# Manderin discussion...



## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

this post is simply to talk about the possibility of keeping a mandarin. specifically a blue or a green. in particular i am interested (months from now IF ever) in keeping one in my 29 gallon that will have a 20 gallon sump by that time... 
i have been reading up on this topic for some three weeks or so and i have found many conflicting accounts as to if it is possible and if it should be done. 

from what i have reas if you can get a good pod culture going and keep it separately from the tank then you will have a constant supply for them to eat not relying exclusively on the populations within the tank... 

my concern however is that over a very short period of time this fish could potentially (most likely) wipe out the pod in the tank any way and disrupt the reefs miniature eco system.... 

i find the more i read the more confused i get... i am glad however that i am intending to continue learning much more before getting a fish (again if i get one at all) and i am looking at months before that happens... i really want to continue establishing the reef and invert populations and not worry so much about a fish just now...

so i hope this gets a lot of input and experiences shared... thanx all


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

seriously?!?!? 16 views and not one reply? whats goin on here? i know there must be some opinions or views out there...


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## njudson (May 21, 2009)

I think you know the answer here. Common advice would be that this tank is too small to support the kind of pod population needed to keep a Mandarin fat and happy. However there are some success stories out there but most of them involve a Mandarin which is trained to eat prepared foods or lots bottled of pods added to the tank regularly.


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

i have read on both sides and was just curriouse what was thought by others... my personal thinking is that if you set bottled pods along with a tank set up in a way to only produce pods to supplement the bottled ones you could be successful. 
i guess not only am i looking for opinions but i am asking if people think its possible... 
as for training them to eat prepared foods... i wonder if this is in fact the healthy option? i dont think so as they dont convert easily...
is there a way to create a propagation tank for pods that would potentially produce enough? 

again this is primarily curiosity not a plan..... just a good conversation with people who get what i am asking..


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

BWF, a lot of the views are people surfing the net and not members here. That's probably why you don't see any responses until this one. I actually don't even want to answer this question because I don't think you'll like the answer. I wold never put a Mandarin in a 29 gallon tank. The pod poulation will not keep up with this animal's diet. They mow through thousands of pods a day. Most Mandarins need about 100+ pounds of live rock plus a good size fuge to sustain their diet. 

You will here mixed reviews of success with these animals in smaller tanks. This is the same as the mixed success you here about with the Morrish Idol. The truth is that people are less likely to post their failures than their successes, so that is why the success rate looks higher than it is.


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

i thank you for your honesty and i honestly thought as much.. again just a concept idea and most likely not anything i would chase to hard.. 

i think what i dont express enough is that at times i just like to argue for the point of arguing a point so that i and other can see all sides.. i really dont take much personal and with a topic such as this i am really just looking for a conversation with in the realm of a hypothetical thought.

as for what i would like and not like of course no one likes to hear you can not and you should not.. but i firmly believe that one should never ask a question that they are not prepared to hear all potential responces to ... my self included...


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## NC Frank (Aug 24, 2009)

100 pounds of mature live rock in a stable system w/ a fugue/sump full of pods is the bare minimum IMO. I wanted one for my 46 and realized quickly that I would be supplementing with tigger pods at a near unsustainable rate. When I get my 120 with a 30 gallon sump/fuge I will consider getting one when the tank is mature.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Bluetangclan (Jan 23, 2010)

Rumor has it that ORA is going to release captive bred mandarins who are eating prepared foods before leaving their facility. Cost will be higher but it is definately worth it. You might want to wait until that comes about and keep your feelers out looking for it.


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## Mike (Jul 16, 2006)

Bluetangclan said:


> Rumor has it that ORA is going to release captive bred mandarins who are eating prepared foods before leaving their facility. Cost will be higher but it is definately worth it. You might want to wait until that comes about and keep your feelers out looking for it.


I was just about to post that I'd read the same. We once tried to keep one of these beautiful fish as well and it did not end well. It would be great if the ones they sold in stores accepted prepared foods, not to mention it would be great if they could leave more of the ones in the ocean where they found them but still make them accessible to hobbyists.


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

thank you all i will keep an eye out in the future... as some may know already my intention is to not have fish at all ATM so its not a big rush or anything


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## CollidedChaos (Jun 25, 2010)

wake49 said:


> . The pod poulation will not keep up with this animal's diet. They mow through thousands of pods a day. Most Mandarins need about 100+ pounds of live rock plus a good size fuge to sustain their diet.


THIS ^^

If you must have a Mandarin get a psychedelic (sometimes called a target). These are the most likely to eat frozen foods. I would also insist on seeing it eat before purchase. IMO, if the seller won't let you see if it eats, you shouldn't buy it.


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

thank you for the input it was honestly just to talk about it my hart is not set on one and i would not get one just to run an experiment in attempting to keep it.... i think i have another plan for the tank and my other threads will address these..


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