Question for those who keep Mandarin Dragonets

[Reefing_addiction]

Ok so I upgraded my tank from a 16 to a 70. Since this move I’ve barely saw my mandarin. Had me worried enough to go armpit deep in the tank this morning to move rocks till I spotted her.

I am assuming this is normal?

the flow in this tank is (was, until I turned off the larger wave maker) pretty intense.

I had a healthy pod population in my small tank. And I transferred all my sand and rocks to my new tank. I have ordered 2 liters of pods from RUsalty and they should be here this week along with some more phyto.

the only other fish currently in this large tank is my clown.

but next week I believe I will be receiving three more fish.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

On another note .
Prior to adding her she was also eating frozen brine shrimp and LRS frozen food. She has been very well fed up to Tuesday of last week.

 

[Eleni18]

Hi. So, you transferred the mandarin to the new tank and have not seen her since? In about five days? That's funny....they are peaceful fish but not shy and they will always move about and around the tank and live rock looking for pods. How long have you had her? (or him?) I have two in my 150 gallon and you can always see them crawling on the rocks. Maybe you have too much flow?

 

[homer1475]

Completely normal if you have a lot of rock. I can go days and never see my mandy. They like to crawl deep into the rocks to get the juicy pods you never see.

If I don't see her for a few days, I'll just wait her out for a like an hour searching the tank, and she usually pops up. They are certainly not community fish.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Hi. So, you transferred the mandarin to the new tank and have not seen her since? In about five days? That's funny....they are peaceful fish but not shy and they will always move about and around the tank and live rock looking for pods. How long have you had her? (or him?) I have two in my 150 gallon and you can always see them crawling on the rocks. Maybe you have too much flow?

No I have seen her. But just glimpses. She is pretty young and even in my smaller tank she would hide. I did reduce my flow because I do think it was a bit much. I may reduce it a bit more. I had one large power head now I have two smaller ones. One which I have complete control over the speed and such, I’ll turn it down.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Completely normal if you have a lot of rock. I can go days and never see my mandy. They like to crawl deep into the rocks to get the juicy pods you never see.

If I don't see her for a few days, I'll just wait her out for a like an hour searching the tank, and she usually pops up. They are certainly not community fish.

they blend in so well with the rocks too! After moving a few rocks around this morning I was able to find her.

Im sure the pods exist in my tank right now but when I get my order in I hope to increase the number drastically. My Mandy is only about an inch long.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

So I just spotted her and spotted her pecking at things.
While in my smaller tank she wound up in the back of it (it was an AIO) and now every time she goes MIA I worry. But with this new tank the only thing she can get lost in is the rock work!

 

[Eleni18]

No I have seen her. But just glimpses. She is pretty young and even in my smaller tank she would hide. I did reduce my flow because I do think it was a bit much. I may reduce it a bit more. I had one large power head now I have two smaller ones. One which I have complete control over the speed and such, I’ll turn it down.

Glimpses is fine! Just make sure she is eating!