Introducing a second Mandarin Dragonet

[SnoQ]

I have a female Green Mandarin Dragonet that is doing really well in my tank. I picked her up cheap at an LFS because she wasn't eating and was really skinny. I figured I had to give her a chance and see if pods and/or ova would bring her around. I know that this is just an incredible stroke of luck but as soon as I got some ova in front of her, she started eating it like crazy. She's also enjoying the pods in my tank. It's been about 6 weeks now and she is fat & happy.

I'd really like to get a male and see if they will pair up but if there's a high likelihood my female will end up hurt I don't want to take a chance. Also, I'm wondering if I get a male and it sees that the female is eating ova, is it more likely he'd pick up on that right away?

 

[Loki]

I have never had a pair but I don't think there will be a problem as long as they aren't competing for food. Hopefully someone that has added a second mandarin will chime in.

 

[Tabasco1]

+1, but I haven't added to an existing mandarin either so don't know from personal experience. Ova is awesome. I think it will really help improve the success ratio in keeping these fish. I have read anectdotally that a fish will learn the eating behavior from another, but have also read that sometimes the other fish just never picks it up. So that would still be hit or miss, but I'd say improved odds.

 

[reefpeeper]

I had two at one time but didnt know the sex of them. I did not have any problems though

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

They will be fine,do you mean green as in spotted, or as in a blue mandatin? Just be sure they are the opposite sex, and try not to mix regular blue/red ones with spotted ones, they are different subspecies, and this may cause violence.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

As long as you don't have two males you will be ok unless it is a really big tank. Males will kill each other in a small tank. IME

 

[robert]

I had a male Mandarin and later added a female - initially there was some aggression - but with room and plenty of cover it never amounted to any damage. Eventually they formed a pair and went through the mating rituals. Very cool to watch under the tank's moonlight LEDs.

You may actually have less trouble adding a male into a tank with an established female.

 

[Thenagain]

Every time two female dragonets are introduced, spotted or mandarin, one female kills the other while the male watches- repeatedly I have witnessed this. I have watched Female freshwater bettas do the same but these tiny mandarin females seem to seek only death for her counterpart. Sexing is clear, size is equal, the male watches them fight to the death

 

[Thenagain]

I have introduced a second female to a new pair of dragonets more than once, spotted and mandarin and had to witness the females fight to the death for the viewing pleasure of the male. More than once, plenty of space and rock, both trained on prepared foods. The info on these creatures habits needs further research. I have even watched a smaller female kill the larger female and they kill them within a few hours of anguished attempts to net one out

 

[Cornerboy]

I have introduced a second female to a new pair of dragonets more than once, spotted and mandarin and had to witness the females fight to the death for the viewing pleasure of the male. More than once, plenty of space and rock, both trained on prepared foods. The info on these creatures habits needs further research. I have even watched a smaller female kill the larger female and they kill them within a few hours of anguished attempts to net one out

So glad i read this!! I was planning on trying one male and two females and just started my build.

 

[Korec22]

I've had a female green Mandarin for almost a year now, I got her super tiny captive bread. I was recently able to find a male finally as I like to buy my fish as small as possible. I have a pretty well established 90 gallon setup with about 20 gallons of filtration in a 40 gallon breeder sump. The male is about half the size of the feamle. Anytime she gets near the male she chases him and he has some nips out of his find. I know I have a copious amounts of of pods in the tank as I see them on the glass and both captive bread mandarins we're eating too pellets at the fish store, since being in my tank they ignore all prepared foods and eat naturally. I'm debating on whether or not to move my female into my sump until the male catches up in size or just leave them be. Especially since without removing most of my rock it is near impossible to catch her. I would be able to catch him when she drives him out of the reef but I would rather he have greater access to food.

 

[davocean]

I would say it depends more on tank size, fuge, pod population and pod competition.

As long as you have enough pods you could add a male to your female pretty easily, I've several mated pairs myself.

As for females together, I have seen people keep a single male w/ a harem of females, though that would need to be a pretty good size tank w/ plenty of pods

 

[tag62001]

I have a 40 breeder with a 20 long sump. I want a green Mandarin, was hoping for a pair. I want to have them be my first fish in the tank, I know that is harder but they are so small when you buy captive bred I want to make sure they get established. I am sending my tank with 4 16oz bottles of ecopods from algaebarn I got in there BOGO sale. That should be enough to feed a pair and still establish a thriving pod population as well right?

 

[Andrew76]

I have a 40 breeder with a 20 long sump. I want a green Mandarin, was hoping for a pair. I want to have them be my first fish in the tank, I know that is harder but they are so small when you buy captive bred I want to make sure they get established. I am sending my tank with 4 16oz bottles of ecopods from algaebarn I got in there BOGO sale. That should be enough to feed a pair and still establish a thriving pod population as well right?

Possibly if u wait a couple of weeks after seeding tank. Gives pods time to reproduce. Being only 40gal means the fish dnt have to go far bw bites. If u dnt give pods time to establish themselves the mandarins will pick it clean. Consider a hob refugium. Tisbe are actually really easy to culture yourself too.

 

[jazzfisher]

I have a female mandarin (blue) I have introduced males- unfortunately they wouldn’t eat like she does. The main thing is to make sure the male is larger than the female otherwise she will attack him.

 

[tag62001]

I have a female mandarin (blue) I have introduced males- unfortunately they wouldn’t eat like she does. The main thing is to make sure the male is larger than the female otherwise she will attack him.

Unfortunately that's what happened, I got a pair and the male I got was missing a pectoral fin and was smaller... By the time I noticed her attacking and separated them he lost his dorsal fin too, after that he just wouldn't eat... She's doing great though, eating frozen and pellets and I have a bunch of pods. I've got a refugium section in my sump.

 

[tag62001]

Possibly if u wait a couple of weeks after seeding tank. Gives pods time to reproduce. Being only 40gal means the fish dnt have to go far bw bites. If u dnt give pods time to establish themselves the mandarins will pick it clean. Consider a hob refugium. Tisbe are actually really easy to culture yourself too.

Unfortunately my male didn't last long, but my female is doing great. I've got loads of pods now I see them all over the glass. I also have a refugium section in my sump.

 

[OrionN]

Female Madarin will not tolerate a smaller male. I have them in my 420 gal and the female keep on attacking the male until I remover her. She was too big for me to find a larger male so she went back to the LFS. Huge fat female.
I got a smaller female and everything was fine. This was nearly 20 years ago.
No more pairing smaller male to larger female for me.

 

[tag62001]

I've got a captive bred, I ordered online so I wasn't able to know size beforehand ( had hoped that seeing as I bought as a pair they would give me appropriate fish but lesson learned) going to try again but I'll grow the male out In another tank first and make sure he's larger. And thanks

 

[Drendo]

I've got a captive bred, I ordered online so I wasn't able to know size beforehand ( had hoped that seeing as I bought as a pair they would give me appropriate fish but lesson learned) going to try again but I'll grow the male out In another tank first and make sure he's larger. And thanks

Sounds like my Biota experience. Ordered a pair (through a distributor), received only one, which was a fry. Pretty much blew my chance of getting a bonded pair after super seeding my tank with pods for months.