Mandarins - To pair or not to pair?

[Mkvc]

I'm considering picking up a mandarin for my 150g. Nothing else in my system eats pods and I have a 20g ish fuge so I think I'll be ok, but I'm going to go for a Biota one just in case.

Should I get a pair or would a single individual be easier? Do they change behavior at all when paired like clowns, or are they fairly independent?

I'd prefer to go with one if I can get away with it, but having a good quality of life would trump that.

Thanks a ton!

 

[ThRoewer]

I pair all my fish. Usually, if I know that I can't pair a fish species for some reason I don't buy it.

 

[argiBK]

Pairs are always more fascinating to me since you get to see a wider range of behavior in each individual fish.

As for Mandarins, I think general behavior would stay the same, as in they’d still hunt pods around the tank, it’s just that they’d do it together.

If you get Biotas or ORAs, they are tiny and far from sexual maturity and it will probably be some time (maybe a year?) before they display any pairing or mating behavior.

 

[HockeyRooster]

Great post. Interested in the replies. I’ve had a female green mandarin from ORA now about 3 months and have considered adding a male.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I know they’re not entirely the same, but I have had a Ruby Red Dragonette for about 5 months and just got him wifed up after coming across a female on Friday. They love each other & almost instantly started burrowing together in the same cave. It’s very cute but now I feel a little bad that I hadn’t paired my guy sooner. He does seem happier!
These pictures are from only about 1 hour after the female was added to the tank.

 

[Mkvc]

Thanks for all the input! After reading through the replies, I'm thinking I'll save up for a pair. I really liked how much pairing up my clowns and my YWGs changed their behavior, sounds like mandarins will be similarly cute.

 

[afboundguy]

If you get Biotas or ORAs, they are tiny and far from sexual maturity and it will probably be some time (maybe a year?) before they display any pairing or mating behavior.

This would be your biggest issue if you get them both at the same time. You could run the risk of getting two males which could be bad...

Great post. Interested in the replies. I’ve had a female green mandarin from ORA now about 3 months and have considered adding a male.

Same here. My current tank is only 25 gallons (do plethora of way too much work but worth it things to keep her growing like a beanstock). Im trying to get a 50ish gallon tank with sump and would def want to add a male when I upgrade...

 

[jt8791]

Thanks for all the input! After reading through the replies, I'm thinking I'll save up for a pair. I really liked how much pairing up my clowns and my YWGs changed their behavior, sounds like mandarins will be similarly cute.

Hmm you have me wondering if I would be better off putting a pair of ywg in my 30 instead of the bicolor blenny, if the ywg would be happier. Am planning on a pair of randalls pistol shrimp as well when I happen to find them, will be springtime before I need to start stocking anyways.

Betting the ocellaris and ywg pairs would still have me fully stocked or is there anything else that would fit well with that stocking? Not sure if bicolor blennies are available captive bred but the clown and ywg are which makes things easier. Am curious to see the difference in the ywg behavior being paired up

 

[dennis romano]

Twice, I had pairs of green spotted mandarins. The first time, they were always together. Recently, I tried another pair. The dominant one harassed the other relentlessly. He finally killed it by grabbing it by the throat and shaking it before I could separate them.