Food training

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TMartinez

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 27, 2010
761
1
0
Mandarin, Fl
I've seen online about traing fish to eat certain foods, in my case, a Mandarin. Can any one give training ideas or point me to a place where I can learn how to train him
 
I have gotten one spotted and one green mandarin onto frozen foods. The spotted I found to be the easier species to do he did not see live food once but it was still by no means easy he is currently eating mysis and brine and I'm trying to get him onto pellets eventually. The green mandarin is proving to be more difficult I had to start this one out on newly hatched brine shrimp to get it to eat at first but have since gotten it to eat frozen bbs, daphnia, and cyclops. With this one I also plan on getting her onto mysis, brine and pellets. Both of these I had in their own breeding box while training them and I do believe this helps greatly. I just moved them both over to a 6 gallon today in hopes of using the spotted to teach the green to eat brine and mysis as well and am planning on adding one of my scooters in their to try and getting them both eating pellets as well. These are by no means an easy fish to train onto prepared foods and you need to be prepared to feed them live if they don't ever convert over.
Here is a link that describes a process similar to what I have done.
http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/resources.asp?show=352
 
I've read using the breeder box and then starting with live brine and working your way to frozen. ORA says the mandarins do well on Nutramar Ova. Should my lfs carry bbs? Should I put the Mandarin the breeder box just to eat or all the time?
 
That is a good way to start. I have yet to try nutramar ova but I have heard it is a great food and is enticing to a lot fish but it isn't a guarantee. Your lfs might carry brine eggs but make sure they arent old. I got mine from http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/ and just hatch them out myself. I left my mandarins in the box all the time and you need to keep them in there until they are eating prepared foods readily. Are you wanting to get a green or spotted?
 
I have had a green mandarin since monday night. He appears to be in good shape and i did she him eat a piece of frozen brine... However I'd rather be safe than sorry. It won't go after food in the tank like my clowns or goby will. It could drift right in front of him and not care. I have added one jar of DT's copepods but because they are so tiny I really have no way to judge the amount that is in my tank. I just set up my refugium tuesday night (wasn't planning on getting the mandarin) and will be supplementing the tank with copepods every two weeks. So far that is my plan. I know I need more LR and to grow a pod population as much as possible. I am just looking for ways to improve its odds
 
What size of tank? And what else is in the tank? It will definitely be a good idea to get him in the basket. When you put him back in the tank I would look into adding a mandarin diner as well.
 
well I have 2 clowns and a goby in the tank. So no one is a pod eater really. Everyone is peaceful. So he will stay in the breeder net? How long is the recommended time? And by mandarin diner do you mean a pod pile?
 
The mandarin wont chase down food in your tank. You might have luck if you could drop food right on top of the fish. The frozen food needs to move across the surface of the rock in order to stimulate the feeding response. I have had luck getting a mandarin in a fairly small tank to eat frozen blood worms, brine shrimp and an occasional tiny mysis shrimp. They are very near-sited and wont see anything that isnt right in front of their face.
 
Well I am going to try putting it in a breeder net and start with frozen brine and work it toward mysis and if i'm luckly flake food. I may also try the Nutramar stuff if I can get a hold of it
 
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