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You are here: Home / Captive Bred Fish / Feeding the Mandarin Fish
Mandarin Fish

Feeding the Mandarin Fish

by Sean Taj

For so many aquarists, the green mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) is a must-have species. Its endearing personality, exquisite finnage and intense coloration rarely fail to impress. Given these highly desirable traits, it has for long been among the most popular marine aquarium fishes. Thus, many thousands of specimens of this species are sold in the ornamental fish trade each year. Most of these are wildcaught. This is unfortunate, as wildcaught individuals have a rather poor record of survivability compared to captive-raised individuals.

Feeding the Mandarin: Wildcaught versus Aquaculture Fish

There are a number of reasons wildcaught mandarin have a lower survival rate than captive bred or aquacultured fish. For one, the mini-spears that are used to harpoon wild individuals during capture frequently cause serious internal injuries or infections. Moreover, this species often suffers from malnourishment after being subjected to the typical fast during transport. By the time a mandarin arrives at the retailer, it may be (even with the most devoted, professional care) beyond the point of no return.

For these reasons and more, it is always a good idea to opt for an aquacultured mandarin fish. One could argue that it is always better to go with cultured livestock; but in the case of mandarins, the difference between captive-raised and wild are enormous. The biggest, and most notable, difference here is in the mandarin fish’s diet and feeding habits.

[Copepods]

Wildcaught specimens might eventually begin to feed, but never accept anything other than live foods. Some wild individuals might not ever resume feeding in the aquarium at all, perishing in very short time. Aquaculture fish that have been raised in captivity, on the other hand, are far less finicky. They are comparatively voracious eaters, even greedily accepting frozen (that is, dead) items such as cyclops, small mysis or baby brine shrimp. Captive bred mandarin, being completely reared in an aquarium environment, might even arrive already trained to feed on prepared items such as fish pellets. Opportunistically nabbing these extra food items when available will afford the aquacultured fish a few extra, precious calories; it will not, however, provide a substitute for the continuous availability of live items such as live copepods.

From the shape of their mouths to the function of their digestive tracts, mandarins are specially adapted to feed on microcrustaceans such as live copepods and amphipods. While studies have revealed that the mandarin fish’s diet includes a fairly wide variety of critters (even baby snails), pods always form the bulk of their diet. Because their prey is so tiny, they must eat a very large number of them to fulfill their dietary intake requirements. Indeed, in the wild as in the aquarium, mandarins begin hunting as soon as the sun comes up and do not stop until sunset. Wildcaught and captive bred mandarin will—and must—feed constantly.

In captivity, heavy predation by even a single mandarin can significantly reduce pod populations. Even if the keeper periodically adds new pods to the system (as they should do), the population might not remain at a density capable of supporting the mandarin over the long term. As numbers of pods in the tank decrease, the fish must expend more time and more energy to locate its next bite. If pod numbers get critically low, the mandarin will struggle to meet its metabolic needs and begin to starve. Aside from general lethargy, a telltale sign of starvation in a mandarinfish is a noticeable loss of body mass; this will show in aquaculture fish as well as wildcaught, as a sunken belly and long indentations on each side of its back.

This is where the supplementary offering of frozen/prepared foods can make all the difference. A few additional bites of frozen brine shrimp might help to give a newly arrived (i.e. recently shipped and very hungry) mandarin a much-needed boost. If used regularly, foods such as this can also help to keep captive bred mandarin healthy and plump over the long run. Varying a mandarin fish’s diet in this manner might additionally serve to ensure that it is getting all of the vitamins and minerals it needs. What is most important is that the item does not exceed the animal’s miniscule bite size.

Due to the animal’s small stomach (i.e. inability to gorge) as well as its need to eat nonstop, frozen/prepared foods should be considered to be snacks only.

aquaculture fish

Though these items can be of huge benefit, they only comprise a fraction of the animal’s diet; even in captivity, pods will always be their bread and butter. Therefore, the keeper should ensure maximal feeding opportunities for their mandarin by regularly adding a diversity of live microcrustaceans to the system. For this, a mixed-species, live harpacticoid (i.e. bottom-dwelling) copepod product such as Poseidon’s Feast is ideal. Remember: if you cannot easily and quickly find pods crawling on the glass of the tank, then your mandarin probably won’t, either.

