Mandarins. Big NO NO!?!

[scubadude]

Ya know I have never bought one for the sole reason that they where pretty expensive in the LFS that I first almost bought one. Shortly after I started my first reef tank I was lucky enough to find reefland. I was so entrigued by my newfound hobby I just stayed up late day and nite reading threads left and right and everywhere I saw threads about mandarins ppl bought and how they loved them and would do anything for them, then 2-8 mos later we either would never hear from them again or never see pics of the mandarins again or they would post something about how its health is on the decline. They are still awesome fish and I love to see them in pictures, but would I ever own one? I doubt it. Please be responsible by researching what you buy first.....Most LFS's have books and if I dont know anything about something I want then I will look @ their books if I really want it. If they dont have books for sale they sometimes have books for their own reference use that are not for sale...ask to borrow them and that you want to look up a fish/coral that they have for sale! This will not only help your purchase but it will tell you alot about the LFS and the employee that is working w/you on this purchase.

We ALL have made impulse purchases before im sure....I know I have
the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and help others to not make those same mistakes. I am not trying to single anyone out I just see alot of threads/pics of mandarins now on the board, and it appears to be newer members. It may be partially the fault of the information that is on hand to you guys, I know that some LFS wont give books on mandarins cuz if the customers knew the truth then they wouldnt buy them, and that would mean less income for the LFS.

Just food for thought guys/girls.

[FireEater]

Great post, I know people who keep them but their tanks are years old with many many pods for the little guys to eat.

My tank is going on four years old, well established with thousands of pods and I still do not keep one. I have a Sixline Wrasse and he would just compete with a Mandarin for the pods even though he eats prepared food.

I have seen one or two mandarins eat prepared food, but it is so far inbetween that it is not worth the chance of starving one.

[almostdiva]

you just need to do your homework/research before you buy. If you don't have an established tank that is over 100G, you need to be prepared in case your mandarin isn't one of the very few that can be trained to eat prepared foods. You need to be prepared to regularly by copepods from someone like Inland Aquatics to replenish what the mandarin eats, or you need to be prepared to raise your own, like I do. It was a little trial and error in the beginning, but once I got the hang of it, I now have a regular "crop" that gets moved from the 'pod tank to the big tank.

Mandarins are like EVERYTHING ELSE in this hobby -- you should know what you're getting -- and getting into-- before you get it (this from the woman that kept a sohal tang in a 55g when I first started -- because it was so PRETTY -- so I'm totally guilty, too! ). I think they're just a very drastic example -- things will go wrong very quickly if the environment isn't right.

And you're totally RIGHT Scuba -- at the end of the day the LFS is a business trying to make $$, and there are LOTS of them out there who are willing to take advantage of a customer's lack of education and sell something inapropriate.

Rebecca

[Samper]

The problem that I've noticed even with mandarins that eat prepared foods is that in a display with other competition they aren't assertive enough to get food before the others.

[PortWash]

Great post. I know I wanted a mandarin from the time I thought about keeping a marine tank. I was fortunate to be diswaded from the purchase after reading and seeing that I would not be able to provide a proper habitat for it. I was at the LFS this weekend and they were 15$ and $20. I think this price point is part of the reason there is an influx of people placing them in their tanks.

[DonW]

I love mandarines but my tank is way to small and new. I feed 100% live feeds. I have a offshoot hobby and raise my own live feeds and have a 24/7 live feeder. Its made keeping mandarines easy and healthy but is close to having another hobby in itself.

Don

[scubadude]

Excellent point Don!

If you are deadset on going w/ a mandarin then Live foods are the way to go definately I know its a PITA but I think it would have more benefits than just raising a mandarin.

[kevinpo]

I have kept mandarins for many years so here are a few tips that you may find useful.
I would recommend a 75 gallon as the minimum tank size with 50+ pounds of well established liverock (3 months with no fish or 6 months with fish). In a tank less than 100 gallons wrasses, hawkfish, dottybacks, and other pod hunters should not be kept and only one mandarin for a 100 gallon tank. 150 gallon and larger a pair of mandarins or one other pod hunter can be kept.
There are always exceptions to the above but these are general guides to keeping mandarins.

Here is a picture of my spawning pair in my 550. I also have a Sixline Wrasse with them. The male has since died from old age. I bought him 6 years ago as a mature adult but the female was a juvenile. I will have had her 7 years in June.

Regards,
Kevin
PS: Please research all the care and compatibility requirements of each fish, invertebrate, and coral before you purchase.

[DonW]

Very Nice!! Thats a great shot.

Don

[kevinpo]

Thanks Don

Cheers,
Kevin

[scubadude]

Here is a picture of my spawning pair in my 550. I also have a Sixline Wrasse with them. The male has since died from old age. I bought him 6 years ago as a mature adult but the female was a juvenile. I will have had her 7 years in June.

Regards,
Kevin

You RAWK Dewd! Good info 2

[kevinpo]

One other note:
The female still gets pregnant each month and holds the eggs as long as possible hoping for a male to come along I guess? She finally releases the eggs after looking like she will pop

Cheers,
Kevin
PS: Thanks for the kind words Rocky