WTB: watchmen with mandarin goby?

[bobkill]

hello all, I was wondering if you could keep a mandarin goby in with a 2.5 inch watchmen goby who has been in this tank for a year.

kind of worried about the indigenous food source being lower to due the watchmen being established thus the mandarian wouldnt have any "tank" food

also the watchmen guards his "house" from my clowns and sixline wrasse
would he be aggressive towared to mandarin? i know u can house more than 1 watchmen but would the mandarin fit in?

thanks!

 

[blakers82]

Could you fill us in a little more on the aquarium and bioload?

I'm a bit more cautious here, because I have so much respect for the mandarin. IME, I wouldn't add the mandarin. I've kept mandarins before and I've decided if I'm keeping mandarins again, I'm making sure my tank is well prepared for them. I have a sifting goby in my system now too and even if food supply was no issue, I wouldn't think he'd be tolerant of any dragonets cruising by...I say if you have any doubts, maybe not.

 

[KDC]

How big is your tank? Do you have a refugium? Do you see bugs? :-D
I had a pair of mandarins in with a pair of gobies and their shrimp in a 37g and everyone did fine. I did have a HOB fuge and I occasionally added a bottle of DT's pods though. My gobies never bothered my mandarins. As a matter of fact, my male dragonet started eating frozen foods after being in the tank for several months. A lot of it will depend on your fish's personalities, and the size of your tank.

 

[bobkill]

Tank is 55 with with 60 lb of live rock- it has been established with a predator tank for 2 yrs and now coral for 5 months - so close to 3 years- yeah I see bugs- but no refug
Both f u have good points- I am thinking mandarin 2 pj cardn or Sexy more $ wrasse Halichoeres family http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1379+2285&pcatid=2285

 

[bobkill]

Both of u - not Both F U- lol

 

[KDC]

:lolspin::lolspin:

I would think that you would have a good supply of food for your Mandarin if your tank has been set up that long, especially with no one in there eating them. If you don't have a 'fuge set up, you may want to either set up a place in your sump, or come up with some kind of set up to breed 'pods. Mandarins and wrasses go through them quickly.

 

[cjilge]

I have had both together with sucess in my old tank, infact the only thing that got my manderin was a large hermit crab speared her one day! I had my manderin for several years but I had close to 100lbs of LR and a 20 gal fuge underneath as well. My sugestion is to find one that will eat frozen or that has been in someone's tank for awhile.

 

[Lytehouse]

The wrasse will compete for pods,
so you would need to start maintaining the population.

 

[waspears]

hello all, I was wondering if you could keep a mandarin goby in with a 2.5 inch watchmen goby who has been in this tank for a year.

kind of worried about the indigenous food source being lower to due the watchmen being established thus the mandarian wouldnt have any "tank" food

also the watchmen guards his "house" from my clowns and sixline wrasse
would he be aggressive towared to mandarin? i know u can house more than 1 watchmen but would the mandarin fit in?

thanks!

I have a watchman goby and a green mandarin, and the goby is fairly aggressive towards her... however she is completely unbothered and my lawnmower simply adores her!

 

[Lightsluvr]

My Watchman gobies never pay the slightest attention to the madarins who quietly hunt pods on the live rock... The gobies are too busy digging in the sand or chasing frozen meaty food at chow time...

Wrasses will compete for pods, but my wrasses seem to work the tank walls rather than the LR. Your mileage may vary.

LL