Hi guys, I have wanted a Mandrin Dragonet for a long time. Recently I have given the idea of getting one. Ok here's the background story first; I have a 29gal HQI Biocube with 29 lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand unfortunly I don't believe I have enough Copepods to sustain a Mandrin Dragonet. At my LFS they sell Mandrin Dragonets and my plan was to get one and try to train it to eat brine shrimp by putting a cup in my tank and having airline tubing connected to the cup and pushing brine shrimp through the airline tubing by a siringe and seeing if the mandrin dragonet eats the brine shrimp. Plz I would appreciate some advice and suggestions from you guys about this idea of mine. Thankyou
Mandrin dragonet in a 29 gallon biocube
- Thread starter Katie G
- Start date
AndroidReef
New member
not a really good idea KatieG, many fail even with larger tanks, it's possible but only by experts that have plenty of time to feed them, u can find similar threads going on in the forum that will tell you the same
Hyperion1337
Active member
I highly suggest you check out the mandarin primer or my current thread on training mandarins. Mandarins are really finicky eaters and are always changing minds on whats food and not.
Hyperion1337
Active member
mandarins will usually chase down a living brine shrimp
but u have to train them to eat frozen from there via the live brine
but u have to train them to eat frozen from there via the live brine
zigzag1
New member
+1 This. Unless you want to seek out one of the ORA Mandrins that have been trained to take prepared foods, I think you should wait until you have a large tank that can support more copepods and a refugium. Even with a ORA fish, be prepared to go to considerable extra effort just for this fish. It will not be just another fish for you. I think far too many folks purchase these fish and they starve to death. I feel this is likely one of the tragedies of our hobby. I was guilty of it also - in a 125 gallon tank.
I feel I was unsuccessful primarily due to a 6-line wrasse out competing the Mandrin for copepods. I've since removed the 6-line and upgraded to a 180 gallon and am now waiting 9 months to rebuild a flourishing copepod population before re-attempting the Mandrin introduction. I will also likely seek out a more aquarium friendly ORA bred specimen, even at greater expense and effort. This is with a 180 gallon tank, with much extra effort - I think I have a chance. I think that the chances of keeping a Mandrin beyond one year in a tank of less than 100 gallons (combined DT and fuge), are slim to none without a constant supply of live brine shrimp and other live foods. Anyone who has managed to do so, feel free to change my mind.
alton
Well-known member
See if you can find a local club member who is selling one that has already been weaned to frozen. I keep one target in 29 with only jawfish and one green with jawfish in my 40 because jawfish only pick up what is right before them, the mandarins get what lands on the the substrate and rocks. If you find one at the store that eats frozen you are good to go, but only if you are keeping it with very slow eaters or by itself.
DopeCantWin
Active member
I have had my Mandarin for a little over 2 years in a 90 with maybe 15 gallons in the sump. He doesn't eat anything I put in the tank. I got it as just a tiny thing, she's now 2". I would definitely not recommend it for a 29 gallon, or say that what I did could be repeated.
reeferstace
I'm a little people
A diet soley of brine shrimp will not sustain a mandarin. I would wait until you have a much larger, well-established tank or choose a different fish that is more suitable for a 29gallon.
My opinion as well. I keep pairs of mandarins but only in large tanks. While mine do eat frozen, they would never be able to sustain themselves without sufficient copepods as they eat constantly.
Daniel Reef
New member
Please pass on the idea for the sake of the mandarin.
deangelr
Clown Whisperererer
Not sure I agree with everyone above.. I have maybe 15 lbs of live rock and have had a mandarin in my 29g nanocube for years without issues..
The rock is loaded with pods and you can always see them crawling around.. I assume this keeps the mandarin happy. It does not eat any food I try to feed it.
The rock is loaded with pods and you can always see them crawling around.. I assume this keeps the mandarin happy. It does not eat any food I try to feed it.
SushiGirl
Premium Member
But your tank isn't new...
alton
Well-known member
I feed PE mysis, mini mysis, spiralina brine, ovar, and a few other things soaked in Zoe. If you read the post here on Reef Central I would bet there are more people here with small tanks doing fine with there wild caught Mandarins than ORA raised in large tanks, but that is only my opinion from the post here on Reef Central. I believe what it comes down to is competition for food, Mandarin loses every time. If you want to create a hachery for your pods in a small tank, take a black piece of plexi-glass, place a couple of earth magnets onto it and attach it to the back of the tank leaving a 1/4" of space to where the pods can go and hatch and no one can mess with them just like in your overflows or behind your wave makers.
