Mandarin Dragonet?

[vaporized]

Okay, I always QT any new fish. Most all my new fish get a formalin dip and hypo. My display and sump are loaded with live pods. It would be like full access to a vegas buffet for a mandarin. I know mandarin dragonets are hard fish to QT, but I was offering live trigger pods. I had it for 5 days and it simply would not eat. Finally, on day 6 it died. I took it back to the LFS and they said they did not guarantee mandarins. However, because I had a sample of my water and it tested out perfect they gave me half of the purchase price for in store credit.

The manager at the LFS said never QT a mandarin. He said they are practically ICH resistant because they have a thick slime coat.

How true is this and what are your opinions?

[laurie64]

I have heard this as well, but to be cautious, I would still qt the fish. Just set up a tank with stuff from your sump and some algae. Then you will have the best of both worlds.

[snorvich]

While mandarins are resistant to ich (cryptocaryon irritans) they can carry it and they can under some circumstances get it although the latter is rare. On the other hand they can get oodinium (velvet) which can totally wipe out a tank. Do you really want to take that kind of risk?

[snorvich]

Okay, I always QT any new fish. Most all my new fish get a formalin dip and hypo.

which does not prevent oodium (velvet) and hypo is the more difficult of the protocols for ich


My display and sump are loaded with live pods. It would be like full access to a vegas buffet for a mandarin. I know mandarin dragonets are hard fish to QT, but I was offering live trigger pods. I had it for 5 days and it simply would not eat. Finally, on day 6 it died. I took it back to the LFS and they said they did not guarantee mandarins. However, because I had a sample of my water and it tested out perfect they gave me half of the purchase price for in store credit.


Sounds like a wild caught with cyanide one, they never eat and always perish


The manager at the LFS said never QT a mandarin. He said they are practically ICH resistant because they have a thick slime coat.

How true is this and what are your opinions?

While mandarins are resistant to ich (cryptocaryon irritans) they can carry it and they can under some circumstances get it although the latter is rare. On the other hand they can get oodinium (velvet) which can totally wipe out a tank. Do you really want to take that kind of risk?

[lemec]

I remember the first time I saw a mandarin sleeping, I thought it was dead! It was completely covered in a thick mucus like slime. I panicked and tried to net him out of the tank to throw him away. Much to my surprise he swam away when I tried to net him up, lol. I still freshwater dip all my fish, you'd be amazed at some of the sediment at the bottom after you do it.

[h2so4hurts]

which does not prevent oodium (velvet) and hypo is the more difficult of the protocols for ich

If the formalin dip is strong enough, it will definitely prevent velvet. Hypo, not so much.

[vaporized]

which does not prevent oodium (velvet) and hypo is the more difficult of the protocols for ich



Sounds like a wild caught with cyanide one, they never eat and always perish



While mandarins are resistant to ich (cryptocaryon irritans) they can carry it and they can under some circumstances get it although the latter is rare. On the other hand they can get oodinium (velvet) which can totally wipe out a tank. Do you really want to take that kind of risk?

My hypo protocol is pretty good. It has worked very well for me and personally my favorite technique. I have had a few tangs that required a much longer hypo regime, but eventually it worked.

As for the risk of velvet, I absolutely do not want to run that risk. However, I do want a mandarin dragonet. How can I tell if one is cyanide caught vs. one that is not at my LFS? When I was considering the purchase of another, I had the salesman offer each mandarin food and not one single fish ate. Therefore, I went with a spotted goby instead.

[blusafe]

Digging up an old thread...

I have one male, one female GMD, both about 1.5". They are both very healthy and readily eat pods. They both came from the LFS with ich. My mistake was not preparing suitable foods (baby brine, pod farm, etc) and doing QT. My wife said "hey it's got this fat white spot, do you really want to dump it into the DT?" Thinking nourishment is more important than strict QT, I dumped them both into the tank. Couple days later, the two clowns in DT now have ich (they were QT for nearly four weeks, in DT for almost two months - am positive they were ich-free).

End result - two GMD in DT awaiting my order of brine shrimp eqmpt and other foods. One yellow tang, algae blenny, and five clowns in consolidated QT for ich...

SO YES, DRAGONETS GET ICH. RARE BUT DEFINITELY NOT UNHEARD OF!!!

[sleepydoc]

Sorry for your headache. You are planning on getting the mandarins out of the DT, right?

[blusafe]

After I get some a 'fuge and baby brine system working, I'll do high & dry to remove the two GMDs. They will go through 4 TTs, then QT for four weeks. At the same time I'll train them to eat non-live foods.

[Hzuiel]

Order an ora tank bred mandarin, they're more likely to eat prepared food instead of only pods. Expensive but worth it. Also not perpetuating poisoning reefs to net fish for aquariums >.>