Feeding Mandarin's live brine shrimp

D_treezy · 05/14/2012, 09:53 PM

I had a look around and have seen a lot about feeding Madarins pods, anyone tried supplementing pods with live brine shrimp.

Is brine shrimp too big?? Too unrelated to pods??? Just wondering as I am thinking of getting one in a few months.

thanks

Retired Reefer · 05/15/2012, 06:08 AM

I used to hatch brine shrimp eggs for them. The newly hatched babies are an excellent food for them.

Devaji108 · 05/15/2012, 09:03 AM

i AM interested in this as well. will bbs along with pods keep them alive long term?

Retired Reefer · 05/15/2012, 10:52 AM

Yes they will but your going to have to set up a BBS hatchery and stick to it. I have a DIY made out of 2 large soda bottles. Cut the bottoms out and flip upside down. I then drilled a hole in the caps for the airline witch I sealed using aquarium grade silicon. With 2 bottles you can start a new batch every day. They are best used soon after hatching as the egg yolk is still attached and full.

Paul B · 05/15/2012, 01:26 PM

I have enough pods to keep a few mandarins but I suppliment the tank every day with new born brine for the pipefish. The mandarins and al the other fish enjoy the baby brine.
I built this feeder for them. I also built the brine shrimp hatchery and use it every day.

Here is also a video of it working.

rssjsb · 05/15/2012, 01:34 PM

Paul, what kind of pipefish is that?

Paul B · 05/15/2012, 01:36 PM

She's a blue stripeed pipefish

D_treezy · 05/16/2012, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retired Reefer

Yes they will but your going to have to set up a BBS hatchery and stick to it. I have a DIY made out of 2 large soda bottles. Cut the bottoms out and flip upside down. I then drilled a hole in the caps for the airline witch I sealed using aquarium grade silicon. With 2 bottles you can start a new batch every day. They are best used soon after hatching as the egg yolk is still attached and full.

Thanks for the advise, much appreciated.

I'd be interested to see pics of that working, sounds like a great plan.

D_treezy · 05/16/2012, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul B

I have enough pods to keep a few mandarins but I suppliment the tank every day with new born brine for the pipefish. The mandarins and al the other fish enjoy the baby brine.
I built this feeder for them. I also built the brine shrimp hatchery and use it every day.

Here is also a video of it working.

Awesome, great to see it in action, though I can't quite make out how it works

Is it a container with holes drilled into it?

Paul B · 05/16/2012, 04:11 AM

There is a thread about it
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166449

D_treezy · 05/16/2012, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul B

There is a thread about it
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166449

Thanks, I'll check it out

tao chuan fa · 05/16/2012, 10:22 PM

They do eat full grown brine as well,but man do they eat!I second the hatchery.Make sure you have a refugium well stocked with pods as well.Good luck.

D_treezy · 05/17/2012, 09:43 PM

Thanks again everyone.

What a great feeder, that's exactly what I was after. My sump/refugium is loaded with amphipods, but i don't see many copepods, though I hear they're a lot smaller. So I was a little worried

I went down to two LFS yesterday and of course they're both out of brine shrimp eggs, apparently no one has them in stock.

I'll start with the feeder tonight or tomorrow though.

Paul B · 05/18/2012, 04:37 AM

Quote:

I went down to two LFS yesterday and of course they're both out of brine shrimp eggs, apparently no one has them in stock.

I don't know the supply of brine shrimp eggs in Wollongong Australia but in the states they are very common. I would imagine you copuld get them online

Jeff000 · 05/18/2012, 05:40 AM

I've had a few mandarins, had a pair that was great for 6 months, a pair of green spots after that for 6 months. But despite them eating whatever frozen food I put in the tank they never make it past the 6 month mark.

Paul B · 05/18/2012, 09:52 AM

I don't have to feed them anything and they live for years. I don't think I ever lost one except from an accident. But I like to watch them at this feeder.
They think it's like an amusement park.

Lynnmw1208 · 05/19/2012, 09:17 AM

just be sure to feed the brine shrimp some phytoplan for extra nutrients. I fed my mandarin this for a long time. I got one of those sea squirters to directly shoot some at my mandarin which she recognized. She lived only a year though sadly

so who knows. She died fat so I have no clue the cause of death.

Paul B · 05/19/2012, 12:08 PM

The brine shrimp I feed are newborns and they have a yoke sack so they don't need to be fed and they can't feed.

