Mandarin dragonets

[sepulatian]

We all agree that these are beautiful fish. They do have requirements though. They are best kept in tanks with ample amounts of mature live rock. It is also a good idea to have a refuge, with rubble rock in it, so that the copepods can breed. Their main diet is copepods. They can consume hundreds of them in a single day. Please keep this in mind when thinking about getting one. Some may accept frozen foods. They cannot be sustained on frozen alone. A mandarin can eat frozen food daily while slowly starving. They absolutely MUST have a steady supply of pods to remain healthy.

 

[kikithemermaid]

Whoa, I didn't know they could starve while eating frozen foods! I thought if it accepted mysis or spirulina it'd be okay. How is that possible?

 

[spiderwoman]

Originally Posted by kikithemermaid
http:///forum/post/2603037
Whoa, I didn't know they could starve while eating frozen foods! I thought if it accepted mysis or spirulina it'd be okay. How is that possible?
Pods are by far the best food supply for them. Pods are only the second most important food for sealife and is by weight one of the highest protein sources. Frozen food doesn't have the necessary amount of protein and other good little tidbits in it.

 

[gold strip]

They also are grazers and have a high metabolism and are pretty much eating all day. So to satisfy their diet you would have to be feeding them small amounts every hour.
And no they cant just come back and eat the frozen food when they want it because if your system is balanced properly, your other tank inhabitants would have long since cleaned up the leftovers.
Tough little buggers to keep healthy, although it can be done successfully given the right conditions and care.

 

[notsonoob]

Not only should you have a refuge and sufficient amounts of Live Rock in your tank, you also have to think of the copods themselves.
They need ample places to hide and breed in your DT. Make sure that there are plenty of hiding places for them. Your Mandrin will thank you for it.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Gold Strip
http:///forum/post/2603471
They also are grazers and have a high metabolism and are pretty much eating all day. So to satisfy their diet you would have to be feeding them small amounts every hour.
And no they cant just come back and eat the frozen food when they want it because if your system is balanced properly, your other tank inhabitants would have long since cleaned up the leftovers.
Tough little buggers to keep healthy, although it can be done successfully given the right conditions and care.
Mandarins are actually very easy to care for. You just have to keep their natural diet in mind. They CANNOT live off of frozen alone. They will slowly die from lack of nutrition. Their diet cannot be replicated by prepared foods.
Originally Posted by NOTSONOOB
http:///forum/post/2604033
Not only should you have a refuge and sufficient amounts of Live Rock in your tank, you also have to think of the copods themselves.
They need ample places to hide and breed in your DT. Make sure that there are plenty of hiding places for them. Your Mandrin will thank you for it.
Absolutely

 

[nygel]

i completely agree with above posts. I've kept a dragonet in a nano for about 2 years (on and off with co-inhabinant dragonets) and they do well when they accept frozen (especially more than once a day) but definately need that natural diet in there to add with the frozen.

 

[coralina]

If enough live food can be supplied, is it okay to keep a scooter blenny (dragonet) with a Mandarin, or will they fight?

 

[puffer32]

My mandarin tried to kill my scooter, both were females. I had them in a 150, but the dragnet bit the scooter whenever she saw her. I ended up taking out the scooter, but she was so stressed she didn't make it long in my other tank.

 

[tinmanny]

I have one and he is very beautiful but he is an avid grazer and without pods provided naturaly he will most shurely die they cannot be kept with supplamental foods they slowly starve and that is no falicy they eat all day even when mine is at the glass looking at me he still steals a bite when the chance is there
natural food is the only way to keep them

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by kikithemermaid
http:///forum/post/2603037
Whoa, I didn't know they could starve while eating frozen foods! I thought if it accepted mysis or spirulina it'd be okay. How is that possible?
They won't starve if they accept frozen food. However, the majority of mandarins will not accept non-live food. There is nothing short of having a pet store employee demonstrate the particular mandarin in question consuming frozen food as valid proof that they will do so.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
http:///forum/post/2619475
They won't starve if they accept frozen food. However, the majority of mandarins will not accept non-live food. There is nothing short of having a pet store employee demonstrate the particular mandarin in question consuming frozen food as valid proof that they will do so.
Some will except frozen, there is no doubt about that. It does not contain the nutrition that they require to sustain them. Mandarins need pods in their diet.

 

[nycbob]

Originally Posted by puffer32
http:///forum/post/2606731
My mandarin tried to kill my scooter, both were females. I had them in a 150, but the dragnet bit the scooter whenever she saw her. I ended up taking out the scooter, but she was so stressed she didn't make it long in my other tank.
i hv both a mandarin and a scooter in my 72 for the past 9 months. they get along great. no fight whatsoever. i hv plenty of pods to keep both happy.

 

[batfish 7.0]

I have a green mandarin in mine

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2619687
Some will except frozen, there is no doubt about that. It does not contain the nutrition that they require to sustain them. Mandarins need pods in their diet.
There is an excellent article in Coral magazine Vol 2 No 6 that actually has a batch of fry that were reared to adulthood on nothing but prepared food.

 

[nycustomsumps]

i have a pair of green mandarins in my 125g , they eat live brine , frozen brine , frozen mysis , and pods from the tank.
i also have a 20g refuge with sand , liverock , cheato , caulerpa.
i think a nice clump of chaeto is a great nesting/breeding place for the pods,especially in the DT.

 

[peglet]

I have a mandarin in a 100 gallon tank. I have only seen one pod in my tank, so I am sure there must be more. My question is mine loves to eat live blood worms. Is this okay? I have had her for about 8 months and she was getting skinny, but since she is eating the worms she is getting fat.

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by peglet
http:///forum/post/2627764
I have a mandarin in a 100 gallon tank. I have only seen one pod in my tank, so I am sure there must be more. My question is mine loves to eat live blood worms. Is this okay? I have had her for about 8 months and she was getting skinny, but since she is eating the worms she is getting fat.
I don't see a problem with supplementing your mandarin's diet with bloodworms. How much live rock do you have in the tank?