Mandarin

[johnay3]

What size tank would be needed for just a couple mandarins

 

[fender]

If you do a search on the board you will find a TON of discussion regarding this fish.
In this case the size of the fish has little bearingon tank size. The main concern is food supply. In a small tank they will quickly eliminate their food source (copepods). With an established tank (1yr) and a refugium, say 30g display, 10 gallon ref, with 30-40lbs LR and LS, you should be in good shape. Don't get in a hurry if you really want to do this. They will die, slowly.
Another concern is that if you get a pair, they should be opposite --- as males don't like being with each other, especially in a small tank.
If you do it anyway-
Before you buy one from a LFS I would ask to see them feed, if they take frozen or other food this will increase your chances. If they don't, and you get in a hurry, you'll not have much luck, if any.
This is just my thoughts. Mileage may vary.
I plan on getting a mandarin also for my 90g. I am planning for about Christmas to get him.

 

[johnay3]

Don't worry, I've been looking at fish and tanks for about a month now trying to figure out what I would like. I'm not actually going to start till next september because I will be away for the summer. So I figure I could use my time now to read up and learn some things.

 

[grumpy vet]

Hi - I've had three mandarins (dragonets).
They have lived in my seahorse tank and reef. All three have eaten frozen brine. Make sure to get a big one as the small ones had a difficult time getting their mouth's around a thawed brine shrimp.
They all lived for some time and one was a psychadelic for what it is worth. Great fish.

 

[jimi]

Grumpy vet made a key point in that he kept them in a reef or seahorse tank. They wont do well and most likely will die in a tank with fast feeding fish or fish that compete for the same food.

 

[pufferlover]

All the posts are correct. My experience with Mandarins is that they must be able to get their share of food and they will not fight for it nor come up for it. A male and female would be good (the male has the long pointed top fin, females is small and more rounded). I kept a male and a longnose hawk in a 15 for 3 years (but the mandarin was about 5 years old when it died). I would say a couple of Mandarins with lots of live rock could do ok in a 20. They are great fish but oh so touchy.

 

[johnay3]

So the smallest I could go would be a 20 gallon with the mandarins as long as there is a lot of live rock with an abundance of coepods(sp?). Should I just get a male and female? or can I add anything else?

 

[jimi]

If you go as small as 20 you can not add anything else and you better have a refugium to back up the tanks supply of pods. One mandarin can easily wipe out a 20 gals supply of pods. Two would definately, they constantly hunt.

 

[johnay3]

What size should I get then? 50?

 

[broomer5]

As jimi mentioned - it's not the size of the tank that matters so much as the food supply.
A 50 gallon tank will only be better than a 20 if it is loaded with more copepods, amphipods, etc....food for the mandarins.
All the replies above are excellent advice ...
They are really cool fish indeed, but it's the quantity of food that counts .. not the volume of the tank.
Good luck
Brian

 

[johnay3]

So what if I just breed the coepods in the tank till theyre in mass amounts, then put the fish in afterwards would that work? Or would they deplete the amount soon enough.