Could i keep a mandarin in my tank??

Discussion in 'Tropical Fish' started by Gexx, Sep 21, 2009.

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  1. Gexx

    Gexx Giant Squid

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    ok ive done some research on these guys. i know they are small enough to fit in a 30 gallon but there dietary needs are too great to be enough in a tank that small. would it be ok with my tank inhabitants? i would only get it if it was on frozen food. will frozen food in enough quantitys be enough for it to survive? is there one kind that has a higher mortality rate then the others? thanks. again i dont have it yet and wont have money for a while to get it.
     
    Gexx, Sep 21, 2009
    Gexx, Sep 21, 2009
    #1

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  2. GuitarMan89

    GuitarMan89 Giant Squid

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    It should be ok with your other fish. If you can find one that eats frozen foods, your set. However, make sure because your tank isn't big enough to support one that eats only pods.
     
    GuitarMan89, Sep 21, 2009
    GuitarMan89, Sep 21, 2009
    #2
  3. drew3

    drew3 Blue Ringed Angel

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    ya if you buy one from the lfs ask them to show you that it eats frozen so you can witness first hand also a fuge would help alot because if with frozen its usually not enough nutrition for those guys
     
    drew3, Sep 21, 2009
    drew3, Sep 21, 2009
    #3
  4. stepho

    stepho Panda Puffer

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    From what I have heard frozen food alone will not support a mandarin. They need to eat all day long to be sustained. It helps if they are eating frozen, but they still need to have an over abundance of copepods.
     
    stepho, Sep 21, 2009
    stepho, Sep 21, 2009
    #4
  5. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    I would not expect a mandarin to exist for more than a few month in a 30g tank.
     
    horkn, Sep 22, 2009
    horkn, Sep 22, 2009
    #5
  6. Jacwil

    Jacwil Coral Banded Shrimp

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    I just got back from this great LFS that I have never been to b4. They had several Mandy's in separate tanks. I asked him if he fed them only pods and he said he never has fed them pods. He target feeds them frozen (blood worms) and cyclops. So presumably (because I have wanted one) I could get one of these that have already been trained to eat other food...rt?
     
    Jacwil, Sep 22, 2009
    Jacwil, Sep 22, 2009
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  7. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    If you can find one that will eat frozen food, then go for it. Typically they don't eat prepared food, so that is why I normally don't recommend them to people with small, or young tanks.
     
    horkn, Sep 24, 2009
    horkn, Sep 24, 2009
    #7
  8. bwalker9801

    bwalker9801 Zoanthid

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    +1 agreed
     
    bwalker9801, Sep 24, 2009
    bwalker9801, Sep 24, 2009
    #8
  9. Daniel072

    Daniel072 Giant Squid

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    even if they eat frozen, they usually don't survive too well because they are not set up to pick food from the water column so they usually don't get enough to eat
     
    Daniel072, Sep 24, 2009
    Daniel072, Sep 24, 2009
    #9
  10. oceanparadise1

    oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

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    yup! unless its eating frozen they fair wayyyyy bettter and life longer in a much larger system with lots of rock and pods
     
    oceanparadise1, Sep 24, 2009
    oceanparadise1, Sep 24, 2009
    #10
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