Fish of the week #3-Synchiropus splendidus-Green mandarin
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
lovethesalt
New member
I have a 125 gal with 100 lbs(will get more in future) of LR and a 50/50 mix of sand(not livesand,would be if i knew what i know now)and aragonite mix.Is it possible to just get some critters from an IMO or lfs and set them free in the tank.Or is it absolutley neccesary to have a det.kit and/or refugium setup.thanks
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"You should never doubt what no one is unsure of" willy wonka
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"You should never doubt what no one is unsure of" willy wonka
lts--It's tough for anyone to say if something is absolutely necessary or not. I do think, though, that if you cover as many bases as possible--meaning as much live rock as possible, do the macro-algae thing, get detritivore kits, etc--you will have a much better chance of keeping a mandarin. They don't have the greatest record for survival in captivity, so I guess we should do everything we can to provide the best for them.
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Larry M
"My Dad could build--or fix--anything. Just give him a hammer, a saw, a piece of wire, and a stick. Then get the hell out of the way."
In response to the question, "Where did you learn how to do that?"
See my tanks at Northern Reef
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Larry M
"My Dad could build--or fix--anything. Just give him a hammer, a saw, a piece of wire, and a stick. Then get the hell out of the way."
In response to the question, "Where did you learn how to do that?"
See my tanks at Northern Reef
I am planning my 120g reef around keeping a mandarin dragonette. I have been researching and reading tons so I can keep one of these little guys safe and happy. I am planning his tank mates very carefully so there will be sufficient food for him or her. I was hoping to get two, a male and a female, but after reading this thread that might be pushing it in a 120g. I will have a 30g sump with about 12g refugium for critter breeding etc.
Of course this will happen much further down the road after the tank is very stable and my critter population is doing well. I figure 6-10 months after setting this baby up, which should be next week.
Here are my thoughts on fish tank mates for one or two mandarin dragonettes, please give me feedback,
Black cap basselet
true percula mated pair or false percula mated pair
3 green chromis
possibly flame hawk or spotted hawk (not sure about this one as they could compete for food source)
Purple tang
Sunburst anthias someday if I ever see a healthy one.
What do you think?
Of course this will happen much further down the road after the tank is very stable and my critter population is doing well. I figure 6-10 months after setting this baby up, which should be next week.
Here are my thoughts on fish tank mates for one or two mandarin dragonettes, please give me feedback,
Black cap basselet
true percula mated pair or false percula mated pair
3 green chromis
possibly flame hawk or spotted hawk (not sure about this one as they could compete for food source)
Purple tang
Sunburst anthias someday if I ever see a healthy one.
What do you think?
lovethesalt,
if your live rock has been in there for at least a couple of months or longer, your sand bed is now a live sand bed. the critters will migrate from the rock to the sand. NOTE! This is not to say that the sand bed would now support a mandarin, or that a livesand activator, or detrivore kit would not be a good idea ... it's just to say what you put in as a dead sand bed would now have life in it.
Personal Experience
I have 2 Mandarin Dragonnettes (1 male and 1 female)in my 180. I have 2 - 4 in of sand and about 250 - 275 lbs of live rock. They are both still doing great. Ive had the male for 1.5 years, the female since Jan, 2000.
I have observed them "dancing" together right before the lights go out. It is beautiful! The tank is set up as a "spur and groove" with rock on either side. Normally they stay apart from each other... one in one rock pile the other in the other, they will switch sides, but normally stay apart. But, from time to time they will swim to each other, near the bottom to mid-depth, meet and then swim in a circular motion, swirling to the top of the tank. They will then swim to mid or bottom and repeat. It is really nice to watch, although you feel somewhat like a voyeur. I've not seen any eggs, or sperm release, just this dance.
It is also of interest to note that the male does not always have his front most dorsal fin upright. It is a red color at it's base.
Personal reccomendations
At least 100 lbs of LR per fish, and at least 75 lbs of LS per fish. Perhaps a bare bottom if you have a good growth of calurpa for breeding the 'pods.
These two beautiful creatures are on my website under the livestock heading.
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Visit our piece of the reef at http://www.c-gate.net/~pierce
[This message has been edited by wayne (edited 08-14-2000).]
if your live rock has been in there for at least a couple of months or longer, your sand bed is now a live sand bed. the critters will migrate from the rock to the sand. NOTE! This is not to say that the sand bed would now support a mandarin, or that a livesand activator, or detrivore kit would not be a good idea ... it's just to say what you put in as a dead sand bed would now have life in it.
