I'm planning to get a mandarin goby and train it to take prepared foods in a separate 10g tank. Yes, I know they need hundreds of pods per day and I'm prepared to breed them. The prepared foods are to be a supplement to their diet. My question to those who have experience training them is should I get a small mandarin (no more than 1"long) or a larger one (over double that size)? The guy at the lfs suggested small because it has spent less time on the reef but I was wondering if anyone here would suggest differently? Thanks!
Training a mandarin: small or larger?
- Thread starter elbereth
- Start date
I've kept Mandarin Goby's in the late nineties they were in a Reef type Setup with Seahorses. There were Coepods but decided one day to try Frozen Mysis Shrimp. Not only did my Seahorses accept Mysis the Madarin Goby start eating them as well. If you got the smaller one Baby Brine would probably be the food I would personally feed without an abundance of Coepods.
I would say small as well, small means young so it will live longer, but it also hasn't really developed a habit of eating only copepods, but you very well may not be able to get them onto prepared food.
I have seen numerous mandarins trained to eat pellet food. (NLS) See if you can find one that is captive bred from Ora Farms, that will make it even easier. Go with younger/smaller specimen. Good luck.
Wild caught sw fish can have bad habits eating when acquired older...well more set in their natural ways of eating anyway.
Id look for a juvie not a baby if possible. Old enough not to be as fragile but not old enough to be set on a specialized food.
Avoid competing wrasse, red scooters, etc. Not a species id toss in a less mature tank.
Id look for a juvie not a baby if possible. Old enough not to be as fragile but not old enough to be set on a specialized food.
Avoid competing wrasse, red scooters, etc. Not a species id toss in a less mature tank.
Thank you all for your advice.
How can I distinguish between a juvenile and a baby? What size should I look for?
Tbh I've never seen very small under 2 inches. I suggest selecting a Mandarin that has thickness to it's body. If thin avoid getting it.
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RD.
said they are selling captive bred now that are already pellet trained. With that being said I had them in my reefs and they would eat frozen but really liked pods. Never saw them eat a pellet once. Mine were wc. They are one of my favorite saltwater fish. Most of my other fish would eat the spectrum thera a type pellets, including all my leopard wrasses also a known finicky pod eater.
RD.
said they are selling captive bred now that are already pellet trained. With that being said I had them in my reefs and they would eat frozen but really liked pods. Never saw them eat a pellet once. Mine were wc. They are one of my favorite saltwater fish. Most of my other fish would eat the spectrum thera a type pellets, including all my leopard wrasses also a known finicky pod eater.
If you have pods in the tank it will do fine. If not, feed brine shrimp soaked in vitamins. Progress to mysis shrimp soaked in vitamins. In my experience most fish won’t starve themselves until they die unless there is an issue.