very rare the number of mandarins that well eat any other food besides co pods they stress easy they simply or not good fish for most saltwater tanks and certainly not a beginner fish. so are you trying to encourage him to get one because 1 our of how many of them have been reported and that reported to eat flake or frozen food. 1st of you should always ask the fish store to feed the fish. but try this ask a lfs about the care of one if they tell you they are easy ask them to feed them I bet they refuse. notice the lfs will only get 1 or 2 at a time they no they themselves can't keep them and they want to turn them around fast. maderaies cleaner wrasse and other fish should be special order only when it is shown that the person has the ability to care for them. putting one in a new tank is a death sentence for the fish.