Introduction
Mandarin fish, often called dragonets, are jewels of the saltwater aquarium hobby. Their dazzling colors, intricate patterns, and graceful movements captivate aquarists. However, beneath their captivating beauty lies a delicate creature prone to starvation. Keeping these fish successfully requires a deep understanding of their unique dietary needs and a commitment to providing a constant supply of appropriate food. Far too many inexperienced reefkeepers add this marvel to their system, only to see it slowly fade from not being able to eat what’s on offer. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of mandarin fish food, focusing on how to provide the right diet and avoid the common pitfalls associated with keeping these stunning fish. Successful mandarin fish keeping hinges on understanding their dietary needs and providing consistent access to appropriate live food.
Understanding the Mandarin Fish Diet in the Wild
In their natural habitat, mandarin fish inhabit the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific region. These intricate ecosystems teem with life, providing a constant buffet of small crustaceans and other microfauna. Unlike other fish that might aggressively chase down a meal, mandarin fish are slow, methodical hunters. They spend their days grazing among the coral, carefully picking at tiny organisms that inhabit the nooks and crannies of the reef.
Their primary food source is copepods. These tiny crustaceans are an essential part of the reef food web and constitute the bulk of a mandarin’s diet. They also consume amphipods, which are larger than copepods, and a variety of other microscopic organisms. The key to understanding a mandarin’s natural diet is appreciating the importance of a mature, thriving reef ecosystem. In their natural habitat, these fish have access to a virtually limitless supply of live food, allowing them to constantly graze and meet their nutritional needs. A healthy reef, teeming with microfauna, is therefore the ideal foundation for successfully keeping mandarin fish in captivity.
The Challenges of Feeding Mandarin Fish in Captivity
The biggest challenge in keeping mandarin fish is providing them with adequate nutrition in a captive environment. They are notoriously picky eaters, often refusing to accept prepared foods that other fish readily consume. Several factors contribute to this difficulty.
First, many mandarin fish are simply not interested in anything other than live food. They have evolved to hunt and graze on small, moving prey, and they may not recognize frozen or dried foods as edible. Second, mandarin fish are slow eaters. They take their time to carefully inspect each food item before consuming it. In a typical aquarium environment, they are easily outcompeted by faster-eating tankmates, who quickly devour any available food. Third, they have small mouths. This limits the size of the food items they can consume, making it difficult to feed them larger frozen or prepared foods. And lastly, some mandarins will simply never adapt. Many reefkeepers have had specimens that have refused all offerings of food, simply because they have been unable to wean them onto anything other than naturally available live food.
The consequence of inadequate feeding is starvation. Mandarin fish that do not receive enough food will slowly become emaciated and eventually die. Recognizing the signs of starvation early is crucial for intervening and improving their chances of survival. Therefore, it is essential to avoid common mistakes that beginner aquarists often make. Adding a mandarin to an immature tank, failing to provide enough live food, not carefully observing their feeding behavior, and overcrowding the tank with competing fish can all contribute to starvation.
Essential Mandarin Fish Foods: Live and Prepared Options
The ideal diet for a mandarin fish in captivity consists primarily of live foods. While some individuals may learn to accept prepared foods, live food is the cornerstone of their nutrition.
Copepods
Copepods are the most important live food for mandarin fish. Their size, nutritional value, and natural behavior make them an ideal food source. They are small enough for even the smallest mandarin fish to consume, they are rich in essential nutrients, and they actively swim around the tank, mimicking the natural prey of a mandarin fish. Maintaining a healthy population of copepods in the aquarium is essential for the long-term survival of these fish. Some aquarists choose to culture copepods at home, which allows them to have a constant supply of live food. This can be a rewarding but demanding process, requiring specific equipment and attention to detail. For those who do not want to culture copepods, they can be purchased from reliable sources online or at local fish stores.
Amphipods
Amphipods are another valuable live food option. They are larger than copepods and provide a more substantial meal. Creating refugia in the aquarium can help amphipods thrive. A refugium is a separate compartment of the aquarium that provides a safe haven for invertebrates to reproduce and grow. Amphipods can then migrate from the refugium into the main display tank, providing a constant source of food for the mandarin fish.