It could also do considerable good to occasionally offer live “treat” items. Quality live baby brine shrimp such a Nano Brine can not only add to their diet, but provide valuable behavioral enrichment (particularly for the chase they give!).

For sure, the greatest challenge of keeping a wildcaught or captive bred mandarin fish is feeding it properly. The easiest way to accomplish this is to provide both a continuous supply of live pods and frequent feedings of a frozen or prepared fish food. Of course, to be sure that the fish will accept the latter fare, one should acquire a captive-raised aka aquacultured fish such as a Biota Captive-Bred Green Mandarin. When purchased at AlgaeBarn, these mandarins not only come with a 100% Alive-On-Arrival Guarantee and a 7-Day Health Guarantee, but have also underwent a one-week observation period to ensure that they are healthy and eating before they are offered for sale.

Starting with a sturdy, tank-conditioned, disease-free individual that is eating well will give you the very best odds of enjoying your mandarinfish for many years!

For more information about Biota Palau and their captive breeding efforts, please visit their site at https://www.biotapalau.com. For more information about the captive diet of the mandarinfish, please read our articles Mandarin Goby Fish Care: Using Copepods to keep a Mandarin Dragonet and Keeping and Feeding the Mandarin Fishes.

[Copepods]

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sean Fowler says

    March 11, 2019 at 4:46 pm

    Algae barn is making inspiring steps in a more sustainable future for the hobby and the conservation of natural resources.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Jenkins says

      March 26, 2019 at 6:09 am

      Agree

      Reply
  2. Jenna Edney says

    March 11, 2019 at 4:50 pm

    My seahorses love the pods and nano brine.

    Reply
    • Stefanie GROBER says

      March 12, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      Our mandarin loves pods and frozen brine and mysis!

      Reply
  3. daniellenseymour says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    Such beautiful fish, I hope everyone does their research before purchasing or entering in contests…

    Reply
    • Compy Ginorio says

      March 20, 2019 at 8:55 pm

      Seen a mandarin searching and hunting their pray is a very fun experience as they are always in a search for a snack. Now with the Biotas Breed it’s even easier to keep them healthy and with a constant supply of pods it’s a recipe to succeed.

      Reply
    • shiningpooooke2 says

      March 22, 2019 at 11:56 am

      me too

      Reply
  4. Jenna says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:13 pm

    Seahorse food!!

    Reply
  5. Wayde Clark says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    Keeping a Mandarin has always been one of my dreams but been extremely concerned with feeding. But now that I have my sump all set up with Macro algae I think I am ready. Great information and well put together. I wish there were more species that are captive bred.

    Reply
    • shiningpooooke2 says

      March 22, 2019 at 11:56 am

      I understand, just do all the research ahead of time and it will all be fine.

      Reply
  6. Gustafson Aaron says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:36 pm

    I’ve had great luck with pods from AB.

    Reply
  7. Mitch says

    March 11, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    Sweet deal!

    Reply
  8. Alex Bonanno says

    March 11, 2019 at 7:09 pm

    Looks like I’ll finally be able to keep a pair of these. Can’t wait!

    Reply
  9. Alexandra Hawley says

    March 11, 2019 at 7:15 pm

    This is such great information about the mandarins especially for those of us new to the hobby!

    Reply
  10. Alexandra Hawley says

    March 11, 2019 at 7:18 pm

    What a great article! I learned a lot I never knew before!

    Reply
  11. Jose pacheco says

    March 11, 2019 at 7:45 pm

    One day I will add this fish to my tank

    Reply
  12. Brandon Cruz says

    March 11, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    Great article on the Mandarin!

    Reply
    • Chris Becerra says

      March 11, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      Yes

      Reply
  13. Chris becerra says

    March 11, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    This fish need a lot of pods I’m glad you guys give out info

    Reply
  14. Mike Scoots says

    March 11, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    Thanks for the info

    Reply
    • Chris becerra says

      March 13, 2019 at 5:53 am

      Great info thanks

      Reply
  15. esuddendorf says

    March 12, 2019 at 5:44 am

    Great informational article!

    Reply
  16. Th says

    March 12, 2019 at 6:43 am

    Sweet deal!

