The dragonet debate

[cmor1701d]

I had one in my 125g 10 years ago. I added one to my rather new 210g a month or so ago. I had been seeding the rock and refugium with pods from algae barn ( 4 jars for $99) several times continue to do so.
He was mostly hiding in the rock on one side of the tank. This past week I noticed him on the other side and out in open. Same thing with the flametail blenny. Guess they're both comfortable enough to come out of hiding.
Oh, I also add fresh brine shrimp that I load up with powdered spirulina, phytoplankton and some Selcon. So the tank gets a brine shrimp net full every day too.

 

[fishnchips17]

My 2 girls:

 

[1epauletteshark]

View attachment 3038743
Ok , mine has that plump look from the back. I was hoping it’s because she’s is eating well and not something bad. This put me at ease.

…I don’t know what to say… at least you know she isn’t going to starve any time soon

 

[Garf]

15 years ago, I had a fat dragonette. It had a large tank with lots of live rock. I was a dragonette god, he lived for donkeys years, presumably my tank was a pod butlins. Last year my wife bought a skinny dragonette for her new, dry rock startup tank despite my protestations. The bloody thing eats everything put in the tank, and is fat as a pig, perhaps I was not a god.

 

[OrionN]

…I don’t know what to say… at least you know she isn’t going to starve any time soon

unless you have a male in the tank, she my become egg bind and have problem/die

 

[OrionN]

IMO, this species outshine all other Dragonet species.

 

[Wizard677]

 

[OrionN]

How hardy are the Mandarin Dragonet? In the picture below you will see that my female still have bone showing on her L gill plate. There are even algae growing on the bone in that picture.
This is the only fish I ever have that was emaciated with skin eroded TO THE BONE (when I got her from LFS) and had algae growing ON THE BONE. She then fully recovered when I got her to a tank with food for her. She fully recovered, even spawn regularly before she completely healed.

 

[code4]

This is Fiona. I have had her about 6 years. I find with patience they will eat just about anything. Including pellets. They are slow eaters and do not fare well with aggressive eating fish. Paul B has an awesome feeder he made for use with baby brine shrimp.

 

[Paul B]

unless you have a male in the tank, she my become egg bind and have problem/die

Thats how I lose most of them. They often become egg bound even if there is a good looking male.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

This is Fiona. I have had her about 6 years. I find with patience they will eat just about anything. Including pellets. They are slow eaters and do not fare well with aggressive eating fish. Paul B has an awesome feeder he made for use with baby brine shrimp.View attachment 3039455

She's gorgeous!!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Love these photos!!!

 

[Signalhead]

Woah that is an adorable obese dragonet!

"The camera adds 10 pounds"

 

[Tchung23]

Mine

 

[1epauletteshark]

At first I was scooter blenny all the way but yesterday I picked up this little girl (I think because she doesn’t have the spike) who is about and inch long and has been snacking on pods all day as there are a ton in there and I thought I may as well show a terrible blue light photo of her hanging out with the sexy shrimp I got today as it’s the best photo I can get with the dirty glass.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

No experience so I picked other.

 

[OrionN]

 

[OrionN]

My fish is a show off. He always strutting when I am in front of the tank with my camera. I am a show off also so here are a few picture of this Mandarin in my QT system, a 40 gal breeder that I use to QT my clams and corals.

 

[PotatoPig]

There’s some serious chonks in this thread!

Currently slowly building my tank essentially around supporting a pair of these - planning to add them in April (CB so should eat delivered food, but working towards a pod farm in the tank as well as a fairly large culturing operation in the fish room - Tisbe, Tigger and whatever mystery pods that I suspect rode in on some hermits - just in case they don’t like the offerings.)

 

[fishnchips17]

My 2 girls just hanging out together.