Adding a Male Mandarin - same size as established female

[Reefing_addiction]

Is it possible?

Unfortunately I already have him. And let me tell you my female was out for blood!!!! Could I add another female (I’d rather the male but the LFS also had a female and I may be able to swap on Tuesday).

I was able to capture the little dude and I put him in the sump - Where he will have more pods then he could eat!


So is it possible to add him and not end up losing a fish?

 

[fishguy242]

Most likely not another female, would try a larger male than the female next...

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Most likely not another female, would try a larger male than the female next...

If I could find one I would! All they seem to be able to get in are males that are the same size as my female. :,(

 

[littlefoxx]

If I could find one I would! All they seem to be able to get in are males that are the same size as my female. :,(

Are you positive on the sex ID of both fish?

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Are you positive on the sex ID of both fish?

Yes.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Are you positive on the sex ID of both fish?

I’ve had the female for 4.5 yrs

 

[fishguy242]

Maybe time it w the new tank transfer ?

 

[littlefoxx]

I’ve had the female for 4.5 yrs

Huh interesting. My mandarins took to eachother when I added them as male and female no issue

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Huh interesting. My mandarins took to eachother when I added them as male and female no issue

The male is the same size. I had a larger male with her up until beginning of last year and he passed…not sure why. But he was double her size when I added him and no issues.

She is obviously territorial lol

Never thought that docile little fish could be so vicious. She was biting him and shaking!!

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Maybe time it w the new tank transfer ?

Think the male will be fine in the sump for a month??

 

[littlefoxx]

The male is the same size. I had a larger male with her up until beginning of last year and he passed…not sure why. But he was double her size when I added him and no issues.

She is obviously territorial lol

Never thought that docile little fish could be so vicious. She was biting him and shaking!!

Yeah its crazy how much damage they can do with that tiny mouth!!!

 

[fishguy242]

Think the male will be fine in the sump for a month??

long as some light ,plenty of pods ,don't see a prob, just make sure cannot get to any pump section...

 

[Lasse]

I have no experiences of adding a new mandarin to a tank there is already an established individual of the same species. I have a general experiences of adding new fish into my 8 years old aquarium. I always start that process with having the newcomer either in my refugium, sump or in an adaption box (a freshwater guppy breeder floating box) for 5 - 10 days. This will normally make the introduction into the DT without any aggression at all. Because this works both when my old fishes can see the new and when they can´t, I believe that it is the smell that matter.

However - a month ago I a friend of mine shout down his aquarium and he had - among other things I wanted - a percula clown of the same size as I already had in my DT. He ask me to even take this clown but I hesitated because I saw it as an impossible task. At last - I decided to try this "mission impossible". In this case - I believed that not only the smell was important - they have too see each other. My guppy breeder box was placed in the DT with help of 2 magnets. The clown and another newcomer was placed there. It took 5 sec - and the old clown was aware of a competitor. It start to attack the new one from the outside - and the new one attack from the inside - but there was a wall between them - they was not damaged. They fight each other for nearly every minute the light was on for 5 days - from each side of the box. The fight seemed to have different stages and on the fifth day it had calmed down so much that I try to introduce the new on. Bang - they start again with fighting mouth to mouth. I did the mistake to let the new one free in the morning. I succeeded to get up the new and placed it in the box again and released it on the evening after the light was out. In the morning - I aspect a very damaged clown. They was still fighting but in a semi aggressive way. Now a month later they exist together without other things than ritual fighting now and than. This video describe the introduction


Follow up video - after 17 days


Hope this give you some ideas and good luck

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Yeah its crazy how much damage they can do with that tiny mouth!!!

Yeah that tiny mouth is deceitful. And their general behavior as well.

I have no experiences of adding a new mandarin to a tank there is already an established individual of the same species. I have a general experiences of adding new fish into my 8 years old aquarium. I always start that process with having the newcomer either in my refugium, sump or in an adaption box (a freshwater guppy breeder floating box) for 5 - 10 days. This will normally make the introduction into the DT without any aggression at all. Because this works both when my old fishes can see the new and when they can´t, I believe that it is the smell that matter.

However - a month ago I a friend of mine shout down his aquarium and he had - among other things I wanted - a percula clown of the same size as I already had in my DT. He ask me to even take this clown but I hesitated because I saw it as an impossible task. At last - I decided to try this "mission impossible". In this case - I believed that not only the smell was important - they have too see each other. My guppy breeder box was placed in the DT with help of 2 magnets. The clown and another newcomer was placed there. It took 5 sec - and the old clown was aware of a competitor. It start to attack the new one from the outside - and the new one attack from the inside - but there was a wall between them - they was not damaged. They fight each other for nearly every minute the light was on for 5 days - from each side of the box. The fight seemed to have different stages and on the fifth day it had calmed down so much that I try to introduce the new on. Bang - they start again with fighting mouth to mouth. I did the mistake to let the new one free in the morning. I succeeded to get up the new and placed it in the box again and released it on the evening after the light was out. In the morning - I aspect a very damaged clown. They was still fighting but in a semi aggressive way. Now a month later they exist together without other things than ritual fighting now and than. This video describe the introduction


Follow up video - after 17 days


Hope this give you some ideas and good luck

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks. He needs to fatten up a bit so I may leave him in the sump with the buffet for a few weeks and then move him to a breeder box.

The only problem may come from their diet. As far as I know he isn’t eating frozen. May be something I can work on in the breeder box, if not I’ll have to put rocks in there from the sump.

 

[Lasse]

He needs to fatten up a bit so I may leave him in the sump with the buffet for a few weeks and then move him to a breeder box.

The only problem may come from their diet. As far as I know he isn’t eating frozen. May be something I can work on in the breeder box, if not I’ll have to put rocks in there from the sump.

I´ll think that it is a good idea. Try to feed him in the sump too. I normally use frozen adult artemia and fresh water cyclops.

If there is a sufficient flow rate in your sump your food (frozen artemia and cyclops) will move. Thaw the frozen feed and use a 10 ml syringe to slowly dispense the food. If your water movement is not high enough, you may be able to install a small wavemaker to get the food moving. The movement and smell stimulate feeding behaviour. I have used this trick to get both pike and zander to take dead food in captivity (not artemia though but herring fillets)

When I use a acclimation box - I try to place it near a wavemaker in order to create flow through it

Sincerely Lasse