How to keep a mandarin dragonet from hiding?

[Weboh]

I've had a mandarin dragonet for about a year. He's my favorite fish, but I almost never see him. Right now, he stays mostly in a cave in a corner where you can't see him unless you get up close--and when you do, he feels the motion and goes back further in the cave where you can't see him. The wall by the cave is covered in what I believe is copepods. I go so long a period without seeing him that sometimes I think he's dead. But then I'll catch a glimpse of him the the next day, fat and healthy.

What can I do to make the dragonet not hide as much? I tried adding more rockwork under the theory that more potential hiding places makes fish fine with not hiding since they always have a place close by they can dart to if need be, but no dice. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks.

 

[mcgyvr]

Completely closing up his cave will obviously make him come out but he will likely just find another..
Beyond that therapy may be an option.. I'm sure you could find a shrink that may provide anxiety pills,etc...

 

[Anemone]

Well, he'll stay in the cave if he has food there, so that you probably can't change much. The other reason to stay hidden is fear of predators, or "hyper" fish. What are its tankmates?

Kevin

 

[Uncle99]

Well, he'll stay in the cave if he has food there, so that you probably can't change much. The other reason to stay hidden is fear of predators, or "hyper" fish. What are its tankmates?

Kevin

That's an excellent question.
Mandarin is a hunter, unless being hunted.
Mine are shy through the day, very active through dusk, hidden at night.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

If there is plenty of food by the cave he has no reason to wander.

 

[MondoBongo]

i've come to appreciate the more enigmatic aspects of my Mandarin. i look at it as a nice treat when she comes in to view. something a more casual observer may miss.

 

[Onewolf]

If there is plenty of food by the cave he has no reason to wander.

Except maybe to get some Mandarin poon tang.... Add another and see what happens.... :bigeyes:

 

[Weboh]

Well, he'll stay in the cave if he has food there, so that you probably can't change much. The other reason to stay hidden is fear of predators, or "hyper" fish. What are its tankmates?

Kevin

The other fish in the tank are a blue tang, coral beauty angelfish, 2 clownfish, and two damsels. All the other fish (even the clowfish:mad2 like the opposite side of the tank though, as far away from my anemone as possible. The dragonet's cave is behind where the anemone's foot attaches.

That's an excellent question.
Mandarin is a hunter, unless being hunted.
Mine are shy through the day, very active through dusk, hidden at night.

I have an LED light. What spectrum do you recommend I have my lights set on to simulate dusk for the dragonet? Right now, I have an hour or so of atinic lighting followed by a couple hours of decreasing mostly white light. I still think I see him more in the afternoon, though.

Except maybe to get some Mandarin poon tang.... Add another and see what happens.... :bigeyes:

I'm not sure if a 55 gallon can support enough copepods to feed two mandarins. I'm also not really sure what gender my mandarin is to be able to get a mate. On a side note, do mandarin dragonets readily breed in hobbyist tanks? Can they breed with ruby red dragonets?

 

[ThRoewer]

That is a rather untypical behavior for a mandarin. Mine are always out and about and don't care if I'm in front of the tank.
The only explanation for this reclusiveness I can think of is that there is another fish harrasing the mandarin or that something else makes him uncomfortable to be out in the open.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Uncle99]

The other fish in the tank are a blue tang, coral beauty angelfish, 2 clownfish, and two damsels. All the other fish (even the clowfish:mad2 like the opposite side of the tank though, as far away from my anemone as possible. The dragonet's cave is behind where the anemone's foot attaches.
I have an LED light. What spectrum do you recommend I have my lights set on to simulate dusk for the dragonet? Right now, I have an hour or so of atinic lighting followed by a couple hours of decreasing mostly white light. I still think I see him more in the afternoon, though.


I'm not sure if a 55 gallon can support enough copepods to feed two mandarins. I'm also not really sure what gender my mandarin is to be able to get a mate. On a side note, do mandarin dragonets readily breed in hobbyist tanks? Can they breed with ruby red dragonets?

IMO, I would not change your lighting, this causes its own set of problems.
Usually, the Mandarin does not care much about others, just hover and peck, hunt and search. I see mine at dusk mostly, not in the dark, several short times through the day. I have the blue and a yellow tang, clown pair, gramma, Anthais in my mixed 65g, with the mandarin and he acts of these are not even there.

 

[Weboh]

IMO, I would not change your lighting, this causes its own set of problems.
Usually, the Mandarin does not care much about others, just hover and peck, hunt and search. I see mine at dusk mostly, not in the dark, several short times through the day. I have the blue and a yellow tang, clown pair, gramma, Anthais in my mixed 65g, with the mandarin and he acts of these are not even there.

Well, I have seen my angelfish bully just about everyone but the mandarin. He goes around the whole tank too, not just the one corner that the clownfish like. Maybe getting rid of the angelfish would solve the problem? I don't want to do that though, partially because I like him too, and partially because it's a pain to catch fish once they're in a tank with a lot of hiding spaces.

But I guess my only options are removing the angelfish, (which may not help, since the mandarin is already timid) getting another mandarin, (if possible, but it still may not help) or accepting its reclusiveness.

What's everyone think? Would another dragonet help? Can my tank support another one? I do still see tons of copepods on the rocks at night, and on the glass throughout the day. How can I determine the gender of my dragonet? It's going to be difficult to examine it closely, because it darts away when I get close...

 

[Uncle99]

IMO, if everyone is happy, (excluding you) J have learned to accept, social issues have a way of changing over time anyway.

I would strongly recommend against any more POD eaters

Adding one half’s the availability of POD, might work for a few months, then “poof”

Just let them be is my vote

 

[Anemone]

Just let them be is my vote

This!

Kevin