Mandarin goby

[NanaReefer]

. You seem completely convinced it's ok. ! There is a big difference in a fish surviving in our tanks & thriving in our tanks, we capture these creatures from the wild so we HAVE to give them the BEST we can. Not just average. But if you believe it's possible then that's up to you, your not the first person to do. & you won't be the last. I wish you all the best of luck & the dragonet as well.

You did what you could, kudos to you. I'm at the point where I can tell when the lines of communication have closed, the minds are made up. Even your success as proof as to what these fish require doesn't seem to be enough.
Know it wasn't wasted on me I'll enjoy your Mandarin and get a Falco Hawk Fish instead

 

[dss190]

Paul B has a baby brine shrimp feeder that he uses very successfully with hard to feed fish. He has a breeding pair of Mandarins. I would check it out if your interested in keeping mandarins, just search Paul brine shrimp and the threads should come up. You would need to hatch brine shrimp daily though.

 

[dss190]

Also, I would definitely make sure your tank is covered, as I have heard these fish will find a way to jump out of your tank.

 

[Lesley]

Also, I would definitely make sure your tank is covered, as I have heard these fish will find a way to jump out of your tank.

I have never seen my dragonets jump except when I had a red coris wrasse that would chase him,(red coris wrasse was removed immediately ) I think you will find that they have to be chased to jump. They are very slow swimmers and tend to stay low in the tank near sandbed or hover around rocks. Even when they are doing their mating dance it is slow and although they do get near the top they certainly don't jump.

 

[Lesley]

You did what you could, kudos to you. I'm at the point where I can tell when the lines of communication have closed, the minds are made up. Even your success as proof as to what these fish require doesn't seem to be enough.
Know it wasn't wasted on me I'll enjoy your Mandarin and get a Falco Hawk Fish instead

Thanks NanaReefer. Your very right about communication lines. Appreciate the help. lol

 

[angelfishgirl]

[Q UOTE=Lesley;2030481]. You seem completely convinced it's ok. ! There is a big difference in a fish surviving in our tanks & thriving in our tanks, we capture these creatures from the wild so we HAVE to give them the BEST we can. Not just average. But if you believe it's possible then that's up to you, your not the first person to do. & you won't be the last. I wish you all the best of luck & the dragonet as well.[/QUOTE]

Very rude post honestly. Could've just said no. I've read from another post you could do that though. I was asking for a reefers opinion on the method. Not your sassy response dear.

 

[Lesley]

[Q UOTE=Lesley;2030481]. You seem completely convinced it's ok. ! There is a big difference in a fish surviving in our tanks & thriving in our tanks, we capture these creatures from the wild so we HAVE to give them the BEST we can. Not just average. But if you believe it's possible then that's up to you, your not the first person to do. & you won't be the last. I wish you all the best of luck & the dragonet as well.

Very rude post honestly. Could've just said no. I've read from another post you could do that though. I was asking for a reefers opinion on the method. Not your sassy response dear.[/QUOTE]. I don't see how me wishing you the best of luck is rude in any way. But if that's how you took it, so be it. I do wish you the best of luck as I said before. !

 

[NanaReefer]

Angelfishgirl-
Being new to the hobby as you and your tank are, we are trying to help. Just like the many we have helped before you. I found nothing rude at all in Lesley's comment.
You are not alone with your desire in wanting to keep a Mandarin Dragonet. You are not alone when it comes to getting offended when you are honestly told why you should not. You are not the first person who doesn't want to hear it either!
See, it is not about you personally, but it is about "that particular fish" that some people (like myself) are very passionate about keeping. Where keeping them in an environment that they thrive in is the only and most important goal! Feel free to call me the Mandarin Police
I find it very difficult to ignore someone who has been given very very valid reasons (by the experienced) as to why they shouldn't buy a particular fish but they, for whatever reason, feel that they can do it where so many before them have failed!
I should know, I've killed 2 myself Not on purpose, but because I was of the same mind as you a few years back. I chose not to listen. Thinking I could do something better, different or hey the fish eats frozen so I'm good to go!!!
It's been over 2yrs and I still flinch at the thought, because those fish didn't have to die in my tank.....