Other Live Foods
Other live food options, such as rotifers and brine shrimp nauplii, can be useful, particularly for very small or newly introduced mandarin fish. However, these foods are not as nutritionally complete as copepods and amphipods and should be used as a supplement, not as the primary food source.
Prepared Foods
Prepared foods can play a role in supplementing the diet of mandarin fish. Frozen foods, such as mysis shrimp and cyclops, can be offered, but it is important to choose small sizes that the fish can easily consume. Prepare the frozen food by thawing it in a small amount of aquarium water before feeding. Some mandarin fish may learn to accept small pellets or flakes. Look for foods that are high in marine protein and specifically formulated for small fish. Soaking the pellets in water before feeding can make them easier to consume. Many aquarists enrich these foods with vitamins and fatty acids using commercially available products like Selcon.
Creating a Thriving Reef Environment for Mandarin Fish
Creating a thriving reef environment is essential for the successful keeping of mandarin fish. A mature reef tank with established biological filtration is crucial. The minimum tank size for a mandarin fish should be at least seventy five gallons, and larger tanks are preferable.
Refugium Importance
A refugium is the key to maintaining a sustainable copepod population. A refugium provides a safe haven for copepods to reproduce and grow without being preyed upon by fish. The design and setup of a refugium are relatively simple. It typically consists of a separate compartment of the aquarium filled with live rock, macroalgae, and a substrate of sand or mud. Plants and substrate are important for providing surface area and nutrients for copepods to thrive. Proper lighting and flow in the refugium are also important for supporting the growth of algae and other beneficial organisms. The substrate itself contributes to hosting microfauna, providing a food source for copepods and other invertebrates. Live rock is also essential, providing hiding places and foraging opportunities for mandarin fish and other reef inhabitants.
Compatible Tankmates
Choosing compatible tankmates is important. Avoid aggressive or overly competitive fish that will outcompete the mandarin fish for food. Peaceful, slow-moving fish are the best companions.
Feeding Techniques and Strategies
Carefully observing the mandarin fish’s feeding behavior is crucial for ensuring that it is receiving enough food. Acclimation is key, and seeing the fish eat during its quarantine period is essential. Target feeding can be an effective way to deliver food directly to the fish. This involves using a pipette or syringe to squirt live food near the mandarin fish as it grazes. A feeding schedule of small, frequent feedings throughout the day is ideal. This mimics the natural grazing behavior of mandarin fish in the wild.
Copepod Population Increase
Boosting the copepod population in the display tank is also important. This can be achieved by regularly adding large quantities of copepods, often referred to as “copepod bombs.” Reducing fish predation on copepods can also help to increase their population. This can be achieved by choosing tankmates carefully and providing plenty of hiding places for copepods to avoid being eaten.
Training to Eat Prepared Foods
Training a mandarin fish to eat prepared foods can be challenging but rewarding. Start by offering live blackworms, then gradually mix in frozen mysis shrimp. Soaking the food in garlic extract can also help to entice the fish to eat. Quarantine feeding is crucial. Ensure the fish is eating well in quarantine before introducing it to the main tank. This will give the fish a better chance of adapting to its new environment and competing for food.
Monitoring Mandarin Fish Health and Identifying Problems
Signs of a healthy mandarin fish include vibrant color, active hunting behavior, and a rounded belly. Signs of starvation include emaciation, a sunken belly, lethargy, and loss of color. If you observe these signs, take immediate action to improve the fish’s diet. Treatment for starvation may involve aggressive feeding strategies, such as target feeding with live food multiple times a day. In some cases, it may be necessary to quarantine the fish in a separate tank to ensure that it is receiving enough food without competition from other fish.
Conclusion
Keeping mandarin fish is a rewarding but challenging endeavor. These beautiful fish require a dedicated aquarist who is willing to provide them with a suitable environment and a consistent supply of live food. Remember, the key to success is to mimic their natural habitat as closely as possible and to carefully observe their feeding behavior. With proper knowledge and care, you can successfully keep mandarin fish and enjoy their beauty and grace in your home aquarium. Do your research and plan carefully before acquiring a mandarin fish. The effort you put in will be rewarded with the joy of keeping one of the most stunning creatures in the reef aquarium hobby. This is not a fish that should be added on a whim. It takes patience, dedication and the right approach to keep them.
