the two mandarins.

[sheni_angel]

As I said on reef tanks, please forgive me if this topic has already been addressed. I haven't had time to read up lately.
I'd like to know if anyone has info on keeping the two different mandarins in the same tank. According to John Tulloch, I'm hearing I can as long as they are the two different species: regular and psychedelic. I'm talking an 85 gallon well established reef tank. And I'm excited so say yes!

 

[susiepan]

You may keep two of the SAME species, just get a mated pair, or you can tell the male by the first dorsal fin, it is at least two times the length of the females, and as in Gobies, the male is alittle more brightly colored than the female..
Other than that I dont know, I know with mandarins, two of the same ---, particularly males, can really cause some vicious,serious fights..
Gl on your choice, they are both beautiful fish..
~Susie

 

[sheni_angel]

Yeah, thanks. I knew I can't two males of the same species. He said you could keep one of each of the different species though, and he didn't specify. I'd hate to hurt one of those guys...but they're soo cool and I don't want to just pick one.

 

[sheni_angel]

I guess I have one more question on these fellows. If feeding wasn't an issue and I got one of each............do you think it would be fine to get a male of each species, or safer to stick with a female in one? Tulloch says you can have one of each but he doesn't specify, he just said "don't" do two males of the same. <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />

 

[brian'sreef]

you shouldn't have to worry much about trans species fighting .. the males of the same species as you said just don't like each other.. i have a pair of green mandarins.. and they are awesome.. everynight they do their little spawning dance to the top of the water..pretty cool.. again good luck with your new fish ..
Brian

 

[sheni_angel]

That sounds really neat! I'm very excited to have these guys as well! How fun!

 

[amphiprion]

Are there enough copepods/amphipods in your tank to feed two mandarins? Do you have a source to replenish the copepods once they go through your established population? If not, they will like starve to death.

 

[broomer5]

Hi sheni_angel,
For a short while - I did keep one of each species in a 55 gallon tank w/60 lbs LR.
I had a Mandarine dragonette and a Spotted Mandarine together.
I didn't ever see them actually fight, meaning make contact with each other or fin-nip, and it didn't appear to me that they "liked" each other in the same area of the tank.
They would puff up and raise their fins high, in what looked like a flashy full color display of aggression - and would just float there in this display state for several minutes - until one of them backed down and swam away.
Normally the Spotted one would back off first - but not always. It was very interesting to see for the first few times - but after awhile I split them up, gave one away to a buddy, and unfortunately the other one eventually died.
They did not seem to be too compatible in my tank.
They would occasionally eat a small bit of brine shrimp if I squirted it down at their level, and I did have what I thought was sufficient pod population. But that population of live food was quickly depleted beyond a sustainable level - and the poor fish did not stand a chance.
Unfortunately my own ignorance and pride did not allow for this fish to survive more than a year.
I honestly doubt I will ever keep another one - this is the only fish I ever lost at my own hand.
I don't recommend keeping them either, but I do wish you better success than I had at keeping them alive.

 

[sheni_angel]

Broomer 5, thanks so much for your response and help. I'm so sorry to hear what happened to yours...but I appreciate hearing that because I have decided definately "not" to try two. I'll stick with one only and only when I hope and believe I've got a healthy refugium and good population of copepods. You just saved at least one fish!

 

[broomer5]

Thanks sheni_angel, and your most welcome.
Wise choice as far as I'm concerned. They sure are beautiful fish, and keeping one can be a real challange.
Sounds like you have a good plan waiting, and having the backup food supply with a refugium.
See ya !