Wrasse and Mandarin.

[sheni_angel]

O.k I really really have to have a Mandarin so I'm going to wait until I have a lot of copepods and a healthy tank.
Here's the situation: I also want a clam lagoon and I was reading that you should have a Six-Line Wrasse, although I found a Radiant Wrasse that I like better to kill off the snail predators on your clams.
I don't want my clams hurt but I want the Mandarin healthy too. I know the Wrasses compete with the Mandarin, so some clam keepers out there..............what to do?

 

[adrian]

In sort, yes the 6-line and mandarin will compete for food. Both can be weened onto frozen foods, and therefore can be kept fat and happy through frequent feedings, but it takes patience, especially in the mandys case. I would suggest adding the mandarin before adding the 6-line, my 6 line is a real punk, and attacks every new fish, it has killed two madarins in the past before I could even get them out of the tank HTH

 

[wrassecal]

I have had a mandarin and a sixline living together peacefully for about three months. The sixline eats any and all food added. The mandarin only live brine and pods. It's very risky in my 55 gal and I do things to keep pod population up like trading reef rubble back and forth at my friendly lfs and setting up a 20 gal tank to produce pods. How big is your tank and how much lr? In my case I love both fish so much I don't mind going to the extra work to keep them thriving.

 

[sheni_angel]

I'm getting a 125 gallon. So, it'd be a while before I even get the fellow, waiting for the tank to mature. Good advice on adding the Wrasse second.