    Reply
  17. Toby Zahn says

    March 12, 2019 at 9:48 am

    Gotta feed your fish and live is the best.

    Reply
  18. Toby Zahn says

    March 12, 2019 at 9:49 am

    Feed your fish the best, Live Foods.

    Reply
  19. gabrielcab says

    March 12, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    Beautiful fish

    Reply
  20. Bobby Altman says

    March 12, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    All my fish would love these

    Reply
  21. Bobby Altman says

    March 12, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    The only Mandarin I have kept was wild caught. It was put in a 2 year old tank and did well and ended up weaning onto frozen, but next time will be captive bred for sure.

    Reply
  22. Corey says

    March 12, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    I appreciate the information given in the article. It’s always incredibly important to research.

    Reply
  23. Jeff Britman says

    March 12, 2019 at 10:21 pm

    I love that these are being bred in captivity! Not only is it a conservation effort, but the increased survival rates are awesome!

    Reply
  24. Sheena says

    March 13, 2019 at 4:05 am

    Great article

    Reply
  25. Sheena says

    March 13, 2019 at 4:06 am

    Love these little guys!

    Reply
  26. Chris becerra says

    March 13, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Absolutely beautiful

    Reply
  27. Chris becerra says

    March 13, 2019 at 5:52 am

    Being captive bread means the chances of making it in my aquarium are grater

    Reply
  28. Chris becerra says

    March 13, 2019 at 5:55 am

    Thanks for the info

    Reply
  29. Kim Warren says

    March 13, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    Captive bred is really the best way to go for finicky fish like mandarin.

    Reply
  30. mitch.rounds says

    March 13, 2019 at 3:00 pm

    Very cool fish.

    Reply
  31. jeff britman says

    March 13, 2019 at 8:19 pm

    Great info, Mandarins are always an eye catcher. It’s nice to have more info.

    Reply
  32. Jeff Britman says

    March 13, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Thanks for the info!

    Reply
  33. Jeff Britman says

    March 13, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Beautiful Fish!

    Reply
  34. Jeff says

    March 13, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    Beautiful Fish!

    Reply
  35. Jeff says

    March 13, 2019 at 10:42 pm

    One of my all time favorite fish!

    Reply
  36. Lauren Butler says

    March 14, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Definitely a bucket list fish for me. I think we should always opt for aquacultured fish.

    Reply
  37. Joshua Benson says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:42 pm

    I prefer captive bred over wild caught.

    Reply
  38. daniel says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    Great and useful article!

    Reply
  39. Robby vice says

    March 15, 2019 at 10:09 am

    that would be the coolest nano fish for a while if you could keep stable parameters are mandarins fast growers ?

    Reply
  40. Robby vice says

    March 15, 2019 at 10:14 am

    I got one over a year ago I drove up to get mine it was funny they had like 20 fish that were close to 100 in a 5 gallon fluval barebotton happy as can be

    Reply
  41. Sheena says

    March 15, 2019 at 3:30 pm

    Mine eats like a pig! Can wait to add more to my new tank!

    Reply
  42. stephendc85 says

    March 15, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    Beautiful fish!

    Reply
  43. stephendc85 says

    March 15, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    Big fan of this company

    Reply
  44. Nick says

    March 15, 2019 at 9:03 pm

    Can’t wait

    Reply
  45. Robby vice says

    March 16, 2019 at 1:01 am

    wonderful little fishes so cute when there small

    Reply
  46. Robby vice says

    March 16, 2019 at 1:02 am

    mandarin and pods whhaaaaat

    Reply
  47. Robert vice says

    March 16, 2019 at 1:04 am

    I want these fish and pods

    Reply
  48. Don Newell says

    March 16, 2019 at 7:38 am

    Its great that there is this kinf of info available

    Reply
  49. rleclerc2020 says

    March 16, 2019 at 10:33 pm

    Wow great info

    Reply
  50. Mermaidsreef says

    March 17, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    Thanks for the info on these beautiful creatures!

    Reply
  51. Jennifer Cook says

    March 18, 2019 at 12:14 pm

    Mandarins are very beautiful creatures don’t be fooled by their looks because they are very Territorial and having a kit put together specially for them is it a very wise investment to help sustain them in a saltwater aquarium.

