125 mandarin tank mates

Casey Gore · Mar 19, 2019

So I am setting up my 125 reef tank and the sole purpose of this tank is to keep a mandarin dragonette and have coral. What are some good recommendations for tank mates that wont eat many pods. Also I would really like to get a cleaner shrimp since they are so fun to watch, do you think it would eat to many pods? My main goal is to make sure the dragonette is fat and happy <3

ngoodermuth · Mar 19, 2019

A group of fairy/flasher wrasses or anthias would be good, since they eat mainly from the water column. Maybe with a Genicanthus angel and a smaller tang. Actually, there's not many fish that I would be worried about housing with a mandarin in a tank that size, as long as they are peaceful (no predators) and you have a healthy, established fuge and plenty of live rock.

I've had my mandarin in my 120g for almost 2 years, with two leopards and a halichoerus wrasse that have been there as long as she has... and a third leopard that was added a couple of months ago. Everyone is fat and happy, including ms. mandy

Dash · Mar 20, 2019

I’ve found that my mandarin pair is avoided & ignored by all the other fish (including hawks, puffers), either due to their slime coat or non-competing diet or both. The only thing I don’t want to add are wrasses, or huge predators.

Btw, my pair just did their spawning dance - so cool! Highly recommend you plan for a pair

Casey Gore · Mar 20, 2019

Dash said:
I’ve found that my mandarin pair is avoided & ignored by all the other fish (including hawks, puffers), either due to their slime coat or non-competing diet or both. The only thing I don’t want to add are wrasses, or huge predators.

Btw, my pair just did their spawning dance - so cool! Highly recommend you plan for a pair

Would a 125 be large enough for 2. That is funny you say that i was looking at getting a puffer as well.

Dash · Mar 20, 2019

My 120 has about 100 lbs of very mature rock from a fellow reefer, a refugium with chaeto in the sump. Added pods twice over the 3 years of my tank. I also don’t scrape clean the back pane of the tank, and they do like to graze here.

Among the more assertive fish are two green spotted and one valentini puffer, long-nose & flame hawks, yellow tang.

I try to keep an eye on their weight & I’m playing with the idea that it might be time to add another bag of pods. The ones I added before were tisbe and apocalypse pods.

My pair only grazes on pods . My guy was added Aug2016 and his girlfriend in Oct2018

Kal93 · Mar 23, 2019

Your mandarin might get lost in a tank that size IMO. I would avoid aggressive/predator fish, which may eat your mandarin. In a tank that size though, you could have almost any other tankmates

Dash · Mar 24, 2019

I actually like having more room for the mandarins. They are very active & visible, roaming all over the tank in their non-stop hunting. Also, in a larger tank you will be able to house enough live rock to provide the environment conducive to their survival.