean if someone in the desert was starving and all you had was a Hershey bar and a Coke you wouldn't withhold it because it's not high in omega-3's, right?

Go for it and we on this board will help you guide you thru!

Angel*Fish · 07/28/2006, 12:17 PM

I just checked your profile - if you have a 55g reef tank, you may be fine without any extra effort at all - After he fattens up you will need to keep an eye on the fish's weight - if he starts looking thinner - you may need to invest in something like macros, pods, a couple of new LR's etc. to boost the pods - also like someone above said feed your pods (live phytoplankton).

Anemones - apparently they will eat mandarins - I personally wouldn't keep a carpet and mandarin - but many people keep BTA's with no problem - I've had mandarins and BTA's in the same tank for many years never saw one go near the BTA even during spawning - Knock-on-wood

Quote:

the lack of pods would bring about what

Nobody ever asks that - interesting question -- R.Shimek or someone like that would know for sure - I'm thinking that the type of pod your mandarin eats the most of would result in other pod types or other invertebrate types increasing & that there would be no negative effect. These other animals would take up the slack IMHO.

07/26/2006, 02:40 PM	#1
clown fanatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Seminole, Florida Posts: 881	mandarin's and pod consumption i was at the petstore the other day and kind of wanted to rescue one of these poor guys. anyways, im probably not going to end up trying. i was just curious, that if someone was to get one they would obviously eat a good majority of the pod population, and how would this affect the tank? the lack of pods would bring about what? i usually only see people concerned with being able to supply the fish with a good amount of food.

07/27/2006, 06:22 PM	#11
Ryanqk Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 1,381	Yeak i love the behavior of these mandarins, i too had to buy live supplement copepods, at a comperable cost about 50 bucks for a lil bottle of em. The fish likes to cruise around and "pecks at the rocks, like a chicken. So colorful but be careful if you get one the leading cuase of death is starvation. mine is in a 30gl tank with tons of LR, rubble, and a good copepod population. I wouldnt risk putting one in a tank much smaller than that. Ryan __________________ MOM! I'm God Of The Sea People! Behold my tiny minions gloveling at my likeness! Current Tank Info: 75gl display, 20gl long fuge, CPR overflow, Octopuss NW150 skimmer, 4 x 110w VHO T12's and supplemental actinic, ongoing projects...

07/28/2006, 11:20 AM	#22
GreshamH Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 9,474	Cyano is creditted with the earliest of O2 production this planet expereinced. FWIW< Blue green is a very nutritious algae and consumed by many around the world. __________________ Gresham _______________________________ Feeding your reef...one polyp at a time

07/28/2006, 12:07 PM	#24
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	I have posted on so many mandarin threads... what you need to do is read, read, read as many threads as you can find plus there is a even a link on this board to FAQ about mandarins If the search doesn't work, i'd recommend you invest in a membership --- it will save you much more money than it will cost you I'm not sure about all that stomach talk at the beginning of the thread -- but just because his stomach's empty and he eats doesn't mean it's going to burst If they were talking about an emaciated body - it still doesn't mean the fish cannot make it - obviously there is some point of no return, but i don't think it's reasonable to try and describe something like that on a thread like this in 10 words or less. If you want my advice & if you're willing to go the extra mile if need be - try and save the fish - you aren't going to discourage the LFS's from selling them by not purchasing one as they are now considered "do-able" fish Some say spotted mandarins are more likely to accept frozen foods - not sure if it's true. I have a regular one in my fuge and the first time I squirted some live brine in there, he went for it. The spotted ones in the main tank like to pick at just hatched baby brine. I better add that brine is not sufficient long term - but it's a start. I mean if someone in the desert was starving and all you had was a Hershey bar and a Coke you wouldn't withhold it because it's not high in omega-3's, right? Go for it and we on this board will help you guide you thru! __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums Last edited by AngelFish; 07/28/2006 at 12:36 PM.*

07/26/2006, 07:39 PM	#2
clown fanatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Seminole, Florida Posts: 881	shameless bump

07/26/2006, 07:55 PM	#3
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	A Tank with a healthy population of pods would reproduce faster than a mandarin could possibly eat them. I'm not too sure what the downside to having no pod population is, but I don't think there's any negative effect other then the fish don't have them around to eat. Also, once a mandarin's stomach looks like its sucked in, it's pretty much too late to bring it back.