    Reply
  52. Jennifer Cook says

    March 18, 2019 at 12:16 pm

    Having a pair in my saltwater aquarium would be awesome opposed to just one because I really like how they swim and how they look are very beautiful. people don’t have a high success rate due to the fact that they are finicky eaters and providing customers with this option to purchase mandarins along with copepods is a very intelligent idea thank you very much.

    Reply
  53. Jennifer Cook says

    March 18, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    Algaebarn has superior customer service and excellent packaging.

    Reply
  54. Jennifer Cook says

    March 18, 2019 at 12:31 pm

    Algaebarn has superior customer service and excellent packaging. Algaebarn definitely understands how important it is to provide mandarins with the ultimate feeding package because they are finicky eaters.

    Reply
  55. Jennifer Cook says

    March 18, 2019 at 12:32 pm

    Thank you AlgaeBarn for offering everyone this opportunity to win a pair of mandarins. Also, I’d like thank you for your support throughout the years.

    Reply
  56. Silver City Reef says

    March 20, 2019 at 6:27 am

    Great article for anyone who loves and plans to keep mandarins.

    Reply
  57. Silver City Reef says

    March 20, 2019 at 6:35 am

    Perfect in-depth explanation of why captive-bred mandarins are better than wild-caught when it comes to home aquariums.

    Reply
  58. Alexandra Hawley says

    March 20, 2019 at 11:23 am

    The mandarins from Algae Barn are fabulous and much easier to care for!

    Reply
  59. Alexandra Hawley says

    March 20, 2019 at 11:24 am

    Mandarins are such lovely fish for tanks and Algae Barn provides awesome information on how to keep these little ones happy!e

    Reply
  60. Compy Ginorio says

    March 20, 2019 at 8:27 pm

    Definitely having a healthy population of pods with a constant replenish of pods and enrished brine shrimps and prepared food its a must for them to thrive and be happy.

    Reply
  61. Chris says

    March 20, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    Great info!!!

    Reply
  62. Chris says

    March 20, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    Always prefer captive breed over wild.

    Reply
  63. jonshardwoodfloors says

    March 21, 2019 at 5:53 am

    All pods I’ve got were alive and on time.

    Reply
  64. jonshardwoodfloors says

    March 21, 2019 at 5:54 am

    Great information

    Reply
  65. Larry Wayne Perry says

    March 23, 2019 at 3:02 am

    Very interesting creature

    Reply
  66. Larry Wayne Perry says

    March 23, 2019 at 3:03 am

    Cool

    Reply
  67. JAMIE RAYOS says

    March 23, 2019 at 6:34 am

    Missing my mandarin.

    Reply
  68. Chris Becerra says

    March 25, 2019 at 8:03 am

    The food for this fish it’s really importan the prose son making sure your tank is seeded it’s make way more easy with the help of you guys thanks algae barn !!!!

    Reply
  69. Chris Becerra says

    March 25, 2019 at 8:09 am

    Feeding is so important the type of food they eat it’s hard to keep alive in a tank there for continued to add live cocopa and other like food it’s a recomended to keep this fish alive thanks algae bars for providing us with all this information

    Reply
  70. kyevey says

    March 25, 2019 at 11:34 am

    Is there anyway to distinguish a captive bred versus wild caught?

    Reply
  71. Linh Nguyen says

    March 25, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    Awesome and informative article! Learning a few things I didn’t know before

    Reply
  72. Linh Nguyen says

    March 25, 2019 at 3:35 pm

    Learning a lot here about one of my favorite marine fish!

    Reply
  73. Brandon says

    March 25, 2019 at 4:33 pm

    Beautiful fish!

    Reply
  74. Brandon says

    March 25, 2019 at 4:41 pm

    A rewarding fish to keep!

    Reply
  75. Richard says

    March 25, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    Definitely the best place to get your pods

    Reply
  76. Richard says

    March 25, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Thanks for all the great info

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      March 27, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      Mandarins are the main reason I switched over from all freshwater tanks to now both fresh & saltwater setups. Definitely the prettiest of all the marine fish plus they have great little personalities on them!

      Reply
  77. Victoria Brewer says

    March 25, 2019 at 9:31 pm

    Beautiful creatures!

