Green Mandarin feeding advice

Hi all
We just bought a green mandarin last week and he seems to be doing well. We were told he was tank raised and would eat other foods besides pods. My question is there any way to tell that he's feeding, since pods are so small? He is very active and is pecking away at the rocks so I imagine he's eating something. We had pods in the tank before he showed up since there were always a few in the filter sock. The tank is a year old but just in case I bought a large container of pods and used a syringe feeder to shoot them into the rocks when the lights were out. So hopefully they will keep the colony going. Any other advice?

 

Sounds right..

 

You can also try cyclopeeze. My mandarin went absolutely nutzo for it but not all animals are the same.

 

That's right !!...mine was the same with that stuff ! ..Nutzo..perfect : )

 

I have a green and a spotted. The green started sucking up the clowns pellets. He seems to eat anything 1mm or smaller. I can't target feed him. He looks at me like I just crop dusted him and will wait till I walk away then come back and start eating. But, He started eating the SA clown pellets when I first put him in the tank before I had a chance to feed him

The spotted decided she wanted to spend all her time in the rocks and corals. No interest in the pellets. Got some Ovo for her. Can't target feed her ether but if I dust the corals she is in she will start pecking at them when they settle on the rocks. He doesn't seem to like the Ovo that much, rather eat pellets.

The Green looked ok when I got him but the spotted was anemic. He is fat and happy and she has filled out to the point where the body is smooth/even.

In my reading, you can ether put them in a breeding box/cage and feed them what you want them to eat till they do. Or, you can try different things till they start eating it.

 

You're on the right track, do you have a sump? If so, get some seeded chaeto and let that be you're farm! I use a hob fuge for a farm for mine!

 

When I was supplementing my dragonette's diet with food he really liked Arcti Pods from Reef Nutrition. He eventually took to PE mysis too, but now he ignores my feedings. I'm guessing he is finally content with the pod population in my tank.

 

My mandarins also simply LOVED blood worms. it sometimes helps to put a few drops of Kent marine garlic extract in the tank about 2 minutes before feeding to get them to accept new foods. Once they're eating well, gradually ween them off the garlic. Careful not to use too much, I'm not sure but I think large doses in the water may effect their slime coats. Mine were wild caught and I got both to eat very well using the garlic and blood worms. I also supplemented with pods of course for nutritional value and so they could hunt good luck! they're awesome fish, I was heart broken when mine died from ick. I guess Romeo and Juliette were not the best names after all.