Keeping 2 different types of mandarins together

[nanomania]

I have a male blue/green mandarin, can i keep a female green spotted mandarin??

 

[Abhishek]

How big is the tank ? How old ? How are you replenishing pod population in the tank ?

In my humble experience, its possible if you have big enough tank of over 120-150 gallons with enough pod population which need to be replenished may be weekly depending on what else you got .

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[davocean]

^^ What he said.

 

[Jesterrace]

Agreed. That's the most hassle free method of keeping even a single mandarin (let alone a pair). It's not about the size of the tank per se but the amount of rockwork required to sustain a breeding population of pods on the scale to keep a Mandarin fed. Personally I feel that you need at least 75lbs of well established rock with a healthy pod population FOR EACH mandarinfish to have the best shot at long term success. Yes, they could adapt to frozen foods but the frequency in which they are required to be fed means that if you are a full time worker or student that it is virtually impossible to keep one with your schedule.

 

[Eva Rose]

I had a female spotted mandarin & tried to add a much larger blue mandarin. She would not have it. Not even in a 300 gal tank. I rehomed the blue since the spotted was tiny & too hard to catch. She was very aggressive & chased him any time he emerged out of the rockwork. I had the pod population. My target Mandy also ate frozen but she refused to share the tank.

 

[Eva Rose]

I

 

[nanomania]

How big is the tank ? How old ? How are you replenishing pod population in the tank ?

In my humble experience, its possible if you have big enough tank of over 120-150 gallons with enough pod population which need to be replenished may be weekly depending on what else you got .

Regards,
Abhishek

Iv been keeping mandarin since a year now, so i have the experience..

 

[nanomania]

I had a female spotted mandarin & tried to add a much larger blue mandarin. She would not have it. Not even in a 300 gal tank. I rehomed the blue since the spotted was tiny & too hard to catch. She was very aggressive & chased him any time he emerged out of the rockwork. I had the pod population. My target Mandy also ate frozen but she refused to share the tank.

Kool. So generally they dont get along well?

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I feel you have to be SURE you are not putting 2 males together. The only way to tell is the dorsal fins, and if they are nipped off, it is impossible to tell male from female. Males will definitely kill each other. Until my tank move, I had my female green mandy with 2 female scooters with no issues. I currently have a female fingered and male fingered with my female green mandy with no issue. They don't interact at all.

 

[BestMomEver]

I agree with the others. They need a certain amount of “real estate” meaning a 90 long might be ok, but a 90 cube might not be. It’s all about the footprint! Not only does the larger footprint provide more territory it also provides more food.

That being said, many years ago I tried to keep mandarins in an established 500 gallon reef. I failed miserably. I don’t know what it was... I lost three before I said “no more.”

I’ve since broken down and gotten a ruby red mandarin and he’s doing well. But I pour in a bottle of pods every week or two!

 

[Eva Rose]

Kool. So generally they dont get along well?

Not in my experience. The female target was 1/4th the size of the male blue mandarin yet she was viscious,to him.
I have read other hobbyists that had issues as well. One may have been @Maritimer , if I recall correctly. If not my apologies.

 

[Icryhard]

Agreed. That's the most hassle free method of keeping even a single mandarin (let alone a pair). It's not about the size of the tank per se but the amount of rockwork required to sustain a breeding population of pods on the scale to keep a Mandarin fed. Personally I feel that you need at least 75lbs of well established rock with a healthy pod population FOR EACH mandarinfish to have the best shot at long term success. Yes, they could adapt to frozen foods but the frequency in which they are required to be fed means that if you are a full time worker or student that it is virtually impossible to keep one with your schedule.

From what I've read and heard, once they start eating frozen food you don't need to feed them that often compared to them eating pods. Frozen food is bigger and has more nutrition for each one they eat.

 

[Rmckoy]

In my experience , even in my 230 gal
The smaller green spotted mandarin is very aggressive towards the other .