alindell
Well-Known Member
So I just wanted to say my 2 cents for successfully keeping a mandarin dragonet.
I'll make this as short as possible, but here is what I've learned. I've had mine probably 6 months now.
1. Buy a tank bred/raised one that eats frozen. Yes they are more expensive, but think about it, a lot of reefers buy the wild ones for cheap at a lfs, put them into a reef tank and within a month they die. What a waste. The tank bred are easier to keep alive as they are raised on frozen and acclimated to reef tank conditions.
2. Mandarins don't like a lot of competition so the tank mates must be easy going. Aggressive fish will consume the food before the mandarin can get any. They are very picky complicated eaters that can be scared away and require time to eat. They like to stare at their food before sucking it in, Instead of frantically eating everything like some tangs, angels will.
3. Keep them in a smaller tank if you don't have a large pod population. This affords you the ability to easily target feed them rather than having to deal with more space to find them. Smaller tank is easier to target feed. Turn off flow and target feed them.
4. Keep with a low flow soft coral tank. More flow means the mandarin has to swim harder and burn more energy and the mandarin will avoid coming out in the open.
5. Grow pods and try a variety of foods. Mine will eat brine, blood worms and some pellets surprisingly. I've noticed when I add live pods this triggers a frantic feeding response and if you then add brine shrimp they take on the frozen food more versus sometimes when I add brine or bloodworms by themselves, he isn't as Interested and doesn't eat as much.
By the way pods are pretty easy to grow. I literally use a small 5 gallon tank with salt water set to reef tank salinity, a bubbler, some various species of tiger pods, feed with phyto dry or live is fine and top off with rodi. They are pretty adaptable to a variety of conditions.
I'll make this as short as possible, but here is what I've learned. I've had mine probably 6 months now.
1. Buy a tank bred/raised one that eats frozen. Yes they are more expensive, but think about it, a lot of reefers buy the wild ones for cheap at a lfs, put them into a reef tank and within a month they die. What a waste. The tank bred are easier to keep alive as they are raised on frozen and acclimated to reef tank conditions.
2. Mandarins don't like a lot of competition so the tank mates must be easy going. Aggressive fish will consume the food before the mandarin can get any. They are very picky complicated eaters that can be scared away and require time to eat. They like to stare at their food before sucking it in, Instead of frantically eating everything like some tangs, angels will.
3. Keep them in a smaller tank if you don't have a large pod population. This affords you the ability to easily target feed them rather than having to deal with more space to find them. Smaller tank is easier to target feed. Turn off flow and target feed them.
4. Keep with a low flow soft coral tank. More flow means the mandarin has to swim harder and burn more energy and the mandarin will avoid coming out in the open.
5. Grow pods and try a variety of foods. Mine will eat brine, blood worms and some pellets surprisingly. I've noticed when I add live pods this triggers a frantic feeding response and if you then add brine shrimp they take on the frozen food more versus sometimes when I add brine or bloodworms by themselves, he isn't as Interested and doesn't eat as much.
By the way pods are pretty easy to grow. I literally use a small 5 gallon tank with salt water set to reef tank salinity, a bubbler, some various species of tiger pods, feed with phyto dry or live is fine and top off with rodi. They are pretty adaptable to a variety of conditions.
