New red mandarin isnt hunting for pods. How do we get her to start hunting?

[dtruitt]

Because I'm apparently a glutton for financial pain, I bought two Mandarins to add to a 65g tank that already has a scooter dragonet.

I've budgeted a good chunk of change over the next two months for pods. I figure adding a bottle of pods to the fuge every other day for two months ought to build a sizable enough population. I have no illusions about the dietary requirements of these critters in the long term. I'm going to bleed a bit in the short term, but it's worth it, imo.

This brings me to the matter at hand. I've been stocking the fuge, the larger Dragonet is hunting and putting weight on, and the scooter is quite content. The smaller mandarin is refusing to hunt. She just sits in one spot and... nothing.

I just moved her into the refugium so she can wait for the pods to come to her without any pressure from the other fish. I haven't seen any bullying, but that doesnt mean it isnt happening.

How long can I leave her in the fuge without worrying about her wiping out the population in there? Wait until a full day after she starts hunting then pop her back in the DT?

Are there any tricks for getting a mandarin to start hunting? I blasted some goniopower in front of her in the DT and she seemed curious, but literally all of the other fish, shrimp, and nassarius snails piled into her corner to try and get in on the action. Everyone in the tank likes the powdered coral food better than anything else we feed.

She is clearly very unwell, so it's going to take a good bit of work to get her back to normal.

 

[OrionN]

She is sick. I don't know what to tell you about what to do but hope for the best. Keep her in the refugium and she either make it or not, it does not seem to be in your hand. Maybe decrease circulation and just protect the pump intake, if there is any in your refugium.

 

[dtruitt]

She is sick. I don't know what to tell you about what to do but hope for the best. Keep her in the refugium and she either make it or not, it does not seem to be in your hand. Maybe decrease circulation and just protect the pump intake, if there is any in your refugium.

Thanks. I am pretty bummed. Flow in the fuge is pretty mild, but when I first put her down there I had to help her out of the overflow. She looks a little better this morning, but she isnt moving at all.

 

[Katrina71]

Have any fish eggs? Our little guy was weak when we got him too. Try a pipette with fish eggs. Worth a shot!

 

[dtruitt]

Have any fish eggs? Our little guy was weak when we got him too. Try a pipette with fish eggs. Worth a shot!

Not right now, but I'll run out and get some when I'm done work today.

So far I've tried brine shrimp, reef frenzy, goniopower, and freeze dried plankton.

 

[Katrina71]

Not right now, but I'll run out and get some when I'm done work today.

So far I've tried brine shrimp, reef frenzy, goniopower, and freeze dried plankton.

Ours ate frozen mysis and fish eggs first. He got strong enough to hunt.

 

[najer]

Not right now, but I'll run out and get some when I'm done work today.

So far I've tried brine shrimp, reef frenzy, goniopower, and freeze dried plankton.

You need to find a trigger food as it is slowly starving, I have tried rescuing a few and failed, fingers crossed for you.

 

[dtruitt]

You need to find a trigger food as it is slowly starving, I have tried rescuing a few and failed, fingers crossed for you.

Thanks. Any successful trigger foods I should try?

 

[najer]

Tropic Marin make a liquid food you could try called Zootonic and try smaller frozen like rotifers, good luck.

 

[RudyvandenBerg]

I also had some luck with frozen lobster eggs before.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

What about baby brine? Have not kept a goby but my young dragon pipefish loves them. I bought a few of these and this is by far the easiest and not a mess to harvest and clean

 

[dtruitt]

What about baby brine? Have not kept a goby but my young dragon pipefish loves them. I bought a few of these and this is by far the easiest and not a mess to harvest and clean

Not a bad idea, but this is more of a long term solution than an immediate fix for a mandarin that doesnt want to eat.

I will probably start culturing pods at some point if heavy supplementation doesnt get a self sufficient population going.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Not a bad idea, but this is more of a long term solution than an immediate fix for a mandarin that doesnt want to eat.

I will probably start culturing pods at some point if heavy supplementation doesnt get a self sufficient population going.

