Mandarin Dragonett ?

[RyanMcLaughlin]

Hey everyone, So I plan on adding a mandarin to my 70 gallon once the pod pop has had a chance to develop. I plan to buy a bottle of pods to start the refugium and then give it like 4-5 months. I have read that they need a tank between 75-100 gallons. Do they really need that? They only get a couple inches. Would one be fine in my 70 if I had a refugium and pods for it to eat?

 

[Sk8r]

Yes. I am so glad to find a post from a new reefer contemplating one of these fish and preparing properly.
I'd recommend just one for a newish tank, but if your fuge is 20 gal up, you might handle two...they must be a pair, and they must come in together or these otherwise completely pacifist fish will kill each other. You may see many pods arrive free if you get a big healthy cheato ball to start the fuge.

 

[RyanMcLaughlin]

My fuge is going to be around 8 gallons. I also plan to keep an urchin clingfish which can be fed non live food it just takes a lot of extra effort which is fine, but it will also be eating pods and competing w/ the mandarin. would that be a problem?

 

[Sk8r]

You will probably do ok: be prepared to go larger on the fuge if you must. You might also put some live rock rubble and sand in that fuge, and maybe feed it phyto, just to help the pods be really productive.
You can tell how many pods there are in a system by watching how many hits the mandy makes: they're accurate_--every hit is a pod down their little gullet. And they eat all day long.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

the reason for such a big tank for a little fish is due to keeping enough pods for them. they would eat all the pods out of a 20 gal. tank with in a couple days. with a bigger tank and a good fuge, the pods are able to keep up with the fish.

 

[snorvich]

Good advice from two knowledgeable aquarists. Please especially note sk8r's advice on adding more than one to a tank.

 

[JRechcygl]

For what its worth, save your money and don't buy the "'pods". Find an aquarist close to you with a "mature" tank and ask them kindly to buy some macroalgae, some rubble rock or some sand out of their refugium. It will me more cost effective and just plan and simple more effective. If you are up to it, scooters will acclimate to frozen food much easier. Also, try as soon as possible to get them eating frozen, capeline roe works FANTASTIC for dragonettes, it sinks, its small and packed with protein. I would HIGHLY recommend forgoing a wrasse with mandarins, but thats me

 

[NirvanaFan]

Like everyone else, I think you'll be fine adding a mandarin once your pod population gets up. Many people have had success with mandarins eating formula 1 and 2 pellets too. You could try dropping a few pellets near the mandarin once you get it.