Mandarin Dragonet questions

[Always Be Reefin]

I've been building up the list of fish I want for my dream tank (between 125 - 200 gallons). While making my list, on that list, the highest priority I have is a Mandrin Dragonet, which i wouldnt get until my tank matured. My problem comes with selecting tank mates, specifically because of food because of how slowly they eat. I had planned to get a melanurus or an earmuff wrasse if possible for the benefits of having them (plus I love their look). I can find a list specifying which wrasse do eat copepods, but I hear they can decimate the population.



Is there a way to keep one of these wrasse as well as a mandrin dragonet. Or will it basically be a situation where I have to choose one or the other

 

[EricGRIT09]

I've been building up the list of fish I want for my dream tank (between 125 - 200 gallons). While making my list, on that list, the highest priority I have is a Mandrin Dragonet, which i wouldnt get until my tank matured. My problem comes with selecting tank mates, specifically because of food because of how slowly they eat. I had planned to get a melanurus or an earmuff wrasse if possible for the benefits of having them (plus I love their look). I can find a list specifying which wrasse do eat copepods, but I hear they can decimate the population.



Is there a way to keep one of these wrasse as well as a mandrin dragonet. Or will it basically be a situation where I have to choose one or the other

I think with a tank that size your risk is much lower, assuming you have a refugium and/or lots of rock work and places for copepods to propagate. Mandarins *can* also eat prepared/packaged foods as well - I actually just received two from Biota a week ago and they are both eating bits out of my freeze dried mixture... including some small pellets I have in there.

 

[Lavey29]

I have 5 wrasses and a Mandy in my tank. He's been fine over a year now. I still supplement pods a few times a month but my tank and fuge is full of them.

 

[Always Be Reefin]

I think with a tank that size your risk is much lower, assuming you have a refugium and/or lots of rock work and places for copepods to propagate. Mandarins *can* also eat prepared/packaged foods as well - I actually just received two from Biota a week ago and they are both eating bits out of my freeze dried mixture... including some small pellets I have in there.

Thanks for the info. I remember hearing that it's a roll of the dice on whether a mandrin will accept frozen foods. So I was going to plan my tank/livestock around of it wouldnt, just in case.

I did plan on having a refugium to help maintain the population.

 

[Always Be Reefin]

I have 5 wrasses and a Mandy in my tank. He's been fine over a year now. I still supplement pods a few times a month but my tank and fuge is full of them.

What types of wrasses do you have? I don't know too much since I'm still working on my first tank (20 gallon nano whole in an apartment, going to get the big tank when I get a house), but from what I had been looking at I figured I had to be careful with the number of wrasse I had if I wanted a Mandrin

 

[Lavey29]

What types of wrasses do you have? I don't know too much since I'm still working on my first tank (20 gallon nano whole in an apartment, going to get the big tank when I get a house), but from what I had been looking at I figured I had to be careful with the number of wrasse I had if I wanted a Mandrin

I have a rohmboid wrasse. 6 line, pintail fairy, blue streak cleaner and yellow coris. The 6 line and coris are pest hunters so may bet pods too but if you have a large tank with a lot of rocks pods will still populate. Mandy's eventually learn to eat frozen and pellets too.

You don't want to add a Mandy until the tank is mature enough with biodiversity and microfauna so about the one year point.

 

[Katze]

My experience:
I have an anthias and a scopas which eat very agressively/quickly so what I do is that I spray some food in one part of the tank, then quickly to my dragonet. Also be sure to watch your tank at night for pods this is a sure way for me atleast.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Wrasses will normally go after amphipods and ignore the tiny copepods for the most part unless they are tigours or a large copepod of that nature. Mandarins will hunt both 24/7 although the large adult amphipods are a bit to big for thier mouth and a little to quick for them . I keep a pair of mandarins along with wrasses with zero issue's

 

[PotatoPig]

Mandarins tend to go after the minuscule pods rather than the bigger ones that many other planktivores eat so less competition than you might think. In a tank the size you have, especially if you have a refugium space in the sump, you should be fine.

 

[Colleen McLain]

I bought my first mandarin last Sunday. The supplier from where I purchased is high end - however I have never had much luck with their stock. Sunday they had three of the most brightly colored Mandarins I couldn't help myself. For three days he seemed to be exploring the tank, and settling in. This morning he was plastered against the filter intake. I couldn't get a good view for injury but he seemed intact - I have had 2 cardinals 2 Cardinals pajama pants - a watchman goby assorted shrimp and crabs for over a year with no troubles. Are any of these aggressive to Madeirans? .

 

[PotatoPig]

I bought my first mandarin last Sunday. The supplier from where I purchased is high end - however I have never had much luck with their stock. Sunday they had three of the most brightly colored Mandarins I couldn't help myself. For three days he seemed to be exploring the tank, and settling in. This morning he was plastered against the filter intake. I couldn't get a good view for injury but he seemed intact - I have had 2 cardinals 2 Cardinals pajama pants - a watchman goby assorted shrimp and crabs for over a year with no troubles. Are any of these aggressive to Madeirans? .

IME not much bothers mandarins, they’re covered in toxic slime that discourages most tankmate aggression, and at the same time don’t invite conflict as they spend all their time minding their own business grazing on pods rather than getting up in the face of other fish.

Was yours eating? Was this a grown wild caught mandarin?

 

[Colleen McLain]

IME not much bothers mandarins, they’re covered in toxic slime that discourages most tankmate aggression, and at the same time don’t invite conflict as they spend all their time minding their own business grazing on pods rather than getting up in the face of other fish.

Was yours eating? Was this a grown wild caught mandarin?

I dont believe it was wild caught / the clerk told me they use a supplier in Miami. - I assumed he was eating as he was plumpish and seemed at home in the tank - could he have just been pulled into the filter intake. The corner seemed to be where he was making home. I take a great deal of time to acclimate fish as this store water is always yellow green so I know it wasn't that.