First Post (included some pics.)

[alan617]

Hi all,
this is my first post here, i've been checking out the forums alot and appreciate all the advice everyone gives here and it has helped me alot in establishing my 55 gallon and my little 5 gallon tanks.
anyway i always have tank "envy" when i browse through some of the pics that other people have on here and hope to one day make mine look as stunning as some of your tanks.
anyway just a quick question, does my mandarin goby look hungry?
i have around 60 lbs. of live rock in the tank and another 10 lbs or so in the sump so i hope that produces enough pods for him to eat, but i've been reading that they could go hungry and starve themselves to death so right now that's my biggest concern.
any comments or inputs are appreciated
thanks all!!!
Alan
since i don't know how to post multiple pics in one post i'll just reply to myself and post more (sorry bout that)

[alan617]

the gobyhttp://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110821Mandarin_Goby.JPG

[alan617]

the sand sifterhttp://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110821Sand_Sifter.jpg

[Konadog]

Having problems posting pictures, read thru this and see if it helps.

http://www.ximinasphotography.com/lessons/lesson09/reefcentral_4.html#Image%20Embedding

[alan617]

Full Tank Shothttp://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110821Full_Tank_Shot.jpg

[alan617]

Polyps
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/110821Polyps.jpg
that's the last one
thanks all for reading and i look forward to your coments and replies
thanks

[alan617]

thx konadog, will read through that for next time
thanks

[frederickk]

Nice pics!

[alan214]

Alan, first of all, welcome. I don't think it looks hungry but it's really hard to tell on Mandarin's. For that matter, a lot of fish "look" okay but are in actuality starving.

Do you see visual evidence of the pod population?

Alan

[alan617]

thanks federick
alan214 thanks for the reply,
i do sometimes see some on the glass, it's really hard to tell on the rocks, if i watch the goby i see him go after stuff here and there, i have just read so many horror stories about them going hungry and to be honest he is my favorite fish, hes going on a week now in my tank and seems to still be "scavenging" all the time. i got my fingers crossed and will try and load more pics of him for further "diagnosis" here as time moves on
thanks again!

[ryan115]

How old is your tank?
Also have you tried feeding him any frozen foods, like cyclopeeze? Or frozen mysis?

[alan214]

Alan, if you're not 100% sure there is a healthy supply of amphipods, isopods as well as the copepods you see on the glass, you may want to consider returning that little guy. I know how much you like him but I suspect he is probably not going to last if his natural food suppy is not in adequate numbers.

Just trying to be brutally honest with you.

Alan

[sunfish11]

Welcome! I love those mandarins. Tough fish. Watch his belly and if it starts getting shrunken start buying him pods of find someone to take him.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that sand sifters days are numbered. They need a tremendous area of sandbed loaded with food. It will take some time but eventually he will start to lose a piece of an arm here and there. That is a sign of starvation. You can target feed him.but in my opinion it is a pain. See wetwebmedia.com and read up on them. Look under articles. I am sure you can figure it out from there.

Once again welcome to the site!

Lisa