Mandarin Dragonet

[User]

There are a breeding pair of mandarins and a mating pair of ruby reds. No problems between them. They all ignore each other.

There is only one male of each species.

NIce. I did some research on this a couple years ago and came to the conclusion housing males of different species would be ok, but I wasn’t 100% sure of my recollection.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Paul B]

The pipefish are a different story. My male Janss pipefish does not tolerate my male bluestripe pipefish and he killed my last one.

 

[DJF]

There are a breeding pair of mandarins and a mating pair of ruby reds. No problems between them. They all ignore each other.

There is only one male of each species.

I’ll of course yield to Paul B’s advice regarding male dragonets of different species although I can say I had a different experience. I imagine as long as they know there is enough food to go around they’re happy & my reef doesn’t have 50+ years of biodiversity

 

[Paul B]

They may all have different personalities. I don't know as I have not met them all.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Well, he gets shipped today and will be here tomorrow. Penny, from Aqua Corals even sent me a video of him!


So excited!

 

[stanleo]

Here are some of those fish at my feeder. My mandarins live about 8 or 10 years and spawn constantly as do ruby reds.
I never bought a pod.

I am fascinated by your feeder. Where can I get more information on it?

 

[Paul B]

There is a picture of it on post 4. I wrote extensively about it. (and it's in my book) That thing is a tape container from Home Depot. There is a nylon stocking on top, (not stretched). I have some lead weights in there covered in Goop Glue just so it sinks easier.






See that growth and algae in the picture of the video you linked? That is what you need for a mandarin. In a clean, sterile tank, they will starve.

 

[stanleo]

There is a picture of it on post 4. I wrote extensively about it. (and it's in my book) That thing is a tape container from Home Depot. There is a nylon stocking on top, (not stretched). I have some lead weights in there covered in Goop Glue just so it sinks easier.

thank you, I couldn't find the post

 

[MichaelReefer]

Having trouble understanding how this works? You just fill the bowl part with food?

 

[living_tribunal]

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!

Don’t rely on frozen foods nor make it your strategy.


Start 3-4 external cultures and also start dosing the heck out of your fuge with tisbe and tigs every two weeks, feed phytos daily.

Some mandarins can learn to eat frozen but many still perish as they require pods.

Start prepping and planning now if you plan on acquiring the fish a few months from now.

 

[Paul B]

You hatch new born brine shrimp and put them in the little funnel at the surface. Add a little water and they go down to the feeder where the mandarins do the Macarana which they eat all day.

See post #38

 

[MichaelReefer]

You hatch new born brine shrimp and put them in the little funnel at the surface. Add a little water and they go down to the feeder where the mandarins do the Macarana which they eat all day.

See post #38

Do you put them in as eggs, and they actually hatch in the feeder? Or you hatch them and then put them in? I read the article but didn't see anything stating that. It mentions a DIY instructions and I can't find it either.

 

[Paul B]

You hatch the shrimp first, then put them in the feeder.
The DIY instructions are not needed. You can see by the picture exactly what it is. The bottom part is a tape case that tape comes in from Home depot. The acrylic tube is an acrylic tube but you can use a PVC tube. They sell them in Home Depot or plumbing suppliers to connect bathroom sinks. You heat it with a hair drier and bend it. It is easier to bend like that if you insert a spring in the tube then heat it and bend it so it keeps its shape. Then just screw the spring out.

You can buy a shrimp hatchery or build the one I designed.

 

[living_tribunal]

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.

Mine completely disregards all other fish. It's not that it's confidence, more so he only has one thought on his mind and everything else is a distraction: PODS. Mine consumes more pods than I could ever conceive. I'd estimate he eats about 1,500-2,500 a day. Watching him, he eats about 5 pods every minute.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Mine completely disregards all other fish. It's not that it's confidence, more so he only has one thought on his mind and everything else is a distraction: PODS. Mine consumes more pods than I could ever conceive. I'd estimate he eats about 1,500-2,500 a day. Watching him, he eats about 5 pods every minute.

Same haha. Mine just swims around doing his own thing. Ignores everyone else.