New ORA Mandarin

Are you sure you are referring to ORA "aqua cultured" dragonets? A normal mandarin runs $15-$20 here, I am referring specifically to ORA's. Maybe Canada gets a deal on ORA products idk? They are tank raised not wild ones.

 

Yep looks heathy and a nice lil sausage with fins. Scoots around doing his thing. Is quite funny to watch on Blood worm days the way he sucks em back.

Actually debating on adding a green to the tank if I can find one in decent shape and eating in the area.

Here's a shot of him from a lil while ago.

 

Definitely looking to get an ORA mandarin for my 46g bowfront. Haven't decided whether I want a green or spotted, but the guy at my LFS said that the spotted seem to be fatter and less finicky than the green when they come in. Anyone have similar experiences?

I have also heard that it is helpful to put their food in a submerged baby food jar or similar container so that larger fish don't eat it and it doesn't float away.

Thoughts?

 

personally I buy all tank raised, that way they dont have to take from the ocean. thats just me though

 

Agreed even with my Fresh I prefer captive bred and when possible local club member bred as the tend to take to tanks better and supports the local hobbists.Not to mention the eco-issues of wild caught.

I actually keep a few endangered species (freshwater) as part of the CARES program http://www.carespreservation.com/ and breed them to distribute vs. more being taken from the wild.

 

Definitely agree on captive bred. Everything I have ever read made it sound like targets are more adaptable than blues and reds. My guy is so care free I can touch him and he doesn't even flinch.

 

I could not agree more with you guys more, all should be captive bred. I raised parrots (Santa Barbara Bird Farm) for 40 years, actually 30 as I stopped breeding them 10 years ago due to finding some in sanctuaries, they live easily 80 + years. We now have the birds in large, flight aviaries for them to live. If I could do it again I would not buy a single imported bird. All of our fish are aquarium raised including the Mandarins we are discussing.

 

Just drove 50 mins each way to get Nutramar Ova, mandarin has zero interest in it. He is all for the brine though unfortunately I dont think brine can sustain him for very long. The clowns love the nutramar though.

 

Feed the brine shrimp something like selcon and they should sustain him.

 

How is he doing? I lost mine after 7 weeks, bummed.