Red Mandarin Dragonet

dron

dron

New Member
so today i desided to purchase a new fish and i loved the color and attitude of the mandarin dragonets. so i went to my LFS and found a gorgeous female red mandarin. she has aclimated well and is allready picking away at the rocks!
i will take more pictures later on

that is her new home along with a pair of clowns and a female dwarf lion


here are the other inhabitants

enjoi!!! comments are welcome
 
zanoshanox

zanoshanox

Active Member
How long has your tank been established? Mandarins are very picky eaters, most of them only eat pods...Which seem to accumulate over a LONG period of time in well established, maintained tanks...I'm not trying to question your status, I just want to make sure that you knwo that they are VERY difficult to care for and they have about the highest death rate of any aquarium fish...Very few people have been able to get them to eat other foods such as flakes pellets and brine...etc
In my opinion,you are going to need A LOT more LR...How big is the tank? It is your fish, but I woudl definetly consider returning it or getting some cured LR that has come from a well established, trusted tank.
Thats just my oppinion.
 
dron

dron

New Member
yes the tank has been up and running for around 7 or 8 months now so they are all over, but the fish store said she was eating misis eggs and brine. but any suggestions on feeding would be GREAT!!
 
dron

dron

New Member
i have plenty of Live Rock int he tank and i am an experienced fish keeper. she has been showing great signs of acclimating herself pecking at the rocks and looking around for food. its a home made 33 gallon. that one pieve of LR the larger one is nearly 25 pounds.
 
connor

connor

Active Member
you need at LEAST 100 lbs of live rock an a very mature system 8 months plus and a min tank size of 75 gals. i would return the fish immeadeatly
 
zanoshanox

zanoshanox

Active Member
Whatever, If you don't mind pretty much dooming the fish...I doubt thats 33 gal. A 25 LB rock that size must be really dense...
 
dron

dron

New Member
in the picture it is extremly deciving, the fish is not doomed. she is still young and has time to grow and i am setting up a new aquarium soon any how, itll be a 55 gallon. but i will keep all of you posted
 
dron

dron

New Member
dood did u read my first post says my tank has been up for around 8 months, the tank she is in now is established and she will stay in that aquarium untill the new one is READY which i am not expecting it to be any time immediatly soon. untill then she can hang out in the 33 gallon, she has plenty of spots to hide and nothing else in there is going to bother her and i have the food part taken care of
 
37g joe

37g joe

Member
I had a spotted mandran for quite some time in my 37 gallon with far less than 100lbs of live rock he ate mysis shrimp and even flake food. it is true that they are pickier but it does not taqke to much to get them to eat more than pods. as long as he watches the mandarin goby closly and tries differetn foods to see what the mandarin perfers and give him that then mix other foods with what he like you can get them to eat alot of variety you just need alot of patience. my mandarin finally died when I had an out break of ich and had to use malachite green and it had an adverse affect on the mandarin and he died.
 
zanoshanox

zanoshanox

Active Member
Im talking about for the new tank...I wouldnt put her in there for a while until THAT ONE is established...Just trying to be helpful.
 
fanker

fanker

Active Member
dude that piece is NOT 25lbs. and u usually need a refugium to have pods.
i would definantly return the fish. i have a 55g that was very well established and i got a manderine and it died because it had no food
 
dron

dron

New Member
okay would u like to come to my house and weigh it i was th one who paid for the rock brah...i know how heavy it is.
 
zanoshanox

zanoshanox

Active Member
I have an idea, if I can weigh it at your house, why don't you put it on the scale, and take a pic of the scale that supposedly reads "25 lbs" and post it....Good luck with the Mandarin.
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
As I read thru this thread I was sadly reminded of the antics of pre-school aged boys ....you know the ones that strut around talkin' 'bout how my dad can beat up your dad and my big brother is badder than your big brother....like ---- roosters strutting and crowin'......rather ridiculious actually!!!!!
So....the pics were of a manderian in what appears to be less than ideal conditions. This was pointed out.......its a photography forum......let it go. State your opinion but I think the childish nonsense could be avoided........seriously.
Personally....I think any manderian would need a well established system with a thriving and replenishable pod population....minimum......but....as for the photos posted....they are fine.
 
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