If ordering pods every other day because the tank is too young/small/they keep eating them all or culturing pods becomes a part time job (gave up a few months ago) brine shrimp is a far easier and much cheaper solution. Getting them to eat frozen is the goal so they literally don’t eat you out of house and home. In my case I have to feed live baby brine since it is literally one of the only things small enough to fit into the mouth of my young dragon pipe

 

[Thespammailaccount]

 

[Uncle99]

Two mandarins and a scooter in a 65g.
That’s multiple thousands of PODS per day!
And others eat pods as well.
Doubt that will work long term.
Sorry, been down that path before many times in 30 years.

Hunting is instinctive, if not hunting, the fish is sick.
Other posts have some great ideas how to keep her going for now.

One, in a 65g, lots of LR, mature for one year at least, no other exclusive pod eaters is all that has ever worked long term for me.

 

[dtruitt]

Two mandarins and a scooter in a 65g.
That’s multiple thousands of PODS per day!
And others eat pods as well.
Doubt that will work long term.
Sorry, been down that path before many times in 30 years.

Hunting is instinctive, if not hunting, the fish is sick.
Other posts have some great ideas how to keep her going for now.

One, in a 65g, lots of LR, mature for one year at least, no other exclusive pod eaters is all that has ever worked long term for me.

As far as the scooter goes, we got her at petco very early on while looking for a lawnmower blenny. Deceiving trade names + uninformed sales associates + not enough research = new hobbyists scrambling to meet somewhat tricky care requirements. We have been fattening her up, and pulled the trigger on the mandarins because she is fat enough to get through the stress of moving. That is to say that we will be supporting 2 mandarins and no scooters when we find her a good home.

Ive budgeted more for the care of these mandarins than I care to admit. They will not starve so long as the one starts hunting.

 

[Beau_B]

I don’t have recommendations on getting her to eat, but do want to weigh in that a tank doesn’t need to be a year old and giant to support one. I have an AC target male in a 50gal volume system that went from slightly underweight to borderline obese over the past 4months. The tank was only 3 months old when introduced. A 4gal refugium seeded with macros from established tanks is all I did, never added bottled pods.

Can you keep 3? Dunno.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

As far as the scooter goes, we got her at petco very early on while looking for a lawnmower blenny. Deceiving trade names + uninformed sales associates + not enough research = new hobbyists scrambling to meet somewhat tricky care requirements. We have been fattening her up, and pulled the trigger on the mandarins because she is fat enough to get through the stress of moving. That is to say that we will be supporting 2 mandarins and no scooters when we find her a good home.

Ive budgeted more for the care of these mandarins than I care to admit. They will not starve so long as the one starts hunting.

Been where you are but with pipefish. Finally was able to train the banded on frozen but the little ones mouth is just to small so still feeding it hatched brine. 70 gallons total and large fuge and micro algae reactor with well established rock covered in coralline. I do not even want to think about how much money I have spent total on pods or trying to culture them and in a few days they would be gone. Started hatching brine. The hatchery cost 24 bucks and the eggs cost 8 bucks and has already lasted a few months

 

[dtruitt]

Been where you are but with pipefish. Finally was able to train the banded on frozen but the little ones mouth is just to small so still feeding it hatched brine. 70 gallons total and large fuge and micro algae reactor with well established rock covered in coralline. I do not even want to think about how much money I have spent total on pods or trying to culture them and in a few days they would be gone. Started hatching brine. The hatchery cost 24 bucks and the eggs cost 8 bucks and has already lasted a few months

I will absolutely consider this after a month of supplementing pods. I want them both eating pods consistently before attempting to introduce other food sources.

 

[dtruitt]

Been where you are but with pipefish. Finally was able to train the banded on frozen but the little ones mouth is just to small so still feeding it hatched brine. 70 gallons total and large fuge and micro algae reactor with well established rock covered in coralline. I do not even want to think about how much money I have spent total on pods or trying to culture them and in a few days they would be gone. Started hatching brine. The hatchery cost 24 bucks and the eggs cost 8 bucks and has already lasted a few months

Any advantages to doing the hatchery over a sea monkey kit?

I picked up a vial of brine shrimp eggs today. Going to toss some in the fuge tonight, and I'll do a diy hatchery tomorrow.