Personal Experience
I have 2 Mandarin Dragonnettes (1 male and 1 female)in my 180. I have 2 - 4 in of sand and about 250 - 275 lbs of live rock. They are both still doing great. Ive had the male for 1.5 years, the female since Jan, 2000.
I have observed them "dancing" together right before the lights go out. It is beautiful! The tank is set up as a "spur and groove" with rock on either side. Normally they stay apart from each other... one in one rock pile the other in the other, they will switch sides, but normally stay apart. But, from time to time they will swim to each other, near the bottom to mid-depth, meet and then swim in a circular motion, swirling to the top of the tank. They will then swim to mid or bottom and repeat. It is really nice to watch, although you feel somewhat like a voyeur. I've not seen any eggs, or sperm release, just this dance.
It is also of interest to note that the male does not always have his front most dorsal fin upright. It is a red color at it's base.
Personal reccomendations
At least 100 lbs of LR per fish, and at least 75 lbs of LS per fish. Perhaps a bare bottom if you have a good growth of calurpa for breeding the 'pods.
These two beautiful creatures are on my website under the livestock heading.
------------------
Visit our piece of the reef at http://www.c-gate.net/~pierce
[This message has been edited by wayne (edited 08-14-2000).]
playfair,
The picturatus has a shorter first dorsal ray than the splendidus. The splendidus in your photo is a male. I can't tell from the picture of the picturatus what sex it is. You need to be able to see that first dorsal ray. Females do not have a long first ray at all so they are easy to tell apart. I suspect if the two fish are fighting that they are both males. I have seen the two species mixed as long as two of the same sex are not together. Somne fish can break the rules, but don't count on it. The picturatus is the more aggressive of the two.
I think a 50 gallon tank that has had both live rock and a deep, mixed size sand grains sandbed are bare minumums. One mandarin without any competative tankmates per 50 gallon. Even then its better to err on the side of safety. 75 gallons or 100 per mandarin is even better A refugium is a great tool for keeping mandarins. Adult copepods reproduce in the sand and they need a place to hide from predation. Most Mandarins will accept some offered foods if you know how to train them. Brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms are the favorites.
Best wishes,
Terry B
[This message has been edited by Terry B (edited 08-14-2000).]
The picturatus has a shorter first dorsal ray than the splendidus. The splendidus in your photo is a male. I can't tell from the picture of the picturatus what sex it is. You need to be able to see that first dorsal ray. Females do not have a long first ray at all so they are easy to tell apart. I suspect if the two fish are fighting that they are both males. I have seen the two species mixed as long as two of the same sex are not together. Somne fish can break the rules, but don't count on it. The picturatus is the more aggressive of the two.
I think a 50 gallon tank that has had both live rock and a deep, mixed size sand grains sandbed are bare minumums. One mandarin without any competative tankmates per 50 gallon. Even then its better to err on the side of safety. 75 gallons or 100 per mandarin is even better A refugium is a great tool for keeping mandarins. Adult copepods reproduce in the sand and they need a place to hide from predation. Most Mandarins will accept some offered foods if you know how to train them. Brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms are the favorites.
Best wishes,
Terry B
[This message has been edited by Terry B (edited 08-14-2000).]
OrionN
Moved on
Personal Experience
I got a female Mandarin in my 100-gallon tank with 4-6 inches of LS and 120 lbs of LR. The tank has being up since 10/99. The female Mandarin is very happy and fat. I wanted to add a male to make a pair. Initially, I added a smaller male, very health and colorful to the tank. She won't tolerate him and chase him all over the tank. I have to get him out (at night they usually sleep out in the open) and return him to the LFS. Then a few months later, I add another male. This male is slightly bigger than the female. Initially, she chases him around the tank. However, the next day he started to fight back and would not run away. He does not chase her around the tank but would not tolerate her aggression. I think they will be fine together. So far, they have not spawn yet, but I think it will be a mater of time before they start.
If you want a pair, it would be better to start with larger male, and smaller female.
