Green mandarin dragonet In 10 gallon tank

[Tamberav]

The trouble is that those that survive in these small tanks are the exception rather than the rule and are often kept by experienced hobbyists or those willing to go the extra mile (and understanding what that entails in advance with regards to dragonets). Generally IMO larger tanks should be recommend for 95% of hobbyists out there.

Yes, I did say it was a challenge for a beginner and they need a specific tank. Although honestly, it mostly takes dedication. They can be time consuming and can live... what? 15 years?

Taking vacations becomes more of a problem too since you really shouldn't trust family/neighbors to take care of a mandarin in a nano. I paid a fish sitter when I had them. Then again, I had 6.

 

[Akey]

What brand HOB do you use?

 

[Jesterrace]

I have a mandarin dragonet in my 29 gal for a year and a half now. Thought I could dose pods monthly (expensive). I ended up adding a second sump so the HOB is dedicated to growing cheato for pod cultivation. I dose phyto to help the population . The extra feeding (it will eat ROE and LRS) resulted in a massive GHA/cyano/dino problem that took me nearly a year to resolve. I still have GHA on 30% of my rocks and leave it to create pod hiding places. I also have a rock with culpera in the DT for pods and have trim it every few days to prevent it from running amuk.

I post this to share first hand experience confirming the posts that say a dragonet can wipe out a tank pod population in a matter of hours/days and unless you have a large tank, it will require significant time and money and limit what you can do in your DT.

Oh yeah. my initial plan was more simple. The dragonet ate frozen food in the LFS. That's what I would do when I got it home. Well that went down the tubes when the chromis and clowns made sure that dragonet would not get any food.

Isn't amazing at how slow Mandys are at targeting and locking onto food that is literally 3-4 inches from it's face. I used to turn off the powerhead on my 36 gallon bowfront and attempt to target feed it with a turkey baster dropping it as close to it's mouth as I could without bumping it and the other fish would still dart in and steal food from it before it got a chance to take a bite. They take multiple steps to target and lock onto a single bit of food and then eat. In the same time ANY other fish will simply dash in and gobble it up. It's also the only instance where I saw a scissortail dartfish get bold enough to bite another fish (it bit my Mandarinfish since it was in the way of it's food).

 

[Wolf89]

You could do it maybe if you got one that already eats frozen. I have one in a 20, but he eats frozen brine

 

[Jesterrace]

You could do it maybe if you got one that already eats frozen. I have one in a 20, but he eats frozen brine

How long have you had it?

 

[Hypnotic]

I had the same question. I am considering putting the red dragonet I have been keeping for 5 months in my 38 gallon into a 10 Gallon. It sounds horrible. I think creating the rock work right could leave him less stressed. He currently eats frozen mysis, brine, cyclops, and I think I have even seen him take a piece of chopped clam.

Has anyone done this?

I've kept 4 mandarin's for 5 years now. I can't remember any of them starving on me, they all ate. The first two, I had the pet store show me they ate frozen before I purchased them. The last one I had to teach to eat frozen, I got a bit lucky. Having access to a 40 Gallon Refugium with Chaeto helps too. I have had one go from eating frozen, to an environment where I didn't have to feed her anymore, back to eating frozen. I had her the longest. Feeding frequently and lots in a free flow environment helps them adapt to frozen, as do bristle worms to eat the excess food.

 

[calvertc425]

Ive found im my expreience with the two mandarins I have in my 24 gal jbj nano that feeding them frozen blood worms 3 to 4 times a day keeps them very fat and healthy and mysis and brine frozen once a day