Urgent help on mandarin dragonet!!!!!

[SilverDragon77]

So literally three days ago, I bought this male green mandarin dragonet from my lfs. I knew that these fish were hard to keep, and my biocube 29 didn't have many copepods, BUT he was frozen food trained with mysis shrimp. So I put him in my tank and try to feed him two-three times a day, but according to other forums they will still starve... So I came up with two ideas, and if you guys could be ever so kind and help me, that'd be awesome...

1. I can bring back the dragonette and trade him in for another fish, which I'd really not prefer but then again I would never want him to starve

2. I could set up a refugium in a few days to grow copepods/amphipods, and add those in along side the frozen mysis.

He's already kind of skinny with a semi-sunken belly, yet he still eats the mysis when I turn off the pumps twice a day during feeding. I need help on this ASAP, for the fate of this little fishy!!!!!!!

[zachogden]

Return the fish. You put it in a tank that you already knew wouldn't be able to sustain it,take it back until you've got a steady pod population

[fijisrfr]

Go to melevs reef site & look up "mandarin diner" I've used it & it works great!

[ViktorVaughn]

I have mine trained on a mixture of Nutrimar and Mysis that I put into a small glass down in the sandbed near the back corner of the tank for it. It took maybe 1-2 days before the Mandarin figured out what the glass was and started to make regular appearances in eating. I push the bottom of the glass down in the sand slightly so the lip of the glass is angled up to keep the food settled in the bottom of the glass. The Mandarin goes into the glass throughout the day and eats at its whim while also scouring the rock for pods to eat. I'll always put some in before work and when I get home and feed the tank at night. My tank is just a 40 gallon so I bought a cheap Finnex 1 gallon HOB refugium that I have some chaeto and rock in that I add 2-3 bottles of live pods a month to try and keep the population up.

[SilverDragon77]

So, do you think it would be enough to sustain him on the mysis alone for a few until I grow some copepods? I was thinking of soaking the mysis in some garlic, would that help at all? Thanks soooo much for the fast replies everyone!!

[SilverDragon77]

Oh and ViktorVaughn, thanks for the idea about the jar. I put an old babyfood jar in the tank and put some mysis in it, but my stupid shrimp keep trying to sneak in.. but I'll see if I move it around what will work... also, with your finnex fuge, what lighting do you have on it?

[ViktorVaughn]

If you can get him to go into the baby food jar and eat you will probably be fine, I would try to start getting your pod population up though. Look into Nutrimar or a similar type food for your mandarin to add into that jar as well. I found out recently that the Reef Nutrition TiggerPods are all male and will not breed so whats in the bottle is all you're going to get out of it. As for the lighting I just have a 6500k 18 watt CFL bulb hung about 6" above the top of the refugium.

[Dukester]

Originally Posted by ViktorVaughn

If you can get him to go into the baby food jar and eat you will probably be fine, I would try to start getting your pod population up though. Look into Nutrimar or a similar type food for your mandarin to add into that jar as well. I found out recently that the Reef Nutrition TiggerPods are all male and will not breed so whats in the bottle is all you're going to get out of it. As for the lighting I just have a 6500k 18 watt CFL bulb hung about 6" above the top of the refugium.

this isnt true about reef nutrition tiggerpods, i have farmed billions and billions all from 1 single bottle 2 years ago, you can distinguish male from female just with the naked eye in the bottles themselves.

[wrott]

If it will be going back to a 100+g tank, I'd take it back asap.
They will usually not make it long term in a tank <120g w/out other pod eating fish.
I sustained one in a 65g for ~1yr, then it disappeared.
I've rescued 2 from a lfs and put them into a 125g, the first was a goner in a few days--never had a chance. The second one is doing fine for the past 3yrs. I just add 1ml of kent's phytochrome (the very concentrated stuff) every other day to help feed pods. And seeded tank w/ Tibse 2x in the past 5 yrs.
I wish you luck, because I know lfs usually keep these in a 1g tank just waiting to starve--it is heartbreaking.

[pfcreed]

Ive kept a mandarin In a 90 gal tank for 2 years and the little sucka is going strong. I have live rock in my tank and live rock in the sump, every few months I rotate a few pieces of the live rock from tank to sump and vice versa but other then that I leave it alone. He has survived 2 tank moves and a few weeks inside of a 36 gall tank. Then again I always knew I wanted the mandarin so I let my tank grow pods for around 14 months. See if someone in your area has some cheato get as much as you can because some pods will be in it. buy pods, steal pods lol just do what you have to good luck I think they are hardier then what a lot of people say but then again you have to give em something good to start off with. like a strong pod colony.

