How long should i wait to get a mandarin??

thanks guys... im def gonna wait a while before getting one, just wanted some extra advice..

i would rather just let my pods build up then trying to train one.. since its hit or miss with training them..

 

Yes I did. I am still using it to feed my corals.

 

The Nutramar is not hit or miss. It has an extremely high success rate for Mandarins. The LFS here won't sell a Mandarin without the Nutramar. ORA video:

 

I kept OSFF using Ova, it works!

 

Errr...except for Vinny. Surprised he hasn't caught on. Did you try a feeding tube?

 

Same here. Once a fish takes to it, it's like crack to them, they go crazy for it.

 

Are those tank raised? It would seem to me that if you have such a large group all you would need to do is get one to eat it and the others would follow suit.Cool video. I am going to try target feeding him again and I will let you know. It wouldn't be uncommon for me to get the only stupid fish on the planet.lol

 

Yes, those are the ORA tank raised Mandarins.

Could be that your Mandarin has more than enough to eat in your tank, and has no reason to try a new food.

The video does shed some light on the "how many Mandarins can I keep" debate. The ORA Mandarins are raised on prepared foods. The key is to train them. Purchasing pod populations is not a viable option compared to training on Nutramar, IMO. (I'm NOT saying that anyone should keep 20 Mandarins in their tank!)

Keep in mind, that just like the work that Matt Pederson did with the OSFF, these are relatively new advances in the hobby that more people need to adopt, IMO. I understand that watching for a fish to eat at the LFS store before bringing it home can lead to sucess, but what about the others that don't take to prepared in the LFS environment? I was adamant with my LFS owner about carrying Nutramar Ova and selling it with new Mandarins, but many LFS owners don't have the time that many hobbyists have to research and share ideas like we do.

 

ROFL... Sounds like my luck.

 

When I am going to purchase an animal regardless of what kind. I research it thoroughly.I usually then only pick an animal were I can replicate (as close as possible )his space requirements and natural food source. In the case of a Mandarin this consists of copepods and small critters on the lr. This is easily produced with the proper sized tank,enough lr, and the proper tankmates. Good husbandry IMO.
To buy a fish put him in the wrong enviroment that I know I will have to supplement his feedings with something unatural is not a good idea IMO.Not to say this can't or shouldn't be done. This is merely my opinion. For all I know the bloodworms or shrimp eggs might be more nutritious; but with all the things that can go wrong in this hobby I have found it best to cover as many bases as possible. I have not put any pods in my tank for 7 months and he still looks like a fat psychedelic sausage.