Can you keep 2 mandarins together?

[PuffersKick]

I have a 150 gallon established tank with a fuge FULL of pods.

I've had my spotted "psychadelic" mandarin for close to a year now and he/she is healthy and happy.

Someone I know bought a dragonette mandarin without knowing the proper environment and feeding requirements and is looking to give it away to a more suitable home.

She offered it to me, but before I took it, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have any problems with my existing mandarin.

All the research I've done says two males will fight, but I'm not sure if the one I have is male or female.

Also, the one I have is the spotted one, while this one is the regular dragonette version. So I don't know if that is considered "conspecific" or not since they have completely different markings.

I need to let this lady know ASAP. Should I rescue this fish or pass?

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

First off... let's see a pic of your mandarin in full display... if they're different genders they'll be fine, but we need to know what you have first.

 

[Willy18T]

Males have a spine llike dorsal fin and females do not

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

...that works too...

 

[PuffersKick]

so basically you just can't have 2 males togehter right?

i can either have a M/F or what about 2 females?

this is not mine, but is this one M/F and how can you tell? is the dorsal fin the one at the top by the head?

 

[BangkokMatt]

Thats a male - the dorsal fin goes along the fishes back. The male has the spike at the front.

 

[Zaita]

If you are going to be mixing a spotted mandarin with a green mandarin you will have no issues. They are of a different species and will co-exist happily.

 

[PuffersKick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12182916#post12182916 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zaita
If you are going to be mixing a spotted mandarin with a green mandarin you will have no issues. They are of a different species and will co-exist happily.

you sure about that? b/c that is exactly what i'm doing.

the one i have is spotted. the new one is a regular green dragonette.

 

[snorvich]

Well it is not totally without anxiety. If you have two males of different species, they will coexist if your tank is large enough but there will be squabbles.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Yeah, they should coexist pretty well if you have enough food. Other than that though, you'll be good as long as you've got different genders... for some odd reason I've heard of two males fighting... even if they're only conspecifics.

 

[PuffersKick]

OK, here is mine. It look like a female to me, I don't see any big dorsal fin. Can anyone tell for sure?

And if it is female I won't have any compatibility issues right? Whether the new one is male or female?

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Do you have a pic of the dorsal fin fully extended?

 

[snorvich]

We cannot tell from that picture because the dorsal fin is down. Mixed sexes do fine. Same sexes do not.

 

[PuffersKick]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12188591#post12188591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
We cannot tell from that picture because the dorsal fin is down. Mixed sexes do fine. Same sexes do not.

OK, so even if one is spotted and one is green 2 males they will fight?