Mandarin Goby

fedas · 07/25/2017, 01:29 PM

Hi everyone;
Before someone tells me that I made a mistake. I agree and need some help with that.
I have a 14g nano reef about 3 years and*as I*use often natural water in the changes and don't have a skimmer so I can see thousands of writes spots (copepods I guess) walking on my glasses. So I made a mistake. I bought a mandarin thinking it would eat all of these writes spots*and for my surprise it has not eaten them. I feed it with brine shrimp that it doesn't*eat often and i know*brine shrimp has not all the nutrients needed for him. I can see it eating something over the live rocks but it even goes around the copepods in my reef's glasses.
So my question is: Does mandarin eat all copepods or just some kinds?
Is there any way of rich the brine shrimp with nutrients needed?

Thanks.

MondoBongo · 07/25/2017, 01:36 PM

a 14 gallon tank is no place for a dragonet of any kind.

i'm not aware if they differentiate between types of copepods or not, my guess would be not really.

but that's really immaterial.

m0nkie · 07/25/2017, 07:56 PM

I think they eat all kinds of copepods. even some flatworms.

I agree you won't have much luck with a mandarin in a 14gal. they are hard to train to eat frozen. You can gut load the brine shrimp if you are actively cultivating them. It might take the joy out of this hobby real quick..

I'd sell the fish. If you really want a mandarin, try find a ruby red dragonet that's already eating mysis shrimp. Easier to train those to eat frozen. Look and act just like a mandarin

07/25/2017, 01:29 PM	#1
fedas Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 2	Mandarin Goby Hi everyone; Before someone tells me that I made a mistake. I agree and need some help with that. I have a 14g nano reef about 3 years andas Iuse often natural water in the changes and don't have a skimmer so I can see thousands of writes spots (copepods I guess) walking on my glasses. So I made a mistake. I bought a mandarin thinking it would eat all of these writes spotsand for my surprise it has not eaten them. I feed it with brine shrimp that it doesn'teat often and i know*brine shrimp has not all the nutrients needed for him. I can see it eating something over the live rocks but it even goes around the copepods in my reef's glasses. So my question is: Does mandarin eat all copepods or just some kinds? Is there any way of rich the brine shrimp with nutrients needed? Thanks.

07/25/2017, 01:36 PM	#2
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	a 14 gallon tank is no place for a dragonet of any kind. i'm not aware if they differentiate between types of copepods or not, my guess would be not really. but that's really immaterial. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

07/25/2017, 07:56 PM	#3
m0nkie Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: LA Posts: 6,264	I think they eat all kinds of copepods. even some flatworms. I agree you won't have much luck with a mandarin in a 14gal. they are hard to train to eat frozen. You can gut load the brine shrimp if you are actively cultivating them. It might take the joy out of this hobby real quick.. I'd sell the fish. If you really want a mandarin, try find a ruby red dragonet that's already eating mysis shrimp. Easier to train those to eat frozen. Look and act just like a mandarin __________________ 560gal in the making