Ruby red dragonet

[spamvicious]

So today I rehomed my yellow watchman goby due to his frequent escapes and am researching another bottom dwelling type to replace him. I love the red dragonets but know they can be hard to keep. I’ve seen that they need to be in established tanks so they can feed off the live rocks etc. How long is considered established?. Also if you supplement feed them does that cancel out the need for them to feed off the rocks?.

I’m not rushing into buying one as my tank is only 3 months old. But will avoid buying anything else if it’s possible to have one. I’m running a 135l tank with 2 clowns, fire shrimp, tuxedo urchin and some hermit crabs. Tank is just under 3ft long so there is some space to explore.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

So today I rehomed my yellow watchman goby due to his frequent escapes and am researching another bottom dwelling type to replace him. I love the red dragonets but know they can be hard to keep. I’ve seen that they need to be in established tanks so they can feed off the live rocks etc. How long is considered established?. Also if you supplement feed them does that cancel out the need for them to feed off the rocks?.

I’m not rushing into buying one as my tank is only 3 months old. But will avoid buying anything else if it’s possible to have one. I’m running a 135l tank with 2 clowns, fire shrimp, tuxedo urchin and some hermit crabs. Tank is just under 3ft long so there is some space to explore.

I can't remember off the top of my head but isn't 135l only about 25-30 gallons? They don't exactly feed off the live rocks, they're eating copepods off them as their sole food source and the tank needs to be big enough to host a large enough pod population to feed them constantly is the issue

 

[spamvicious]

I can't remember off the top of my head but isn't 135l only about 25-30 gallons? They don't exactly feed off the live rocks, they're eating copepods off them as their sole food source and the tank needs to be big enough to host a large enough pod population to feed them constantly is the issue

it’s about 36 gallons I think. Though I’ve just read that they’re also escape artists which might be an issue as the previous goby I had kept escaping into the compartment at the back through the overflow vent

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

it’s about 36 gallons I think. Though I’ve just read that they’re also escape artists which might be an issue as the previous goby I had kept escaping into the compartment at the back through the overflow vent

Most people would consider that a little too small to host a large enough pod population...I haven't personally heard of them being escape artists and they're usually really cool since they stay in view a lot of the time but they are small so I guess it's possible

 

[DaJMasta]

If you can get it eating prepared foods, it should be fine in there, but it will eat all the pods in a space of that size and then start to starve without it.

For a dedicated pod eater like a scooter or a mandarin, I wouldn't try less than 60-75g for a single fish without training them to eat something else. If you have a big external refugium to generate pods, you may be able to get away with somewhat less, but that's basically designing the system around live food supply.

It's not that difficult to do, basically you keep the fish confined to a small space (mesh breeder box for me), and feed it frozen food (my choice of prepared, also may be faster to accept than pellets), and feed it twice daily until you can see it going after the food shortly after its fed. So far, I haven't found one that couldn't be trained onto frozen, but it does take some effort, and after they're trained and released back into the tank you'll likely need to feed the tank with the pumps off for the fish to be able to find enough of the prepared stuff to eat well.

 

[52728299]

Ive never tried keeping them but there's a guy I watch on YouTube sometimes he's kept a dragonete in a tank smaller than yours. Guys channel is Tom reefer I believe? But he keeps mostly nano tanks and he's been able to feed the fish this food:





If you fo try it I'd make sure to have a rehousing plan for the fish if he doesn't do well. Also you could reach out to that youtuber I mentioned he responds to questions quickly and is a nice guy. Just my thoughts on the matter..

 

[Screwgunner]

At least 75 pounds of live rock per manderin with a rafugium. Or it will starve to death.

 

[i cant think]

Most people would consider that a little too small to host a large enough pod population...I haven't personally heard of them being escape artists and they're usually really cool since they stay in view a lot of the time but they are small so I guess it's possible

One thing many people consider is the gallons it holds, not the actual dimensions.
It’s like how I could ask about a “large” wrasse for a 25 gallon tank however one thing missing is the fact it’s a 3’x16”x13.5” tank.

I agree with it definitely being doable (Especially since the length of the OP’s tank is almost 3’). It would help to know height and width as well as length for an idea of how much rock the tank can hold for a Ruby Red Dragonet.

 

[Tonycass12]

Get a captive bread mandarin from biota. They eat pellets and are substantially easier to carry for then wild caught specimens

 

[52728299]

Get a captive bread mandarin from biota. They eat pellets and are substantially easier to carry for then wild caught specimens

Tempting me now heh.

 

[52728299]

Dang for a mandarin shipping is nearly $100 from biota..

 

[dmsc2fs]

Ruby Red's are much smaller than other Dragonettes. This should equal the ability to go to a bit smaller of a established tank. I have given up on trying to keep them after 3 attempts. I had an established pod population growing in both a QT and a supplement container and successfully put 2 mandarin and a brown scooter blenny through the QT tank into two DTs. The Ruby Red's appear much harder to get eating even pods. Once you have kept them a few times you will start noticing how many LFS that carry them have them with a very sunken stomach and you will want to pass as that one is not eating. Good Luck. I hope to try again sometime in the future when I feel like getting an pod infested QT to give it a go again.

 

[manolinsimon]

I can't remember off the top of my head but isn't 135l only about 25-30 gallons? They don't exactly feed off the live rocks, they're eating copepods off them as their sole food source and the tank needs to be big enough to host a large enough pod population to feed them constantly is the issue

The red ruby dragonet feed on copepods and baby shrimp, the truth is that it is very easy to maintain them if you regularly provide one and the other, they also occasionally feed on pellets and I use the brand reef nutrition (TDO). They also work for clowns and other fish. And the corals, I have the fluval evo 13.5, I started it in May of this year and I have one that is doing very well, you should not take everything according to the books or the internet pages, it is enough that you understand the needs of the fish or the coral what do you keep

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

The red ruby dragonet feed on copepods and baby shrimp, the truth is that it is very easy to maintain them if you regularly provide one and the other, they also occasionally feed on pellets and I use the brand reef nutrition (TDO). They also work for clowns and other fish. And the corals, I have the fluval evo 13.5, I started it in May of this year and I have one that is doing very well, you should not take everything according to the books or the internet pages, it is enough that you understand the needs of the fish or the coral what do you keep

Well I didn't get any of the very brief information I mentioned from the internet or books. So...what resources do you recommend personally for understanding the needs of exotic fish species and exotic tropical corals without books or the internet? I'm truly curious how you learn about their needs...

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@manolinsimon I'm glad you enlightened me that books and the internet are enemies of human knowledge but how should we learn? Also, isn't your mind being polluted by the internet you're on currently? Be careful...