Mandarin Dragonet

MichaelReefer · Oct 29, 2019

So, I want a Mandarin Dragonet super bad, but I am worried about having the copepod supply to keep it alive long term. Has anyone successfully trained one to eat normal brine shrimp, pellets and flakes? Some people have said it's difficult and others have said its pretty simple. Appreciate any advice!

lapin · Oct 29, 2019

Odds are you will need to feed it pods more than any other food, even if it will eat mysis and other foods. Look at Paul B threads for his feeder.
A lot of them slowly starve without the pods.
They are a shy feeder so any competition is not a good thing.
You could get lucky. Who knows.

Huff747 · Oct 29, 2019

I got mine to eat frozen so I thought I was good to go. I added it to a 160 gallon tank but mine at least is so slow to actually eat all the other fish eat the food before it gets to them. The mandarin looks at it like "Hey, I think that might be food. It smells like food, but maybe I should wait just to be sure. Oh, the other fish came along and ate it, it must have been food. Maybe next time I'll get a bite." He started losing weight even with the Paul B feeder and baby brine because the damsels would eat the baby brine shrimp while he debated whether he should try it. So I had to pull him out and he's in a tank with only one other fish and I probably dump in way too much food so that by the time he figures out it really is food the food isn't all gone. Hoping maybe as my tank gets more age to it I get more pods and maybe I can re-introduce him but for now so he doesn't get outcompeted he's almost by himself.

Paul B · Oct 29, 2019

Paul B’s Unique Perspective on Keeping Mandarins

Hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano is not your grandfather’s reefkeeper (though he is old enough to be your grandfather!). In fact, Paul B’s perspective on just about any aspect of the marine a…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

Jon Fishman · Oct 29, 2019

I have one pretty aggressive eater, and two other very shy fish. My daughter wants a Mandarin, and although I see pods all over my tank, and thought about adding a bunch of pods to my tank, I just don't know how I'd keep the population up without a huge fuge, so I decided that fish was a "no"

I would have your tank crawling with pods BEFORE adding one.

Jon Fishman · Oct 29, 2019

Paul B said:
Paul B’s Unique Perspective on Keeping Mandarins

Hobby pioneer Paul “Paul B” Baldassano is not your grandfather’s reefkeeper (though he is old enough to be your grandfather!). In fact, Paul B’s perspective on just about any aspect of the marine a…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

Can I commission you to write my obituary?

Tamberav · Oct 29, 2019

If you want one badly then just set up a tank to meet it's needs. Aged macroalgae display with large fuge and heavy feedings...no other fish that can out compete it and no shrimp. Turn the pump off to feed with frozen as a supplement to live pods.

I kept 6 of them in a 29g macro tank with 40 gallon fuge and heavy feedings. My oldest was 5 years. I had pods everywhere even with 6 and my mandarins were obese.

They have captive bred now which should be easier to get feeding frozen but they are so tiny they almost need a grow out tank so they don't get lost to pumps.

Also the initial cost of the fish is low but the special frozen food roe (LRS has some for 35 a pack) and reseeding with pods every 6 months (because eventually the large amphipods would take over) to keep pod diversity was expensive.

Paul B · Oct 29, 2019

Jon Fishman said:
Can I commission you to write my obituary?

Yes, call me after your dead.

OrionN · Oct 29, 2019

If you don't want to be a slave to your Mandarin, then the most important question is:
How big is your tank? if <75 then no go. If > 75 then:
Are you willing to forgo certain fishes due to the fish been a food competitor to Mandarin? How much you forgo depends on how big is your tank and how you set it up. If yes then
Are you willing to set up the tank with Mandarin in mind? If yes then you can get one or a pair depends on how big our tank is. You can keep a pair in 90+ gal tank, if you set it up right and not adding much food competitors.

If you are willing to be a slave to your mandarin, then you can get a pair. Size of the tank does not mater that much.

I don't (target) feed my mandarins and they are healthy and spawn all the time, at least 2 times a week.

flbrgz · Oct 29, 2019

I had a 37 gallon tank for many years with a Mandarin that would eat brine shrimp. The tank was well established with real live rock so both food sources were available. The Mandarin would not actively chase down the brine shrimp like the other fish in the tank but it would pick them up as they floated past while scavenging for natural food sources. Maybe its an individual fish thing. Some will some wont.

Jesterrace · Oct 29, 2019

MichaelReefer said:
So, I want a Mandarin Dragonet super bad, but I am worried about having the copepod supply to keep it alive long term. Has anyone successfully trained one to eat normal brine shrimp, pellets and flakes? Some people have said it's difficult and others have said its pretty simple. Appreciate any advice!

The thing to understand is that adapting to frozen is only part of the problem, the frequency with which you would need to feed it is often beyond the reach of anyone with a full time job.

sfin52 · Oct 29, 2019

Along with Paul's feeder. You can look at this. Paul's feeder is better and can hold way more brine.
This hatches brine in the tank. https://www.pjreefs.com/products/pj-reefs-magnetic-feeder

MichaelReefer · Oct 30, 2019

sfin52 said:
Along with Paul's feeder. You can look at this. Paul's feeder is better and can hold way more brine.
This hatches brine in the tank. https://www.pjreefs.com/products/pj-reefs-magnetic-feeder

That is actually pretty cool. It would be nice to be able to feed my fish throughout the day even though I'm at work.

How thick of glass can that attach to? I cant find anything on it on the website. I have a red sea reefer 250 so the glass is relatively thick.

sfin52 · Oct 30, 2019

I'm not sure. It's a fairly new product I think it came out in 18. If you go to their website you can ask. The magnet is encased in acrylic so no rust.

Mical · Oct 30, 2019

Tried here: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1500+5142+5146&pcatid=5146

Florida Sunshine · Oct 30, 2019

I know many years ago people were even training them to eat small pellets. There should be a video on Melevsreef.com.

MichaelReefer · Oct 30, 2019

Mical said:
Tried here: https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1500+5142+5146&pcatid=5146

They are always out of stock, seems like everyone is.

sfin52 · Oct 30, 2019

There are some at my lfs actually two I'm not sure if they are captive breed or not

DJF · Oct 30, 2019

I love mandys & have 2 pairs... (2 diff tanks same system) 1 biota+ wild & another I purchased from AquaCorals as a pair... I can’t say enough good things about the pair I purchased from AquaCorals; as stated on her site, they don’t leave until they are eating pe mysis and I can say, without a doubt, mine do. The other pair probably grab from my broadcast feeding but I’ve never seen them eat officially from my doing. I agree that a copepod population & established tank is essential but getting one to eat pe mysis is doable; I’d just let AquaCorals do the hard work

stanleo · Oct 30, 2019

I want one in the worst way also. I started a fuge on my 120 and seeded it with chaeto and pods and I am waiting at least another month to make sure the pod population stays where it is. I have pods literally every where. I won't be getting one until I am sure there is enough microfauna stable to support one. And I crossed off a few fish because a mandarin is my priority.