07/26/2006, 08:02 PM	#4
clown fanatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Seminole, Florida Posts: 881	what i was thinking is that maybe pods would do something as far as further decomposing waste. without them, could you expect more excess nutrients? once their stomachs are sucked in why is it too late? do they become to weak to hunt?

07/27/2006, 04:55 PM	#5
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	From my understanding, it's much like when humans are starved or malnurished. When you don't eat, your stomach shrinks. If you then eat alot, your stomach must expand to accomodate the food. This could cause your stomach to burst. So I believe the fish would fare the same way.

07/27/2006, 05:08 PM	#6
clown fanatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Seminole, Florida Posts: 881	i also had another question. in this fish book i have, it says that they WILL be eaten by anemones. how much more suseptible (spelling?) are they than any other fish from being eaten

07/27/2006, 05:19 PM	#7
Slickdonkey Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Woodinville, WA Posts: 375	I don't know whether anemones will eat pods, but when anemones are happy I think they tend to stay put, not run around the tank stalking pods.

07/27/2006, 05:20 PM	#8
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	They "cruise" around the tank, hovering over the rocks and often the anemones. This leads to them being eaten occasionally. I have one in a 30g tank with a carpet now for about 4 months. No problems as of yet.

07/27/2006, 05:33 PM	#9
Shekki Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Ocean City, MD Posts: 651	Hey Clown, I have a spotted Mandarin in my 24 gallon AP. I also felt the need to resue him from the LFS, because they sell a lot of them to people who don't even know how to feed them. I ordered pods online ($60 worth!) to make sure he'd have food. Turns out that he eats mysis and bloodworms, and still picks at the pods in the tank. Maybe I got lucky. One suggestion: make sure to turn off your pumps while feeding. They don't really chase food around the tank like other fish. Mine likes to pick off a big clump near the surface, and follow it as it floats down. One more thing. You'll think he's dead every night in the tank. They just kinda lay on the bottom. It's freaky! Robb

07/27/2006, 05:54 PM	#10
socalreefer73 Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego, Ca. Posts: 821	No swim bladders?

07/27/2006, 07:32 PM	#12
socalreefer73 Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego, Ca. Posts: 821	Make a pod pile of LR rubble?

07/27/2006, 07:37 PM	#13
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	You can get the mandarin to eat frozen food, or even flake for that matter. It just takes persistance.

07/27/2006, 08:25 PM	#14
scunan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 298	My mandarin eats mysis shrimp

07/27/2006, 09:47 PM	#15
mraafat Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: California Posts: 228	i had a mandarin that ate most frozen foods (not forumal one or two). He was a great guy, and nothing ever bothered him. They can swim at all altitudes because I have seen him near the top of the glass once in a while, but they normally just glide over your rock-work. Ended up moving and had to give him up.

07/27/2006, 10:39 PM	#16
Alamo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 59	I you want a mandarin imo you need a refugium so the pods will have a safe place to reproduce.

07/27/2006, 11:14 PM	#17
pnsnowboard Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: aurora CO Posts: 867	another great thing to do for a mandrin is dose phyto everyday or every other day because that will keep your pod population up because thats what pods eat and to have pods you need to have what they need to eat

07/27/2006, 11:18 PM	#18
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	You don't even need pods or a fuge to keep a mandarin. period.

07/27/2006, 11:55 PM	#20
clown fanatic Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Seminole, Florida Posts: 881	thats very intresting 2fishy!