Blue Mandarin Dragonette

[bryanracing95]

I had a male mandarin for about 2 years then added a female about a year ago. They get along very well now. For the first few days the male chased the female and vice versa, they have since settled in and swim by each other often.

 

[Paul B]

They are a beautiful fish and I have always found them to be the easiest, least maintenance fish there is as long as your tank is large enough and not to sterile. Here are mine spawning which they do every 2 or 3 months

And hanging out with friends at their feeder.

 

[that guy]

All of you guys make me so jealous with your mated pairs. I really want to get a female and train her to eat mysis like my male but I'm terrified to do it because I have already had an extreme amount of luck keeping him fat an healthy and don't want to risk it.

 

[JMFC]

Daaaang I want one. Are they quite active? I have only a sand sifting goby in my tank.

 

[greenlime100]

likewise, Im also looking to add one, so far I have a sand sifting goby and looking to add a lawnmower blenny soon.
From your experiences... are they difficult to care for? also what about compatibility with other fish?

 

[philosophile]

If you have a big enough tank, and enough live rock to breed pods, then they take care of themselves really... I have a 90g and got a female mandarin, and she was fine in the tank. Got really fat. So I added a male a few months ago. They fought like crazy for the first two weeks, then they buddied up. Two nights ago, I saw them spawn for the first time! A cloud of eggs, and the rest of the fish went nuts!

 

[qterry22]

When my spotted mandarin came home with me the first night I was looking at the tank with the lights off (didn't have blue leds yet) and freaked and immediately tested all my parameters. Then the next morning I saw sand on him and thought it was ick, (yes I know they are very resistant to ick) and almost began to medicate until I noticed the spots were moving around in different places every time I saw him. I soon realized it was just sand.

Lol....welcome to the club :wavehand:

+1

If this is in the 65G in your profile, you may want to be careful adding another, depending on the size of your fuge.

Yea. I just updated my tank info. I realize my system might be to small for them. I will wait a few months and see how fat he gets. If he does fatten up I may try adding a female. I believe with my system pods wont be a problem. I have a large HOB refugium. I will dose that with tisbe pods every few months.

Hoepfully all goes well. If not I will put the female in a breeders net with a diner until I can get rid of her to a lfs or fellow hobbyist. I would love to have two of these in my tank. Especially if I could find a female Red Mandarin.

I got a pair from my lfs about two weeks ago. I made them a mandarin diner and they love it. Here is a picture... they both go in at the same time to eat but I dont have a good pic of them together:

I purchased this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NE69EY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I drilled a small hole on the top near the end and squeeze brine and mysis shrimp into it with this:

http://www.amazon.com/Kent-Marine-00856-SeaSquirt-Feeder/dp/B0009YF4BC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361694052&sr=8-1&keywords=kent+feeding

I put a rock in there to make it seem more natural to them... if that really matters. They pick the food off the rock and crawl all around it to find some snacks. As soon as I get near the diner with the food they come running. MAN can they eat!!!!!!!

I my try adding on of these. However my male is quite the proficient hunter. However it would be nice to be able to spot feed him to and give him a varied diet. I would probably try to something like yours however with rock cemented to all sides except the viewing side. I am real big on the "natural look thing" so I cant see myself adding something I cant Macgyver into looking natural. Also I am concerned he will lose his ability to hunt if he starts getting spoiled with feedings at the diner. Thanks for the links.

I had a male mandarin for about 2 years then added a female about a year ago. They get along very well now. For the first few days the male chased the female and vice versa, they have since settled in and swim by each other often.

Your quite the lucky reefer. I would love to have a female.

If you have a big enough tank, and enough live rock to breed pods, then they take care of themselves really... I have a 90g and got a female mandarin, and she was fine in the tank. Got really fat. So I added a male a few months ago. They fought like crazy for the first two weeks, then they buddied up. Two nights ago, I saw them spawn for the first time! A cloud of eggs, and the rest of the fish went nuts!

That's amazing. Again I envy those with two Mandarins. Are the spawns hard to raise? I am getting into breeding clown fish and would like to see if its possible to breed mandarins.