Pods and Mandarin

[tylbaart]

Ok I've had a mandarin for 6 months now I have stocked tank with trigger pods almost every other week. He has gotten slowly skinnyer. Pods have not taken on tank any suggestions. I have already put small rubble in piles in tank and in back section as well as chaito. Tank is a red sea 130. Other stock gold stripe clown, coral beauty, gbta, branch hammer duncan coral. Few zoas. Once or twice it looked like they took and I saw random spawns in water but not sustained. I do have a 34 gallon display frag tank with a ten gallon sump that I could move to but not sure. He's holding but not gaining weight back always active and hunting on rocks. Just want to get him fat and happy not just holding on like he is. Thanks
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[Vnghost]

Train him on frozen and pellets. Spot feed everyday

 

[Igarc009]

Trigger pods don't work in reef tanks. I got mine from a vendor online they took instantly to my tank. I think it was like 10 bucks

 

[Six2seven]

I would pass him to another reefer with a larger tank established with pods.

 

[Jhuneke]

I put mine into a nano tank ( when they began to breed).. there I can spot feed and make sure that they eat well.. in my larger display tank they get spooked off the food by my other fish (also.. it is giving my DT a nice long break from pod eaters, so that the population can build up).Will try them again soon in DT.. but this nano method is working out well so far. Also.. after doing some reading.. I stocked the DT with TISBE pods only.. they are more likely to establish and breed.. but I load them in the fuge , not the DT. Good luck love these fish, some of my all time favorite, so beautiful!

 

[tylbaart]

I put in cycopeeze(frozen pods and such) he shows no interest I have pods on order so I am hoping that will do the trick. What do you mean spit feed? If the pods I have ordered dont take i will have to pass him on don't want to he's my fav but rather he live and be my fav than not.

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[reefes pieces]

Spot feed - put some small pellets around him on the floor and see if he takes to them. This most likely will be a lot of failed attempts, but hopefully one day he will start to eat the pellets. I had one that finally took to pellets on his own. I have had no luck with breeding tigger pods either. I don't think the tank environment has the proper food source to sustain and grow a population, but Tisbe reef pods can def grow. Unfortunately the RSM 130 is a pretty small tank for that mandarin so any type of pods may not have a great chance of populating before the fish and coral get to it. Are you running a fuge in the back of the tank? If so load most of the pods in there

 

[Jhuneke]

One way to help train.. mine LOVED the nutramar ova frozen ( but it was such a mess in the tank) so I gradually added brine to the pile. Once they took to brine I added tiny mysis instead. They got right on that! I have on again of again luck with pellet.. they seem to go on pellet strikes , so I add back some mysis. Def one of the most demanding species to keep healthy. Luckily my stubborness paid off..train them in the smaller tank for a bit, and I bet you will have an easier time of it.

 

[Vnghost]

Google it, there's lots of tricks on training mandarins. There's a really long thread on nano reef about training them.

 

[thompsonz1990]

I use chaeto in my refuge. I allowed it to just cycle for a month and watched the pods that were already living in it to multiply and make it into my system. I have had a mandarin now for three or four months and he is fat and happy. The best thing is just to be patient and allow them to accumulate BEFORE buying your mandarin, but seeing as you have one I would def try training him onto other foods. Really hope he makes it! Mandarins are the best!

 

[willyb123]

I agree. I would donate to a reefer with a really large tank and lots of pods. Its sad to see them starve to death. They should really stop fishing them out...