[eyesinthedrk]

You are never going to grow enough pods in a bio cube. If he's not getting enough nutrition on the mysis and pellets then you can either buy pods every couple weeks or hatch brine eggs.

I have seen a fat mandarine that had lived more than a year in a ten gal. But the woman bought a bottle of 1000 pods from reefs to go every two weeks.

[t4zalews]

29 gallon probably not going to work. Mine eats pellets but I also have tons of pods as my tank was running for a couple years before I got my mandarin.

[Sonyardo]

I've had a couple over the years that would eat frozen red worms. As long as it's eating, I would say you're good to go. From my understanding they don't have an especially long lifespan in captivity but it's probably better off in your tank then in the fish store. You will definitely need to supplement it's diet and get your fuge running asap.

[t4zalews]

Originally Posted by Sonyardo

I've had a couple over the years that would eat frozen red worms. As long as it's eating, I would say you're good to go. From my understanding they don't have an especially long lifespan in captivity but it's probably better off in your tank then in the fish store. You will definitely need to supplement it's diet and get your fuge running asap.

Given they have enough food, they will live quite a long time

[ViktorVaughn]

Huh, interesting about the TiggerPods, guess I've heard conflicting information. Forgot to mention a really good article on dragonets that I read, can't remember the exact link but if you google "dragonets, coral magazine" you should be able to find it.

[Dukester]

Originally Posted by ViktorVaughn

Huh, interesting about the TiggerPods, guess I've heard conflicting information. Forgot to mention a really good article on dragonets that I read, can't remember the exact link but if you google "dragonets, coral magazine" you should be able to find it.

if you watch my video and look closely, the ones that look like its 2 swimming around together are the mature females with eggs. i keep a 30L container outside and the tiggerpods thrive with no additional help at all.

but back on topic, i agree with the people above, in such a small tank its probably not the best idea unless you are prepared to meet the requirements of the fish.

[SilverDragon77]

I guess I knew what I was going into when I bought him Such a beautiful little fellow, he was being kept in a smaller tank filled with condy nems, so for some stupid reason I thought he would be off a little better in my tank if I were to keep up on the feedings.... He's pretty thin to begin with when I bought him, I heard that if they're skinny already then they'll die soon, can anyone confirm? I don't have enough of a budget to buy tons and tons of pods everyday, so I'm starting to lean towards returning him... I wish I could find a huuuuge aquarium to get nice an fat in though :/ If anyone lives in the DTC area of denver, colorado lol...

[Tenshoa]

Originally Posted by SilverDragon77

I guess I knew what I was going into when I bought him Such a beautiful little fellow, he was being kept in a smaller tank filled with condy nems, so for some stupid reason I thought he would be off a little better in my tank if I were to keep up on the feedings.... He's pretty thin to begin with when I bought him, I heard that if they're skinny already then they'll die soon, can anyone confirm? I don't have enough of a budget to buy tons and tons of pods everyday, so I'm starting to lean towards returning him... I wish I could find a huuuuge aquarium to get nice an fat in though :/ If anyone lives in the DTC area of denver, colorado lol...

Look at his rib cage. If you see a predominant line going down his sides, he is malnourished. If he is eating mysis and you are feeding daily, he should be fine. But these guys are right. There is no way that a 29g could sustain enough pods for him. I was worried enough that my 65g wouldn't be enough. But mine is eating mysis and is as fat as a pig. You can also try feeding Roe.

[SilverDragon77]

He does have the line that is slightly noticeable, and he definately has a sunken stomach despite me feeding him 3x a day. While at the time he won't starve to death, and as sad as it is to do, I will return him to the store after the holiday so hopefully a better owner will take him. Thanks everyone for the fast replies and help on this topic, it's really awesome that you all helped so quickly and thoroughly

[wrott]

It will definitely die at the lfs, unless that right person walks in the door the same day.
So it'd probably be better in your tank if it will eat Mysis. You should try to fatten him up and he may live a long life w/ you, try pellets, ova. I would post in your area for someone who may take him:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumd...sprune=1&f=478