Mandarin Dragonet impulse buy -- return to store or move to nano tank?

[bitstream]

Hello reefers. I'm fairly new to the hobby... just a few months in, having set up a 20 gallon tank with a couple clowns. I was at the LFS the other day and committed a potential cardinal sin by purchasing a Mandarin Dragonet on impulse, rather than researching thoroughly beforehand. It's wild caught and about 1.5" in length, so obviously pretty young.

The LFS gave me a bag of reef chowder and said "dump one of these in the tank each week and you're good" but my concerns are multiple. 1) The chowder clouds the hell out of my tank for a couple days, 2) The clowns eat dang near everything in minutes, 3) I don't see many pods even at night, and 4) I don't see any indications that the Dragonet is eating. I have tried offering the dragonet flake bits, bits of reef chili, and frozen mysis bits, but it's unsurprisingly not interested.

So I have a few choices:
1) Return the fish to the store for probably 50% credit and chalk this up as a lesson learned
2) Put the Dragonet in a new nano tank where I can try to ween it onto frozen foods and/or pellets, then HOPEFULLY be able to transition it back to my main tank (I do not want to maintain a tank just for one fish, especially considering it'll outgrow it sooner than later).

IF I go the nano tank route, I have a 3 gallon with a small HOB... which may or may not be fine for this little gal for a short while, else if 3 gallons with HOB is truly a no-go in your opinion, I'm dropping at least $200 on a decent 5 gallon nano.

I do adore this little fish, but am torn between the challenge of maintaining a diet that it can survive and thrive on versus taking it back and being out $20 or so.

The other side of the feeding issue is the pods... I have to pay probably $5-10 a week for a small bag of them from the LFS or invest in trying to breed them myself, which is another hassle and expense.

What do y'all think and recommend?

If I do take it back, any recommendations for a similar small fish that'll readily eat whatever I throw in the tank?

 

[bradreef]

I say return unless you want to culture pods or get it to eat prepared food. It might die while you are trying to get it to eat.

 

[jabberwock]

Mistakes happen, learn from it.

Return it, and after you spend the credit, find a new LFS...

 

[Idech]

I would return it as well, or sell it to a fellow reefer who has experience with them. Even better if you can do it fast, as the LFS will sell it to the anyone without knowledge.

 

[FoolishWizard]

Where abouts in AZ? What LFS if you don't mind me asking?

 

[bitstream]

Where abouts in AZ? What LFS if you don't mind me asking?

Mesa. Aquarium Arts. They’ve been really good from my experience over the last handful of months frequenting the shop.

They did say it needs to eat pods and they know it was going in a 20 gallon. They said to dump a bag of reef chowder in the tank each week and it’d be good, but I’m obviously having serious doubts.

I don’t really want to get into breeding pods and buying them is pretty darn expensive.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

return it, it has no chance to survive in a brand new nano tank.

 

[TX_REEF]

Agree you should return it, get a new one after you have a visibly established pod population. if you can acquire a captive bred one, better yet.

 

[bitstream]

Agree you should return it, get a new one after you have a visibly established pod population. if you can acquire a captive bred one, better yet.

There are definitely pods in the tank as I dumped a 16 oz bag of reef chowder in there, which had no shortage of phytoplankton, pods, and brine shrimp. The big unknown is how long the pods will last and if they'll reproduce faster than they're being eaten. I most certainly can buy reef chowder on a weekly basis if it's sufficient, though am not in love with how my tank looks for 24 hours due to all the phytoplankton.

This fish is small now but it'll double in size when all is said and done, provided its nutritional needs are met. That's the long term concern. I am not confident a fully grown dragonet will have enough pods in the tank on a consistent basis to survive... it'd need to eat frozen foods.

 

[bitstream]

As an aside... any folks out here have recommendations for a similarly interesting bottom dwelling fish that eats frozen food?

 

[TX_REEF]

When i say "visible pod population" I mean you should be able to take a flashlight to your tank and night and see them crawling on most everything like delicious little bugs. Otherwise, you're a slave to adding them until they establish. "reef chowder" broadcast feeding doesn't seem like a good idea in a system that small, I suspect you'll quickly foul the water.

 

[bitstream]

When i say "visible pod population" I mean you should be able to take a flashlight to your tank and night and see them crawling on most everything like delicious little bugs. Otherwise, you're a slave to adding them until they establish. "reef chowder" broadcast feeding doesn't seem like a good idea in a system that small, I suspect you'll quickly foul the water.

With the flow in my tank I see lots of little dots swirling around the tank but not much on the glass... my flow might be a bit high?

Agree that dumping chowder in a small tank regularly doesn't seem ideal, especially in hind sight.

Any recommendations for a similarly interesting little bottom dweller that eats frozen food?

 

[TX_REEF]

Hawkfish are pretty neat, also scooter blennies

 

[I never finish anythi]

As an aside... any folks out here have recommendations for a similarly interesting bottom dwelling fish that eats frozen food?

Ditch the manderlin it won't work long term ! Especially a wild one you would need a fuge to try to sustain the pod population as well as adding pods . Look at a blue spot jaw fish they are pretty cool , with lots of personality .
I'm saving up for one now actually

 

[DrkNMighty]

Ditch the manderlin it won't work long term ! Especially a wild one you would need a fuge to try to sustain the pod population as well as adding pods . Look at a blue spot jaw fish they are pretty cool , with lots of personality .
I'm saving up for one now actually

I think a 20 gallon is too small for a blue spot jawfish. They also like cooler water than most tanks are kept at.

 

[littlefoxx]

Return. I have two in my 125 and even though I have pods (both are fattys) I still dose pods monthly to replenish them faster to make sure they have something to eat. Rule of thumb is at least 9 or so month old tank with lots of visible pods as mentioned before you should see them crawling around at night. A scooter blenny also eats pods and thats a large majority of its diet so I would wait on one of those too.

 

[FoolishWizard]

Mesa. Aquarium Arts. They’ve been really good from my experience over the last handful of months frequenting the shop.

They did say it needs to eat pods and they know it was going in a 20 gallon. They said to dump a bag of reef chowder in the tank each week and it’d be good, but I’m obviously having serious doubts.

I don’t really want to get into breeding pods and buying them is pretty darn expensive.

Right on... Mesa too... Just grabbed an urchin from Aquarium Arts last week... Guys seem pretty knowledgeable and have heard they are a good place to get healthy fish.

But like others have said, the risk is probably too high with a wild caught mandarin...

 

[bitstream]

LFS will give me 50% credit if it's alive and healthy after 72 hours in quarantine. I'm trying to rehome it and am insisting that whoever buys it can provide the proper diet. I don't want this little beauty starving to death.

 

[jabberwock]

LFS will give me 50% credit if it's alive and healthy after 72 hours in quarantine. I'm trying to rehome it and am insisting that whoever buys it can provide the proper diet. I don't want this little beauty starving to death.

I don't like those odds. The fish is already weak...

 

[Pistondog]

Hawkfish are pretty neat, also scooter blennies

Doesn't a Scooter Blenny have the same diet requirements as a Mandarin?