I got a female Mandarin in my 100-gallon tank with 4-6 inches of LS and 120 lbs of LR. The tank has being up since 10/99. The female Mandarin is very happy and fat. I wanted to add a male to make a pair. Initially, I added a smaller male, very health and colorful to the tank. She won't tolerate him and chase him all over the tank. I have to get him out (at night they usually sleep out in the open) and return him to the LFS. Then a few months later, I add another male. This male is slightly bigger than the female. Initially, she chases him around the tank. However, the next day he started to fight back and would not run away. He does not chase her around the tank but would not tolerate her aggression. I think they will be fine together. So far, they have not spawn yet, but I think it will be a mater of time before they start.
If you want a pair, it would be better to start with larger male, and smaller female.
Green Lantern
New member
Personal experience.
I added a female to my 75 gal. Tank has about 90lbs of live rock. Peaceful tank mates that never bothered her. She picked at the rock continuously and appeared healthy and fat for the six months I had her. One morning I woke up and found her sitting out in the open with a huge fat belly. At first I thought, "Wow, she hit pay dirt!", but I quickly realized she was dying. The best diagnosis I received was "internal bacterial infection". The death was quick but still hard to watch. She was dead by the evening.
I now have a refugium with another 20 pounds of live rock and a 4" live sand bed. I'm tempted to try again but am going to wait for another few months.
Did any of you read Scott Michael's Dragonet article in Sept./2000 AFM?
Troy
I added a female to my 75 gal. Tank has about 90lbs of live rock. Peaceful tank mates that never bothered her. She picked at the rock continuously and appeared healthy and fat for the six months I had her. One morning I woke up and found her sitting out in the open with a huge fat belly. At first I thought, "Wow, she hit pay dirt!", but I quickly realized she was dying. The best diagnosis I received was "internal bacterial infection". The death was quick but still hard to watch. She was dead by the evening.
I now have a refugium with another 20 pounds of live rock and a 4" live sand bed. I'm tempted to try again but am going to wait for another few months.
Did any of you read Scott Michael's Dragonet article in Sept./2000 AFM?
Troy
Check out the archive section, we have started a separate archive section especially for this series, and the coral of the week series.
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Larry M
"My Dad could build--or fix--anything. Just give him a hammer, a saw, a piece of wire, and a stick. Then get the hell out of the way."
In response to the question, "Where did you learn how to do that?"
See my tanks at Northern Reef
------------------
Larry M
"My Dad could build--or fix--anything. Just give him a hammer, a saw, a piece of wire, and a stick. Then get the hell out of the way."
In response to the question, "Where did you learn how to do that?"
See my tanks at Northern Reef
Hi Terry, thanks for the input.
Would you say that feeding the mandarin prepared foods is just an added treat, and that these foods cannot be considered a replacement for an adequate live pod population?
Brian
P.S. Thanks Dave. I forgot to give you credit on this thread for the FOTW idea. I won't forget again
Would you say that feeding the mandarin prepared foods is just an added treat, and that these foods cannot be considered a replacement for an adequate live pod population?
Brian
P.S. Thanks Dave. I forgot to give you credit on this thread for the FOTW idea. I won't forget again
Robert, I didn't quarantine my mandarins. I thought they would have a better chance of survival if they went right into the reef. I don't think they are prone to parasitic infections (maybe their noxious slime coat is a reason?), but I don't know that for a fact. Maybe someone will jump in here and help us out.
Brian
Brian
Playfair
Premium Member
Thanks for the pic comments, it took about a dozen tries to catch that dorsal ray upright. I'll keep the pics comming as long as Brian keeps choosing fish that I have
Robert, never seen or heard of a "sick" mandy, just starving ones. That's not to say that they can't be carriers of parasites and such.
Terry, how ya been? Your ears must have been ringing over this post! You are correct that the smaller Picturatus was definitely the bully of the tank. Update: It disappeared after a week in my buddies tank, which is a 75 reef with a 29 refuge, and the most bugs I've ever seen. I'm think it was sick from the get-go.
Dendro- lol; Several times late at night I wondered what the heck happened to the little guy when I first got him!
[This message has been edited by Playfair (edited 08-15-2000).]
Robert, never seen or heard of a "sick" mandy, just starving ones. That's not to say that they can't be carriers of parasites and such.
Terry, how ya been? Your ears must have been ringing over this post! You are correct that the smaller Picturatus was definitely the bully of the tank. Update: It disappeared after a week in my buddies tank, which is a 75 reef with a 29 refuge, and the most bugs I've ever seen. I'm think it was sick from the get-go.
Dendro- lol; Several times late at night I wondered what the heck happened to the little guy when I first got him!
[This message has been edited by Playfair (edited 08-15-2000).]