    Reply
  78. Victoria Brewer says

    March 25, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    Mandarins are so amazing

    Reply
  79. Victoria Brewer says

    March 25, 2019 at 9:40 pm

    Mandarins are so cool

    Reply
  80. Victoria Yates says

    March 26, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    I’ve had my Mandarin for about a year now. She’s not captive bred but luckily I’ve been able to get her to eat live baby & adult brine shrimp, frozen mysis & bloodworms. She also still loves to pick at pods all day though. Next Mandarin I get will definitely be a captive bred one.

    Reply
  81. Victoria Yates says

    March 26, 2019 at 3:17 pm

    My Mandarins & Scooter Blennies all love the Nano Brine & Poisoden’s Feast! ?

    Reply
  82. Victoria Yates says

    March 26, 2019 at 3:20 pm

    Great info! My Mandarins & Scooter Blennies all love the Nano Brine and Poisedon’s Feast Pods!

    Reply
  83. Victoria Yates says

    March 26, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    Had absolutely no idea that mini spears were used to harpoon wild Mandarins during capture! The one I have now is not captive bred but my next one most definitely will be after hearing about that!

    Reply
  84. Amie Holmes says

    March 26, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    I love the way you educate your customers so well about this cool species! Great job!

    Reply
  85. Amie Holmes says

    March 26, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    Tiny friends deserve lots of tiny pods and loving humans to be their butler! Lol

    Reply
  86. hwarrenfeltz says

    March 27, 2019 at 11:53 am

    Awesome

    Reply
  87. hwarrenfeltz says

    March 27, 2019 at 11:55 am

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  88. Keysha says

    March 28, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    This article covers so much. I found all information provided helpful.

    Reply
  89. Keysha says

    March 28, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    Great article.

    Reply
  90. fireninja2k11 says

    March 28, 2019 at 3:53 pm

    Cool article.

    Reply
  91. fireninja2k11 says

    March 28, 2019 at 4:31 pm

    I had mandarins, in my experience the problem was definitely the food. Mine would only eat target feeding so it was a challenge to do so

    Reply
  92. fireninja2k11 says

    March 28, 2019 at 4:35 pm

    hello

    Reply
  93. Michael says

    March 28, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    Great article on information about this beautiful fish should be reading.

    Reply
  94. Mike w. says

    March 28, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    Leaving a comment cuz I have to.

    Reply
  95. John Castillo says

    March 29, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    ??

    Reply
  96. John Castillo says

    March 29, 2019 at 9:36 pm

    Nice

    Reply
  97. Austin says

    March 30, 2019 at 6:14 am

    Love this fish so much but want to be educated before getting one. So many good articles that will increase your success of caring for one. Thank you Algae barn!

    Reply
  98. Austin says

    March 30, 2019 at 6:17 am

    If you can get your mandarin to start eating frozen foods that would be amazing. I want to try this when I receive my first mandarin. Thank you for the info!

    Reply
  99. Kristen Potter says

    March 30, 2019 at 7:02 pm

    Food for thought.

    Reply
  100. Kristen Potter says

    March 30, 2019 at 7:03 pm

    We have successfully gotten ours to eat brine shrimp

    Reply
  101. Christopher Burns says

    March 30, 2019 at 10:44 pm

    Love this article

    Reply
  102. Christopher Burns says

    March 30, 2019 at 10:45 pm

    Gorgeous fish

    Reply
  103. Jeff Britman says

    March 31, 2019 at 10:30 am

    Great article! Thank you for the information.

    Reply
  104. Jeff Britman says

    March 31, 2019 at 10:33 am

    Can’t wait to get one of these some day.

    Reply
  105. Jeff Britman says

    March 31, 2019 at 10:37 am

    Would love to win!

    Reply
  106. Jeff Britman says

    March 31, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Stunning fish!

    Reply
  107. jul.ignacio says

    March 31, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    Hopefully, Biota begins to breed spotted. It would look pretty to have a spotted and green mandarin pair in a tank.

    Reply
  108. jul.ignacio says

    March 31, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    Oh wow! I already commented on this post, but AlgaeBarn is offering more points for another comment on this blog post for their March Mandarin Madness Win a Pair Giveaway. I hope I win.

    Reply

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