Mandarin question

[Blueflu1]

I have a green mandarin that I have had for about 9 months. He eats prepared and is normally very healthy. Someone else had the fish before so he has been in a tank much longer then 9 months.

I have been feeding less lately because of trying to cut back on nutrients. I noticed tonight that my madarin is way too thin. I normally feed mysis on one side of the tank, then dump more on the other side so it can make it to the bottom for the mandarin. He eats very slowly though and usually only gets a little before the others take it.

I wanted him to get extra tonight but he only got a little extra.

What do people do for their mandarins to make sure they get enough food. I read somewhere (I think on Mark Levensons site) about putting food inside a sunken bottle and training them to go in there and eat at their leisure.

What do others do?

 

[JTM4UG]

turkey baaster right above or next to him and let it drift over after putting frozen up top to distract the others

 

[dcforester1]

I have a rock formation that only he can fit in, and put some food in there. if all else fail I would just pluck him out, and throw him in the sump.

Good Luck Derek


Throw in this case means catch, and gently place him. I dont want the mandarin police after me

 

[Takara]

I've seen people feeding in a glass tube on it's side, the other fish swim down but not into the opening. although if you have some small smart fish they will know whats up.

Other than that maybe you can start dosing vodka to offset the nutrients..

 

[JayM]

while my system is in transition, my mandarin is living in my refugium, which is a 40g breeder teeming with pods.

He also gets fed there....and he's nice and fat. I think separation might be your only option. Get him healthy as soon as you can!

 

[bill120mph]

I would add some pods, and quickly when Mine started loosing weight it wasnt long before the end. Ad them at night so they have a chance to restock before the fish get them.

 

[DoctaQ]

you could also feed smaller foods that other fish might not be interested in cyclopeeze decapped brine, move smaller till you find the right one

 

[jamesdong009]

There's one corner where I dump mysis and tobiko for the goby to eat. It's on the opposite side of the tank where the other fish eat so he gets left alone.

 

[Blueflu1]

There's one corner where I dump mysis and tobiko for the goby to eat. It's on the opposite side of the tank where the other fish eat so he gets left alone.

I do that. I dump mysis on the right. When everyone is eating, I dump more on the left. My blue devil damsel and coral beauty have figured out the deal though and they dart over to the left side so they can eat in a less crowded area.

 

[Gina McReeferson]

turkey baaster right above or next to him and let it drift over after putting frozen up top to distract the others

This is what we did with our mandarin as well. After some time, he was eating mysis right out of the tube, he got so used to it.