D_treezy · 05/21/2012, 01:10 AM

Brine shrimp eggs are normally available, I've seen them dozens of time, just so happens that when I want them they're out of stock

It's all good though, they're on order.

05/14/2012, 09:53 PM	#1
D_treezy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wollongong, Australia Posts: 17	Feeding Mandarin's live brine shrimp I had a look around and have seen a lot about feeding Madarins pods, anyone tried supplementing pods with live brine shrimp. Is brine shrimp too big?? Too unrelated to pods??? Just wondering as I am thinking of getting one in a few months. thanks

05/15/2012, 01:26 PM	#5
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I have enough pods to keep a few mandarins but I suppliment the tank every day with new born brine for the pipefish. The mandarins and al the other fish enjoy the baby brine. I built this feeder for them. I also built the brine shrimp hatchery and use it every day. Here is also a video of it working. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/15/2012, 01:34 PM	#6
rssjsb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,243	Paul, what kind of pipefish is that? __________________ Robin

05/15/2012, 01:36 PM	#7
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	She's a blue stripeed pipefish __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/16/2012, 04:11 AM	#10
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	There is a thread about it http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166449 __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/15/2012, 06:08 AM	#2
Retired Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northern Calif. Ukiah Posts: 133	I used to hatch brine shrimp eggs for them. The newly hatched babies are an excellent food for them.

05/15/2012, 09:03 AM	#3
Devaji108 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Jackson Hole Wy Posts: 3,430	i AM interested in this as well. will bbs along with pods keep them alive long term?

05/15/2012, 10:52 AM	#4
Retired Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northern Calif. Ukiah Posts: 133	Yes they will but your going to have to set up a BBS hatchery and stick to it. I have a DIY made out of 2 large soda bottles. Cut the bottoms out and flip upside down. I then drilled a hole in the caps for the airline witch I sealed using aquarium grade silicon. With 2 bottles you can start a new batch every day. They are best used soon after hatching as the egg yolk is still attached and full.

05/16/2012, 10:22 PM	#12
tao chuan fa Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 53	They do eat full grown brine as well,but man do they eat!I second the hatchery.Make sure you have a refugium well stocked with pods as well.Good luck.

05/17/2012, 09:43 PM	#13
D_treezy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wollongong, Australia Posts: 17	Thanks again everyone. What a great feeder, that's exactly what I was after. My sump/refugium is loaded with amphipods, but i don't see many copepods, though I hear they're a lot smaller. So I was a little worried I went down to two LFS yesterday and of course they're both out of brine shrimp eggs, apparently no one has them in stock. I'll start with the feeder tonight or tomorrow though.

05/18/2012, 05:40 AM	#15
Jeff000 Electrician Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 1,653	I've had a few mandarins, had a pair that was great for 6 months, a pair of green spots after that for 6 months. But despite them eating whatever frozen food I put in the tank they never make it past the 6 month mark.

05/18/2012, 09:52 AM	#16
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I don't have to feed them anything and they live for years. I don't think I ever lost one except from an accident. But I like to watch them at this feeder. They think it's like an amusement park. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/19/2012, 09:17 AM	#17
Lynnmw1208 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Brunswick, Ohio Posts: 3,306	just be sure to feed the brine shrimp some phytoplan for extra nutrients. I fed my mandarin this for a long time. I got one of those sea squirters to directly shoot some at my mandarin which she recognized. She lived only a year though sadly so who knows. She died fat so I have no clue the cause of death. __________________ equipment: Eshopps psk-200 skimmer, Mag 12 pump, 30gal sump, 2x 300w Finnex heaters, glass-holes 1500gph overflow kit with 3/4" return kits, 72" 8x36w t-5 AquaticLife light, 66lbs of LR, 150lbs of tropic eden reeflakes, 2 Koralia Evo 1400, JBJ ATO, BRS dual GFO/carbon reactors, Hydor smartwave Current Tank Info: 125gallon

05/19/2012, 12:08 PM	#18
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	The brine shrimp I feed are newborns and they have a yoke sack so they don't need to be fed and they can't feed. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/21/2012, 01:10 AM	#19
D_treezy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wollongong, Australia Posts: 17	Brine shrimp eggs are normally available, I've seen them dozens of time, just so happens that when I want them they're out of stock It's all good though, they're on order.