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Tim Peer
01/13/2009, 10:15 PM
I was given a mandarin as a gift and need to tie a refugium to my system. I'm new to reefing in process of buy a 150 g with sump, skimmer, MH lights where do I get a refugium or do I make one?

kkyyllee
01/13/2009, 10:26 PM
if your lfs takes fish that would probably be the best option, unless it eating frozen food refugium wont immediatly give it the food it needs

chort55
01/13/2009, 10:32 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14150443#post14150443 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kkyyllee
if your lfs takes fish that would probably be the best option, unless it eating frozen food refugium wont immediatly give it the food it needs

I totally agree 1500%.... mandarins require tons of food to survive and w/o a currently set up fuge & tank combo of 1+ yrs it doesn't stand a chance unless already eating prepared meals (which I have read is quite difficult, and even still can starve them :() So yeah, honestly do yourself and that beautiful fish a favor and find it a suitable new home quick :(

Please don't take any of that the wrong way, I'd love to have one from the jump to, just know it isn't realistic and nearly impossible to not starve it w/o the proper set up and establishment of pods and other foods for it long in advance of getting one.

Tim Peer
01/13/2009, 10:41 PM
I have a friend with a 90 g established reef of about 2 years with a lot of rock, would this work?

koranAngel
01/13/2009, 10:46 PM
i had one as well (beautifull fish n colours)
but being a learner in marine tank
it died within 2 weeks just as some1 said on this site due to lack of pods in an new tank

2yr old tank should work but leave it the experts on the site to ask

koranAngel
01/13/2009, 10:47 PM
*answer

Mike31154
01/13/2009, 10:47 PM
Yes, your friend's 90 should be fine. I have a fat & happy mandarin in my 75 gal with no sump or refugium. Lots of rock though and the tank has been running for two years. The mandarin was added about 6-7 months after I set it up, but it was a used set up & the live rock was very well established already.

Tim Peer
01/13/2009, 11:01 PM
I've had him since xmas, still is active and swimming around looking for food on the rock, not sure if he's fat or skinny but won't take a chance a will relocate to the 90g tom, thanks for the info and maybe someday I can bring him back.

chort55
01/14/2009, 12:06 AM
While I am definitly no expert, I would say the 90 thats been set up for 2 years is a better option then your current set up. It would be best if your friend also has a fuge and large pod populations, and no/ very very few competition for food. (example of competitiors for food would be 6line wrasse).

Goodluck and get that 150 set up w/ the fuge (w/ chaeto... pods like living in it from what I've read), wait about a year while stocking up on the pods and you should be good. Goodluck :)

the2ofus
01/14/2009, 12:15 AM
Or buy some pods and a little phyto and start your own population.

Btw, mine also like blood worms and frozen brine shrimp.

btb72
01/14/2009, 12:23 AM
I would take it to your friend and wait at least 6 months or more before you think about bringing him back.

JBuffetReefer
01/14/2009, 01:39 AM
The best way to know if your friend's tank is suitable for a mandarin is to look inside the tank along the glass. If you can see tons of small white bugs crawling around then you are good to go. You need to make sure that their are alot of pods in the tank. If their aren't enough, then the mandarin will quickly deplete the population and then starve.

If you want to give your tank a jump start of pod population, then buy 1 or 2 bottles of live tiger pods and dump them in your tank or fuge if you have one. It would be best to put them in the fuge, that way they have a chance to grow in population before being eaten by your fish.

good luck

sdtopgun
01/14/2009, 02:40 AM
cpr makes a good HOB refugium