another problem_mandarine gobby)

[mc_19]

here i come with another problem! i have a green mandarine gobby, it size its pretty big! its been with me for like about 1 month and half, but lately its been acting weird! stays in one corner, doesnt eat, im scared it might die! i fed it live schrimp but to me its like its not eating! wat do i do? HELP!

[leebca]

I'd recommend you find a good home for the Mandarin. Perhaps trade it to an LFS for store credit.

These fish are hard to keep alive by beginners or novice aquarists. They should be in a tank with no less than 100 pounds of live rock. Preferably they are kept in 75 gallon or larger aquariums. They eat copepods found on and around living rock that is well established in the aquarium. This fish will not live long on just brine shrimp, since brine shrimp are not natural to them and since brine shrimp are not nutritious enough -- even if it did eat the brine shrimp.

Mandarins can be trained to eat other foods, but it takes time and patience and best done in a quarantine tank. Once released into the display aquarium without training to eat other foods, they often die in a few weeks to a few months, depending upon how many and how diverse the copepod population is in the display tank.

I urge you to stop adding fishes to your aquarium. In addition, you might consider returning the fishes you have to an LFS to hold for you or to give you store credit. The tank has to mature; you have a lot to learn about marine fishes and livestock; and your current choices are not very good for the wellbeing of the lives you have in the tank. E.g., dead Yellow Tang, Blue Starfish, now Mandarin.

I'm pretty sure that you care about them, since you are here asking for help and seemingly interested in keeping them alive. If this is the case, the best for them is for you to stop and to begin learning before you try and keep a marine aquarium. You and the tank aren't ready to keep fish or invertebrates yet.

The normal approach is to first read up and learn about a fish or invertebrate before you acquire it. In this way you determine ahead of time if you can keep the fish. Then you obtain and have the necessary foods, aquarium system, and knowledge about the life you hope to maintain. The last thing you then do is acquire the specimen.

I recommend you obtain at least one good beginner's book. Check this out:
Marine Aquarium Books & Reading

Have you read this post to understand what it takes to keep a marine aquarium?
Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium

We want to help you, but you need to obtain some basic information before you get going. Good luck! ;)

[mistermikev]

if you insist on keeping it against all odds... get a brine shrimp hatchery($10). You can feed this guy live baby brine shrimp. I know you tried brine shrimp but I am assuming it was adult brine from the fish store. Babys are A. more likely to be eaten by the mandy and B. can provide some nutrition. It takes about 18hrs to grow these baby brine shrimp, and you should know that the eggshells can be harmful. This is how I got my original scooter blenny to start eating in the tank(similar to manderin - both dragonets). I am not trying to encourage you to keep him against others advice... just trying to be helpful. My scooter lived for 1.5 yrs in a 29gal - I learned my lesson and won't have another even in my 75. If your copepod population drops off, or the sand goes bad, or umpteen million other possible things happen - he will not make it. good luck.

[CSeaSee]

I second the idea of giving it to someone who can take care of it, before it starves to death. I would also urge you to practice responsible, conscientious reefkeeping- buy a book. This industry is already under enough scrutiny, and people who rifle through livestock like toilet paper don't help anyone or anything.

[mistermikev]

I would just like to point out that on the one hand: I agree... save the reef. It is a special thing that we need to take care to preserve. On the other hand, it is easy to say - practice responsible reefkeeping - without remembering how irresponsible most of us PROBABLY were when we started (looking back I will admit I am a little guilty). I am not bashing anyone here... just wanted to convey some compassion for the newbies. I think in the long run a "soft sell" and gentle encouragement go a lot further than a soap box and pointed finger. My point is, allthough giving the mandy to someone who can better care for it is good advice... it skirts the answer to the original question and I wonder how often it is taken rather than "tuned out". That said, anyone have experience/advice on how to get a mandy eating?

[mistermikev]

ps one option: if it eats live brine shrimp... buy some live brine, keep it in the bag floating in your tank, get some DT or kent phytoplankton or marine snow or cyclopeze and toss a little in the bag with the shrimp. Let it stew for 2-4 hrs then release the shrimp. Now they will be gut loaded and a healthier feed for this mandy. thanks and good luck