Will my tank be able to sustain a mandarin pair?

[TbSaysNo]

My aquarium setup includes a Red Sea Reefer G2 with a capacity of 350 liters, or 91 gallons, which is divided into a 75-gallon display tank and a 16-gallon sump.

The standout of my collection is a fish I've always dreamed of owning.

My tank, now two years old:

• 2 Ocellaris Clownfish
• 1 Foxface
• 1 Purple Tang
• 1 Sixline Wrasse (notably peaceful)
• 1 Yellow Goby with its shrimp companion

The tank is well-equipped with numerous hiding places, perhaps even more than necessary.

I would readily purchase a fish from Biota if they shipped to Europe, as their specimens are bred in captivity. Unfortunately, without access to Biota, I can buy a captive-bred fish, but there's no guarantee it will adapt to eating pellets. However, I am prepared with baby brine shrimp, frozen mysis, artemia, and black worms for feeding.

Also have an QT ready for ich eradication, but I have read that it is a fish not worth quarantining

 

[MnFish1]

My aquarium setup includes a Red Sea Reefer G2 with a capacity of 350 liters, or 91 gallons, which is divided into a 75-gallon display tank and a 16-gallon sump.

The standout of my collection is a fish I've always dreamed of owning.

My tank, now two years old:

• 2 Ocellaris Clownfish
• 1 Foxface
• 1 Purple Tang
• 1 Sixline Wrasse (notably peaceful)
• 1 Yellow Goby with its shrimp companion

The tank is well-equipped with numerous hiding places, perhaps even more than necessary.

I would readily purchase a fish from Biota if they shipped to Europe, as their specimens are bred in captivity. Unfortunately, without access to Biota, I can buy a captive-bred fish, but there's no guarantee it will adapt to eating pellets. However, I am prepared with baby brine shrimp, frozen mysis, artemia, and black worms for feeding.

Also have an QT ready for ich eradication, but I have read that it is a fish not worth quarantining

I don't know whether you can or can't. I'm assuming you're thinking you will need to move the tang and fox face to a bigger tank at some point? As to the Mandarins - here is a snippet from algae barn suggesting why to QT mandarins - and I agree with it completely. Also - are you planning to add some copepods? As to your original question - In retrospect - it may be difficult to keep a pair fed adequately in a community tank with those fish. However, no reason not to try.

Re QT:
"As we all know, some fish species/families (e.g. mandarin fishes) tend to be more resistant to disease than others. For this reason, it may be tempting to forego the quarantine process in seemingly “low-risk” species. That is a mistake. Just because a fish may not tend to die from a particular disease does not mean that it cannot carry it. Moreover, while pathogens may not be evident on the animal’s body, they nevertheless may be present in the bag water. Therefore, all animals should be quarantined before introduction into the main tank.

The mandarin QT tank​

So, yes, even though the mandarin fishes do not often express disease in captivity, it should be quarantined. And while captive-bred specimens are by far hardier and have likely been exposed to far fewer tankmates than wild specimens, we recommend that all mandarins be kept in quarantine for at least a few weeks before you put them into your display."

 

[TbSaysNo]

I don't know whether you can or can't. I'm assuming you're thinking you will need to move the tang and fox face to a bigger tank at some point? As to the Mandarins - here is a snippet from algae barn suggesting why to QT mandarins - and I agree with it completely. Also - are you planning to add some copepods? As to your original question - In retrospect - it may be difficult to keep a pair fed adequately in a community tank with those fish. However, no reason not to try.

Re QT:
"As we all know, some fish species/families (e.g. mandarin fishes) tend to be more resistant to disease than others. For this reason, it may be tempting to forego the quarantine process in seemingly “low-risk” species. That is a mistake. Just because a fish may not tend to die from a particular disease does not mean that it cannot carry it. Moreover, while pathogens may not be evident on the animal’s body, they nevertheless may be present in the bag water. Therefore, all animals should be quarantined before introduction into the main tank.

The mandarin QT tank​

So, yes, even though the mandarin fishes do not often express disease in captivity, it should be quarantined. And while captive-bred specimens are by far hardier and have likely been exposed to far fewer tankmates than wild specimens, we recommend that all mandarins be kept in quarantine for at least a few weeks before you put them into your display."

Is it necessary to rehome the foxface and purple tang? They are doing very well and no aggression except for the purple tang going after the six line wrasse sometimes.

Noted, I’ll make sure to QT. I don’t think I’ll medicate the mandarin unless I spot any visible infections etc

 

[eliaslikesfish]

Is it necessary to rehome the foxface and purple tang? They are doing very well and no aggression except for the purple tang going after the six line wrasse sometimes.

