New Member New Marine Aquarium

[TigerIssey]

Are you using photobucket, if you are can you use the image tags to insert the picture. If you already are, can you get a closer or larger pixeled picture, cannot see enough detail.

 

[robincushing]

im not sure how to do that, and i could not get any closer image.
added note, my red mandarin decided he wanted to take a bite of one of the green things earlier but didnt like it and spat it right back out.

 

[TigerIssey]

Do the green things look like bubbles.

 

[robincushing]

no. they sort of look like a hollow tube with a sunflower on the end, but all bright green.

 

[robincushing]

how do mandarin fish feed?
i ask because i have not seen it eat yet and am worried it will starve.

 

[rabbut]

They are specialist feeders that eat copepods and amphipods off the live rock. They rarely take frozen or prepaired foods, and usualy starve in any tank smaller than 75g, or in imature tanks, due to a lack of food being available. You can culture and feed live foods (pods) for them, but as I don't keep them, I don't realy know how to do this...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Trod]

how do mandarin fish feed?
i ask because i have not seen it eat yet and am worried it will starve.

They feed on copepods. You will need to add these to your tank, and quick you can start your own pod farm, but this will take around 4 to 5 weeks to mature, I would recommend you have a look here http/www.reefworks.co.uk/default.asp?section=37 and purchase a months supply first so that your fish can have some food. You can set up your own culture all you need is a bowl, air stone and the starter culture of pods and in 4 to 5 weeks they will be ready to harvest, just fed them with phytoplankton occasionally and they will threive.
How long have you had this fish, if you can see its bone running along the side then it may be to late already, with all due respect, you shouldn't have bought this fish if you didn't know how to look after it. The first rule of marine is RESEARCH and don't buy anything untill you know how to keep it.
Your fish could be slowly starving to death

 

[rabbut]

^^Diden't the OP get this with their set-up? Or am I thinking of another member here?

 

[TigerIssey]

I think that was Bolland Rabbut (could be wrong though).

 

[seffieuk]

Yes Tina, think it is Bolland who got a mandy with his tank.

Do as Trod suggests and do it quick - can't remember where you are but if you are close to me I can give you some pods to help the poor chap until you get some off the internet - sorry will not post

seffie x

 

[robincushing]

hi all, im back with an update.
I bought some copepods last month and both the mandarin and the clowns loved them, they ate themselves full for ages.
didnt see a single copepod after that. but put the torch on after lights out the other day and there are still a few in there.

tank going well, still got the brown algae growing like trees in there though.
and also some black stuff (dead algae) which is very ugly all over the place.
i made the mistake of trying to disperse it. a lot of it did get sucked up into the filter but it also caused by amonia levels to go shooting up.
cured that with a big water change and all ok.

i now purchased 2 fire shrimp, a hermit crab and a long nosed hawk fish.

all seems to be ok so far.
will keep you updated

 

[rabbut]

Long Nosed Hawks may go after smaller Clownfish later on... Sorry for bad news if the Clown you have was a common/perk

All the best
Rabbut

 

[seffieuk]

Robin, buy some more copepods and start a culture, it is really easy you need to be supplementing the tank at least twice a week, if not daily for an adult Mandy in your size tank - start the culture quick

Seffie x

 

[robincushing]

can anyone recomend any more clean up crew to go in my tank?
i have a hermit crab and 2 fire shrimp at the moment.
i plan to add coral to my tank at a later date so they must be coral safe. thanks

 

[Trod]

I would add some snails, may be some nassarius and turbo and a few more hermits have a look here http/www.fishmansfrags.co.uk/shop.html?p...p;category_id=8 they do differant types also found this site http/www.reefstock.co.uk/index.php?main_...amp;cPath=31_33 I've not used them but looks pretty good