MANDARIN!!

[gabbys125reef]

I was leary about getting my mandarin because everyone says that most of the time they starve and I didn't want to get something that I wouldn't be able to take care of. My tank must be the king of making pods because it is getting so big!! It has almost doubled its size and I have had it almost 4 months. Would I be stupid to get another one, maybe spotted, since there is obviously enough food or just let this one pig out and not share the food. I wasn't planning on getting any more fish but if my tank is producing that much food would it hurt??
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/reeftank125" target="_blank">www.geocities.com/reeftank125</a> (sorry no pic of the mandarin, my hubby hasn't added it to my site yet, soon I hope!!)

 

[ironreef]

I would rather have 1 than chance 2 eating or slowing the pod population down and then running out of food. But if you do get another get the same species and try to get the opp ---. They are aggressive toward different types of dragonetts and same ---.

 

[ren]

2 would fight best to just keep 1. BTW how did you get your tank up so fast? I read in another post that its 6 months?? WOW i'm impressed! i also have a 125 and hope it turns out looking that good 1 last thing-Yellow tang and the purple tang - they fighting on you? mine did have my purple in QT and gave the yellow away.

 

[adrian]

I agree with Iron, only get one if your sure your tank can support it, I also think you would be happier with a pair of mandarins, rather than two species which could lead to teritorial disputes. Its pretty easy to tell the diffenence, the male has a very long dorsal fin, similar to that of a bangaii cardinal, but you can only really see it when its showing its fins, the female lacks the taller dorsal. HTH

 

[gabbys125reef]

Mine must be male he has the long fin up top. I had the yellow tang first and about 2 months later I put the purple tang in, at first the yellow was territorial but the purple is bigger and more aggresive. The picking on each other only lasted about 2 days (it wasn't that bad) and now they both eat off the same food clip and swim around together. I guess they realized they have a big enough tank to live together and be happy(kinda like me and my husband, easier to just get along, LOL) We have a lot of LR I think thats why we got set up so fast and we didn't add a lot at first. That was the hard part, that drove me crazy having this big tank and not able to put anything in, It was worth it though!!
Thanks for the advice, I think I'll just let Jean happy and not get another one.
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/reeftank125" target="_blank">www.geocities.com/reeftank125</a>

 

[wamp]

you can add a female if yours is a male. If you add another male they will fight.. It is a sad thing to see these fish fight. One will bight and lock down on the other until one is dead. I have also read that these fish have poison in their lips. I gues this would explain why no other fish mess with this small fish. I had 2 in my old tank one male and female. They got along fine and stayed togther most of the time.

 

[ironreef]

I belive its the skin that may contain poison. But fish will mess with them. i had a six lined wrasse beat up a manderine before. Fish may not eat them= Studies have been done= Scott Michaels. most fish spit them out. But fish surely will pick at them which can cause death

 

[saltlord]

only keep one , but if you must keep two get the opposite ---. Males are commonly darker in color and the females are a lighter color with more red coloration. just my opinion.

 

[ironreef]

I don't belive color is a good indicator like the tall dorsal fin but Im not a manderine

 

[dinhouse]

Hello i have a male and a female mandrin. they both are doing fine and my tank is only 55gallons i do have a lot for live rock but then both of my also pig out on frozen brine shrimp. hope this helps.

 

[fshhub]

i agree, if you get 2, make sure that you have either both females, or one of each, and as said, this is easily distinguishe by looking at the dorsal fins, the front one will stick up higher than the 2d on the male, the female will have 2 the same size, but do not mix dragonnette species, the mandarin may get along with the scooter, but this is not guarenteed, and others will most definitely fight, but please before you get one, make sure you got a real good and stable pod population, and or watch them in the sotre and make sure they are eating(ask to see them fed) because they often don't take to feeding, they prefer to hunt for pods
HTH
wher you at in pa??, near bloomsburg and wilkes barre here

 

[gabbys125reef]

hour south of pittsburgh here