mandarin feeding

[laszlo]

I realize that just about all mandarin fish will only eat the pods in the tank. Will a mandarin eat live baby brine shrimp? Or is that a case by case basis, as some will eat commercial foods. If a mandarin will eat baby brine shrimp, then I'll throw that hatch-n-feeder in the fuge. I figure that way they will eventually make their way up to the main tank, as the pods do.

[JRPhd]

The question then remains, can you sustain a mandarin or any fish for that matter on live brine shrimp as the only predictable source of food?

[EdKruzel]

The eggs are toxic to many fish and if they pass into the main system it could be gobbled up as a captive instinct.

Ed

[laszlo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6546733#post6546733 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRPhd
The question then remains, can you sustain a mandarin or any fish for that matter on live brine shrimp as the only predictable source of food?

Well I was thinking of the baby brine as more of a supplement, to vary it's diet with something other than just pods, as I'm sure there are other things they eat in the wild.

But I've learned something from Ed, so I will stay away from this idea then.

Thanks for the input.

[Ironsheikh]

yeah, they'll eat baby brine and frozen mysisi sometimes if you're lucky --I heard baby brine are only nutitious while the still have they're egg sac which is like a day or two

[Yodeling]

I wouldn't get a mandarin unless you're sure your tank can sustain a large pod population. Your mandarin WILL starve eventually no matter what you feed it. Mandarins need a steady and constant supply of pods to survive long term. Some Mandarins will eat frozen or even pellet food but they will still starve eventually because you can't feed them as often as they need to eat to survive.

[laszlo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6555727#post6555727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Yodeling
I wouldn't get a mandarin unless you're sure your tank can sustain a large pod population. Your mandarin WILL starve eventually no matter what you feed it. Mandarins need a steady and constant supply of pods to survive long term. Some Mandarins will eat frozen or even pellet food but they will still starve eventually because you can't feed them as often as they need to eat to survive.

Uh, yea I realize that. As I said, I was just wondering if the live baby brine would be a good food to supplement their diet.

I'm not asking what it is that mandarins eat, or "will they eat this?". Just wondering about live baby brine shrimp, which I have decided against implementing.

Thanks for the replys.