Official Mandarin and Dragonet Show off thread

[metrokat]

[Snow_Phoenix]

Hey guys, need an opinion. I have made this thingy consisting of a three-layer pod hotel, chaeto mat and grape caulerpa top for my Mandy. I covered this thingy with a large piece of LR in hopes to deter my Mandy from getting into the pod spawning grounds, but he somehow gets in there and grazes on the stacked pile of rubble and macro like there's no tomorrow. Should I make another stacked thingy for him to boost up pod populations?

 

My tank is a 15G btw, and this stack functions as my fuge of sorts.

 

 

I have a trained Mandy, but I heard it's healthy to have some live stuff in their diet as well. Also, sorry about the algae on the rock - currently at war with GHA in my tank.

[Based]

Ugh this mandarin is the most stubborn thing ever, we'll maybe not. He is constantly freaking out because of the breeders net. I've seen him eat live brine, but I also have noticed him throw up 10 at one time, haven't seen him throw up any since then, but I've been too busy to watch him. He's starting to get thin, and I didn't see him get any thickness to him after feeding him live brine. I'm about to throw him in mandarin heaven which is the Refugium under my works main display tank. The sump is about 200 gallons with a 90 gallon Refugium full of macro. I'm going to give it one more week if I see no improvement. Any tips or help is much appreciated. My whole plan on getting this guy to eat Was by throwing my ruby red in with him, but too bad he jumped right after adding the mandarin.

[Based]

Well I got him to eat a bit by spraying it a inch away from his mouth, still not interested in it though.

[Tamberav]

Well I got him to eat a bit by spraying it a inch away from his mouth, still not interested in it though.

 

What else did you try? Different foods I mean?

[jedimasterben]

Well I got him to eat a bit by spraying it a inch away from his mouth, still not interested in it though.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[Based]

Well honestly right after I posted that last night he ate some spirluna brine, the mysis he kept chewing and spitting out. Just fed him again, he ate a couple pieces.

[Based]

Yeah he's eating spirluna brine, now to get him on mysis and nls pellets, I also got dr gs Copepods max and caviar max

[Tamberav]

My blue male will chew chew chew unless I chop up the mysis for him. It is already small mysis too Meanwhile my tiny ruby's have no problems.

[xzeror]

Its been about a week with the epsom treatment and my female still has not released any eggs...

[metrokat]

Its been about a week with the epsom treatment and my female still has not released any eggs...

[Simone]

Hi guys,

 

I'm looking to buy some new food to replace Ova in my mandarin's diet as I am about to run out. I've been looking at all the fish eggs that are out there such as Reef Nutrition R.O.E., Dr.G's caviar, and this new one:

 

http://reefbuilders.com/2014/05/05/docs-eco-eggs-fish-coral-food-freshwater-fish-eggs/

 

Please share if any your dragonets have a particular favorite other than Ova.

 

Also, has anybody tried Dr.G's copepod max? Is it significantly better than frozen cyclopeeze?

 

Thanks!

[jedimasterben]

My past dragonets have eaten anything I put in the tank, that will happen with time - just be patient. NLS pellets, golden pearls, Hikari and PE mysis, decapsulated artemia, larger bits of Reefcleaners FFF, etc.

[NanoBiscuit]

I've had my Green Mandarin for a little over 2 weeks now. He ate frozen food like a champ at the LFS I picked him up from so I knew I had to have him. He eats just about everything I drop in front of him. Mysis, brine shrimp, Cyclops, a frozen blend from my LFS, and even flake and pellets (if they land near him) but his favorite are the frozen bloodworms that I happened to have in my freezer. He will literally pull them out of the turkey baster before I can even get it down to him. Compared to other frozen food, how nutritious are bloodworms? Just curious if anyone else has been feeding them to their Mandarin.

[JoeDigiorgio]

If he eats it keep it in the mix. Focus on micro fauna...blood worms, black worms, mysis, cyclops, live brine as a treat. Don't let them have a 'favorite' food because they can get picky down the line just like any other fish. My opinion is if they'll take it then give it to them BUT keep prepared foods to a minimum and remind yourself they are strictly predators........beautiful, delicate, tiny-mouthed killers just like seahorses.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Bloodworms are okay, but monitor phosphate levels. Mine spiked after I overfed the tank with bloodworms for my Mandy the other day.

