Mandarin and Aggressive Fish?

[Stuart60611]

I have about a 3 month old 125 fowlr with a 55 gallon sump/refugium filled with rock and macro algae. The system has about 150 lbs of rock. I also seeded the refugium with live pods. I figure that in about 6 more months I could be in a position to house a mandarin. However, this is a semi aggressive tank with a picasso trigger, flame hawk, several damsels, etc. in the system I have read conflicting things concerning whether a mandarin can co-exist with aggressive tankmates. I have read that one should not house a mandarin with aggressive tankmates, and I have also read that the slime coat of a mandarin is so distasteful to fish that they completely ingore the mandarin. Any opinions on this? Not something I would consider for a while, but I am just thinking about something down the road.

 

[caorca]

I have a Mandarin in my tank with a flame hawk, 7 chromies, and, until recently, a very agressive Sohal Tang. He had to go because he was picking on the other tangs. The Mandarin goes about, doing his thing and nobody bothers him. Good Luck.

 

[Stuart60611]

That is very interesting. Because of all the fish I house, I would think that the flame hawk would be the most likely problem. Both mandarins and hawks occupy the same bottom zone of the tank. My hawk, particularly with my other aggressive fish, stays pretty much to the bottom 1/4 of my tank. If the hawk does not pick on your mandarin, perhaps there is some truth to what I read that you can house a mandarin with aggressive fish. I would love hear anyone else's views to confirm this.

 

[Animal Mother]

As long as it's not in a tank with a fish that can/will swallow it whole.

 

[Stuart60611]

Does anyone see any problems with any of the fish I house competing with a mandarin for food. The only fish I house which I think would compete for pods would be the 2 damsels. But I do not think the damsels eat pod as aggressively like some other fish do, like a sixline wrasse. The others I house (see below) are larger fish which I think do not eat pods. As such, several months down the road, I would think my 125 would produce a suitable amount of pods for the mandarin. Does this sound right?

 

[meintn]

I have a niger trigger that ate my mandarin so be careful!

 

[Stuart60611]

Ya, I am having second thoughts. I have a small 3.5 inch picasso, 4.5 inch cuban hog, and 7 inch banana wrasse. May not be a good idea with these aggressive fish. However, none of these fish bother my tiny yellow tail damsels who are 1 inch and 3/4 inches, respectively.

 

[meintn]

the picasso is by reputation more aggressive then a niger but my niger is 8" with streamers. and damsels are aggressive as well while a mandarin will just chill and be a target.