Noted, I’ll make sure to QT. I don’t think I’ll medicate the mandarin unless I spot any visible infections etc

125+ gallon is ideal for those fish

 

[Biota_Marine]

I would readily purchase a fish from Biota if they shipped to Europe, as their specimens are bred in captivity. Unfortunately, without access to Biota, I can buy a captive-bred fish, but there's no guarantee it will adapt to eating pellets. However, I am prepared with baby brine shrimp, frozen mysis, artemia, and black worms for feeding.

We actually do ship to Europe! Many local aquarium stores can find our livestock either through Dejong Marinelife or Tropical Marine Centre.

 

[BxstardXI]

My aquarium setup includes a Red Sea Reefer G2 with a capacity of 350 liters, or 91 gallons, which is divided into a 75-gallon display tank and a 16-gallon sump.

The standout of my collection is a fish I've always dreamed of owning.

My tank, now two years old:

• 2 Ocellaris Clownfish
• 1 Foxface
• 1 Purple Tang
• 1 Sixline Wrasse (notably peaceful)
• 1 Yellow Goby with its shrimp companion

The tank is well-equipped with numerous hiding places, perhaps even more than necessary.

I would readily purchase a fish from Biota if they shipped to Europe, as their specimens are bred in captivity. Unfortunately, without access to Biota, I can buy a captive-bred fish, but there's no guarantee it will adapt to eating pellets. However, I am prepared with baby brine shrimp, frozen mysis, artemia, and black worms for feeding.

Also have an QT ready for ich eradication, but I have read that it is a fish not worth quarantining

Coincidentally I ordered two mandarins (a pair) arriving monday, ive had one before and build some experience around it.

From personal observation id make sure that theres enough copepods or live incredibly small creatures in your tank for them to eat as thats basically what they do all day (even up to a thousand and possibly more if they could) so starvation is your biggest enemy here, they are such insane picky eaters I wouldn't trust frozen food unless you are sure they are already trained to eat it cuz big chance they may not. Dont make the same mistake i did:,) poor fella

Ofc u can breed ur own copepods but that would mean you'd have to manually feed daily if your up for that. Idunno how you prepared your tank if you added live copepods weekly to it every month to give them enough time to reproduce and be sure theres enough food around, atleast thats what i did.

The whole backwall of my tank is FULL of those critters now and I still waited for 4 years till I was absolutely sure there is enough for them to eat. After a bit I will also manually add copepods back to avoid running out, thats how carefull im approaching this.

Cant express this enough, take your time to let your tank get old so theres enough live critters for them to eat, keep adding copepods until your only solution to get rid of them is by getting the fish! Unless you get a trained one then all good but well u get the point i guess, they starve fast.

Patience is required for this fish, only do it if youre a 100% sure u can

 

[MnFish1]

Is it necessary to rehome the foxface and purple tang? They are doing very well and no aggression except for the purple tang going after the six line wrasse sometimes.

Noted, I’ll make sure to QT. I don’t think I’ll medicate the mandarin unless I spot any visible infections etc

I don't know how big they are now - but generally speaking, a purple tang and fox face need will eventually need more room. Additionally, they may out compete your mandarins for food.

 

[Formulator]

My aquarium setup includes a Red Sea Reefer G2 with a capacity of 350 liters, or 91 gallons, which is divided into a 75-gallon display tank and a 16-gallon sump.

The standout of my collection is a fish I've always dreamed of owning.

My tank, now two years old:

• 2 Ocellaris Clownfish
• 1 Foxface
• 1 Purple Tang
• 1 Sixline Wrasse (notably peaceful)
• 1 Yellow Goby with its shrimp companion

The tank is well-equipped with numerous hiding places, perhaps even more than necessary.

I would readily purchase a fish from Biota if they shipped to Europe, as their specimens are bred in captivity. Unfortunately, without access to Biota, I can buy a captive-bred fish, but there's no guarantee it will adapt to eating pellets. However, I am prepared with baby brine shrimp, frozen mysis, artemia, and black worms for feeding.

Also have an QT ready for ich eradication, but I have read that it is a fish not worth quarantining

How old is the tank? Do you have space to add a small refugium? I’m leaning heavily towards no. You already have a wrasse which is going to put a dent in your pod population. Even if you get them eating frozen or pellets, they like to graze on the rocks constantly so it is best to have some steady level of pods for them. I would at least only start with one and see how it does. I strongly recommend setting up a refugium so the pod population has a place to reproduce away from predators. At the very least, you could set up a “pod hotel” in your sump. This is basically a plastic basket filled with porous media where pods like to hang out. Algae Barn sells a kit.

 

[hart24601]

A lot depends on if you’re able to get them on pellets. TDO work really well. I got my wilds on tdo pellets and over the past couple years they bred in my 15g nano.

Of course in a larger tank with more livestock they might be out competed for pellets.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

Additionally, they may out compete your mandarins for food.

True, but the sixline wins that competition.

 

[MnFish1]

True, but the sixline wins that competition.

I actually meant picking stuff off the rocks - but yes you're correct!