[Tamberav]

+1 Jedi, they eventually take most foods. If a mandarin wouldn't eat for example, mysis, it would still be good to go back and try now and again. They will most likely eventually start eating new foods.

[Based]

Hi guys,

 

I'm looking to buy some new food to replace Ova in my mandarin's diet as I am about to run out. I've been looking at all the fish eggs that are out there such as Reef Nutrition R.O.E., Dr.G's caviar, and this new one:

 

http://reefbuilders.com/2014/05/05/docs-eco-eggs-fish-coral-food-freshwater-fish-eggs/

 

Please share if any your dragonets have a particular favorite other than Ova.

 

Also, has anybody tried Dr.G's copepod max? Is it significantly better than frozen cyclopeeze?

 

Thanks!

My new mandarin hasn't seem to care about the dr gs Copepods max or the caviar max(roe), never tried the dr gs Copepods with my target, but my target did go nuts for the caviar max, my target couldn't care less for the reef nutrition roe though.

 

I was looking at my mandarin before i left for work today, and it looks like the hi fin, spike that the males have was white and was rotten off, he couldn't raise it, I've noticed it started turning white a couple of days ago but it wasn't bad at all. I don't have pictures of it as of right now. But I'm worried. Hasn't anyone ever heard of this happening with mandarins? Nothing is picking on him, he's in a breeders net, I have a feeling this is because of stress.

[Based]

Nevermind it had something stuck to it

[Alexraptor]

Time to get in on the action, Some various pics of my little lady Lassie which ive had for over 4 months now.

 

 

10 gallon tank absolutely teeming with pods, but I supplement her diet with frozen lobster eggs once every other day, and it seems to be enough to keep her nice and fat.

Lots and lots of macro, no skimmer and lots of nutrients, ideal for microfauna but not so much for sensetive SPS hehehe, though I do have a monti frag thats doing really well.

[Simone]

My target mandy eats mysis, brine, and cyclopeeze as well as the Ova, it's just she goes for the Ova with the most gusto so I wanted to see if I could find something similar

[Snow_Phoenix]

 

Latest snapshot of my Mandarin, Michael. He's actually grown way chubbier in my 15G sumpless tank than the time when he was in my 30G with a 16G sump.

 

 

 

This is what I keep in my display though, to make sure he has a continuous supply of pods. Just out of curiosity, will a 15G Macro display (I'm talking heaps of Macro here) be enough to support a pair of Mandarins? I was thinking of getting another Spotted female either during the end of this year or beginning of the next year, but just thought I should ask first.

 

Also, my male in this pic is completely trained unto frozen and pellets. If I'm getting a new female, I'll definitely try another round of training, but tbh, I'll be pushing my luck here. Still, it'd be fun to watch them spawn in the possible future.

[metrokat]

Time to get in on the action, Some various pics of my little lady Lassie which ive had for over 4 months now.

 

10 gallon tank absolutely teeming with pods, but I supplement her diet with frozen lobster eggs once every other day, and it seems to be enough to keep her nice and fat.

Lots and lots of macro, no skimmer and lots of nutrients, ideal for microfauna but not so much for sensetive SPS hehehe, though I do have a monti frag thats doing really well.

Alex, she has eggs. Is there a male in the tank?

[BulkRate]

Lobster eggs as a substitute for Nutramar, huh? I hadn't thought of that... where does one go to get them? (fish monger, gourmet foods store, asian market or just buy a bunch outta the tank at Publix, steam 'em and gorge yourself hoping to get lucky?)

 

But that should work... really well. Thanks for the idea!

 

Trying to get a current glamour shot of Fio 8 months in - she's filling out nicely (could be fatter but any more feedings than I currently do and water quality takes a dive). She got over her initial shyness and is out & about even when people are next to the tank but appears to recognize the camera phone as it looms near. Bounces out of her Happy Place within 30 seconds of it being gone. Twit fish.

[Alexraptor]

Alex, she has eggs. Is there a male in the tank?

Sadly, No.

I have thought about it, but I am unsure as to if a 10g is enough space for a male also, and if it can reliably sustain two mandarins.