How to Quarantine and Train a Green Mandarin Dragonet to Eat Frozen Blood Worms

[@gavinpowell8538]

I do it differently. I put them in a breeder box and leave them in there. Feed them frozen brine shrimp with a pipette. Within the first to second feed, they are eating. Leave them in the breeder box for at least a week. Within a few days, they eat straight from the pipette. The only downside to not using live brine shrimp is I have to feed often during the day. Every one have different ways to do different things. Whatever works for you is the right way.

[@aquaballs]

How to train your dragon ... this method worked for me thanks for sharing my dragon 3 months in my care doing great 👍 thanks for sharing

[@shallowreefing]

Glad to hear. It's been super rewarding getting him to eat. It makes you have a deeper connection with your fish

[@miguelm.4787]

hey really helpful vid just wanted to ask how often did you need to hatch brine shrimp and did you bother to feed them at all? Im planning on getting a mandarin this week and gonna do the same as you did.

[@shallowreefing]

I didn’t feed the brine shrimp. I don’t recall exactly how long it took to hatch. I have a video on the brine shrimp hatchery. It might be 24-36 hours to hatch. Then they would hatch for 48 ish hours if I remember correctly until I needed to change them out

[@ct2368]

You finally made it over 1k subs.

[@lisafoster4468]

My Mandarin a few years back liked New Life Spectrum small fish formula

[@aleqbey8675]

Random question, when feeding a dragonet live brine shrimp, do you recommend using a feeder or placing the shrimp all around the live rock?

[@shallowreefing]

I just placed them all around the tank for him to eat. You could use a feeder though

[@aleqbey8675]

@@shallowreefing Thanks. Im using a feeder now, but placing them all around the rocks make more sense.

[@sidhyesh87]

Awesome video

[@shallowreefing]

Thanks!

[@threea225]

Amazing bro

[@niknik14304]

Do you thaw the worms and then just refrigerate what you don't put in the tank?

[@ArrickthaRed]

Throw all the food you can at him. He looks a little thin. Live copepods baby brine all you can.

[@nickthanmas5203]

Can you share a link to qt protocol for dragonets?

[@marioshadjigeorgiou5749]

Hi thx for the video great info. Im on day 3 and still no luck :-( is it better to keept the lights on or off when I try to feed? I have been placing him in a net hatchery while doing this and he gets a bit fussy:-( thx

[@shallowreefing]

I kept the lights on. When I put him in the net Hatchery I had 0 luck cuz he got stressed. It was way easier to just cut the flow and put the bloodworms in front of him.

[@EddieDubs]

Lol you need to maybe take a little longer when you're editing those cuts in.

[@shallowreefing]

lol 😂. I hope I have gotten better now. Check out my newer videos and let me know!

[@alexf8979]

Did you put blood worms in the tank on top of the, already present, live brine shrimp?

[@alexf8979]

Also do you replace the blood worms daily or just leave them in the tank?

[@shallowreefing]

I was putting blood worms in with the brine. And yeah I left them in but sucked them out during a water change once a week if there were any left

[@alexf8979]

@@shallowreefing Thanks, I'm trying to go about this the best way. You were right about the breeder. It just stressed him out. I'm waiting on the arrival of the live brine shrimp. I'll add them a long with the frozen brine and blood worms. Hopefully, he'll take to them. Any other advice?

[@shallowreefing]

Not really. My video showed my fails and success. Just keep at it and don’t get discouraged. It may take awhile but it’s worth it! Good luck!

[@alexf8979]

@@shallowreefing Will do. Thanks man.

[@pvaquariums7720]

You should've keep feeding him bloodworms for a week and the add so brine because bloodworms doesn't have all of his nutritional needs Als you din't have to get him to eat bloodworms if you planned on feeding him copepods the hole time people usually train there mandarins to eat frozen food if there are not Enough copepods in there tank or they are scared it will run out But good vid

[@shallowreefing]

That's a good idea!

[@aleqbey8675]

Did he eat blood worms in the main tank?

[@shallowreefing]

Yep. I’ve gotten lazy. He gets them once a week. If I’m busy once every two weeks 😅

[@salingsharetentangowl7819]

How long mandarin fish can survive without food

[@shallowreefing]

I have no clue honestly. I would say a few days. But I’m not willing to find out lol

[@sseeaahhaawwkkssrule975]

Congratulations on getting your Mando to eat frozen blood worms.

[@shallowreefing]

Thanks!

[@waynebowles]

Is he eating 🤔

[@shallowreefing]

Yep

[@dominus6224]

I like how the kid just came into shot naked watching the fish. If only we could be as stress free as adults

[@shallowreefing]

Exactly! That’s the way to live life!

[@ohno316]

These fish need copepods

[@shallowreefing]

Yep 👍