sick mandarin

I know i know. My wife convinced me that we needed a mandarin. I felt that I was pulling about 30 c-pods from my prefilter every 3-4 days, and she found somewhere online that used that number to see if you had enough to support a mandarin. The mandarin had been in a tank at the LFS for about 3 weeks, he did not have any pods and was feeding brine. This little thing is really skinny and has been picked on by the other fish in the tank she was in (triggers, lunar wrasse etc etc). Another reason i took the fish was because i figured it would die in the LFS tank. Now i have taken that one, he has got another one in that is really healthy and fat. im sure this new one will end up the same way. I feel i should go buy the other aswell, but then he willbuy another. Gees, i hate this!!

The mandarin does not have a tail as i mentioned before it had been picked on, will that heal?

the mandarin has been in my tank for 3 weeks, i have tried the glass jar and filled it with small pods but she wont go in it. I see her picking at the rockwork and sand, and i have seen a decline in the # of pods in my prefilter, but she is still really skinny.

do i cut my losses and go get the healthy one and say something to the LFS about needing pods? so he doesnt get another?

please help!!

 

If the tail is gone completely, it probably will not regrow. If the fins are just torn or tattered, yes they may heal up.

If the mandarin is picking off the rocks, there's nothing more you can do. It's obviously feeding. Just might not be getting enough to bring it back from the edge. Was the belly sunken in when you got it? This condition is very difficult to come back from.

Don't go get the other one. Two mandarins in the same tank won't get along unless they are two females or male and female unless the tank is very large.

Hate to say it but rescues from the LFS should never be done. Let them suffer the loss for the fish or coral and perhaps that will teach them to take better care of it next time. Of course you never know if they were sent the fish that way, which is a good possibility. In that case their at the mercy of the supplier....but still.

 

right. I just feel that if i wait and see if the one I have makes it, and ends up dying. By that time the one at the LFS will probobly be starving and skinny too. Yes the belly was very sunken, a very prominent line down its side.
I really thought as i had tons of pods it woudl be ok. I guess i could always take the one back to the LFS, but its in my tank. Eventhough its only a fish, it a living thing that i took responsibility for and i would feel bad taking it back to the LFS where I know for sure it will die. But the other fish would probobly have a chance if i took it now, its very fat and healthy. ????

 

My 2 cents

HI,
Many LPS survive with a rather high mortality rate, they will sell anything to anyone animals that will kill each other and never ask what do you have in the tank, a good petstore will have hospital tanks and remove sick and injured animals from the main tanks. I don't try to buy animals at stores that don't seem to care about rescue, my main concern is they maynot have a clue. As with any animal shock can occur and nothing may help, so you have bought damaged goods that have a zero or poor chance for survival. Things that occur at LFS may be temp shock, PH Shock, Water quality, starvation, and just rough handling at store fish nets cross contamination. If they grab a net out of that blue stuff I usally turn and leave.
Doug
PS If you support the store by purchasing their Almost DOA, they will order more.

 

That sucks to hear they're a great fish if you can find one that will eat a varied diet. Best of luck on such a wonderful fish.

 

"Eventhough its only a fish, it a living thing that i took responsibility for and i would feel bad taking it back to the LFS where I know for sure it will die."
You took it now its on your head. Don't encourage them by getting another. dont put it through the shock of another move. What size tank is this? Most will tell ya you don't do one of these unless you have a 75g or better and a fuge. He will eat pods to extinction and then die w/o refuge. Go check rc for many resources about feeding him.
I would...
brew up some baby brine shrimp. You can even make yer own but I like the box with cup best. add some phyto to the cup for good measure. This one wants live so give him live... baby brine is better for him than pods. Once you got him waiting at the tank for more babies start trying frozen baby brine. Once you have him on frozen try adding crushed spirulina flakes.
If this one dies don't get another. At least then you won't be the one responsible. If you turn this one around I dought you will be able to keep the next one and it is not worth finding out at the cost of another guy.
Don't get me wrong... I love em too. Kept one alive in my 29 for almost two years(actually a scooter blenny). My sand went a little bad and poof. He was the biggest scooter I ever saw. Got him as a tiny little baby. I did the same thing - won't do it again.

 

see the problem with this is that the mandarin was not taking the brine or PODS that he was providing. i personaly dont believe in the "if it dies ill just buy another" statement. you should do your research and if you feel you are ready for the fish then try your hand at it. but my views aside, i think that this fish may have been starved for weeks before you bought it.

did the lfs have it in a tank with live rock? if not then that is the first indication that it was not being properly taken care of.

 

Why?? Whats wrong with the blue stuff?

 

add more rock.

 

2+ that and add time to that...