Mandarin Dragonet question

[kirkreynolds]

do these fish have to be in a reef tank? i seen 3 at the lfs and they said that you have to have a reef tank but the info on this sight doesnt say they have to.

 

[rcoultas]

they do not need to be in a reef tank but they should have lots of live rock and/or a refugium to maintain a population of copepods which is the main staple of their diet.

 

[al mc]

Mandarins rarely will eat processed food (frozen/flake). they prefer their natural food...live copepods. these pods live and multiply readily in a healthy established (usually a minimum of 6 months) reef tank. Most people find it easiest to grow these 'pods' in a sump/refugium where there are lots of macroalgae (usually chaeto).
If you read the description of these fish on most internet sites it will indicate that they will slowly starve if they do not have these pods.

 

[michaeltx]

they dont have to but have a better chance in a reef setup because a reef setup is a better pod breeding habitat than a fishonly system. there are many different people will tell you different things. I personally have in a 58 breeder reef tank with a fuge/sump the only reason I got him was because he was already eating prepared foods if it wasnt for that I wouldnt have got him.
the best bet is to only buy one that you see eat personally dont take someones word on it because they can tell you it does eat to get you to buy it.
Mike