 

[Lesley]

Very rude post honestly. Could've just said no. I've read from another post you could do that though. I was asking for a reefers opinion on the method. Not your sassy response dear.[/QUOTE]

My response was not at all sassy. What about what I said could possibly be rude. I actually wished you the best of luck (how rude that was). Fish thriving is what we should all aim for (how rude). I just don't understand why you seek the advice & ask the questions, then when you don't get a response you really want to hear you call me rude. Dont ask if you don't want an honest answer.
And as I stated no matter what was said you were still convinced it was OK (how rudewas I) but true. So once again the best of luck hope it works for yours and the fishes sake ! (geez how rude was that )

 

[Lesley]

Angelfishgirl-
Being new to the hobby as you and your tank are, we are trying to help. Just like the many we have helped before you. I found nothing rude at all in Lesley's comment.
You are not alone with your desire in wanting to keep a Mandarin Dragonet. You are not alone when it comes to getting offended when you are honestly told why you should not. You are not the first person who doesn't want to hear it either!
See, it is not about you personally, but it is about "that particular fish" that some people (like myself) are very passionate about keeping. Where keeping them in an environment that they thrive in is the only and most important goal! Feel free to call me the Mandarin Police
I find it very difficult to ignore someone who has been given very very valid reasons (by the experienced) as to why they shouldn't buy a particular fish but they, for whatever reason, feel that they can do it where so many before them have failed!
I should know, I've killed 2 myself Not on purpose, but because I was of the same mind as you a few years back. I chose not to listen. Thinking I could do something better, different or hey the fish eats frozen so I'm good to go!!!
It's been over 2yrs and I still flinch at the thought, because those fish didn't have to die in my tank.....

I wish more people were as honest as you ! I too have made a huge mistake in getting a copperband butterfly without doing the research and he starved to death too ! I was devastated that I had made a poor choice and he didn't have a choice.
I was told how difficult it was to get them eating, thought I could do it, thought it cant be that hard. Well it was and it cost the fish a painful starving death.
We all make mistakes along the way, but when you get good advice, take a step back and ponder before you dismiss so easily.

 

[Eienna]

I'm going to inject my two cents here...
It is possible to keep a mandarin in that size tank. The problem is that you will be constantly buying pods - about two bottles a month for a smallish one, translating to about $60US per month - and this doesn't even take into account when it grows!! As much as I loved mine, I do wish I had known the cost of keeping it fed before I bought him. That said, my particular mandarin eventually took to NLS Small Fish pellets, and did well on them though I stopped adding pods. This was only over a few months, so I can't say anything about how well he would have done long-term, but he did not appear to decline at all on this diet. Paul B feeds blackworms and the aforementioned baby brine shrimp and his mandarins used to spawn before his female jumped, but he has a big tank and it has pods.

Bottom line, to keep these guys in good health in a tank too small for a big enough population (to self-sustain) is doable, but probably more expensive than most people want to commit to.

 

[Lesley]

Thanks for that info. We are not able to buy live pods here in Australia ! Don't know why not but definitely can't get them. So unless you can sustain a pod population & supplement with frozen you would have no chance. ! Thank goodness you can buy them there and that would explain why you have more success ! Here in Aussie they are classed as one if the most difficult fish to keep and the live pod situation may be why. Thanks

 

[Eienna]

Thanks for that info. We are not able to buy live pods here in Australia ! Don't know why not but definitely can't get them. So unless you can sustain a pod population & supplement with frozen you would have no chance. ! Thank goodness you can buy them there and that would explain why you have more success ! Here in Aussie they are classed as one if the most difficult fish to keep and the live pod situation may be why. Thanks

Yes, I'm sure that would be a big reason. Many dragonets (and mandarins in particular) are very difficult at best to get eating anything besides live copepods...and even if they do take to other things, they need the specific nutrient profile that the pods provide (and many other food items don't.)

 

[Lesley]

I found it hard to believe how quickly they cleaned out our pods. Went from extremely visible to still around to visibly gone to human eye within 10 weeks max approx 180kg live rock I know I still have some because I have a fuge full of them ( 100g sump) but no longer on glass at night. ! I really wish people would realise that pods have to be the main diet frozen sup instead of frozen main & pods sup ( if at all).

 

[Justin1997]

[video]http://www.livingreefs.com/threads/dragonets-trying-to-dance-in-change-of-poweheads-lol.49841/[/video]

This is my two trying to dance with a very recent change in the flow. They just cant quite get it right tonight.

Just wondering how you went about pairing them up, were they in the store as a pair or did you put them in at the same time, also how do you tell who's male who's female?

 

[NanaReefer]

A mature male Mandarin has a "flag" for a dorsal fin. Otherwise it is much bigger then a females.

 

[Lesley]

Just wondering how you went about pairing them up, were they in the store as a pair or did you put them in at the same time, also how do you tell who's male who's female?

hi, yes the picture is correct male has a type of spear on top of fin female are rounded. I did not get them together. I got the female first and then the male.
You have to get a large male and and the smaller female.
Our female actually grabbed the boy upon introduction by her mouth and dragged him around the tank for about and hour or so. We thought she was going to kill him, in all that time he never fought back, we thought it was strange.
But after some more research we found out the male has to display to the female when first introduced, if she likes him she will put him in his place and them become a pair, if she is not impressed with display she will actually kill him or they will never become a pair.
The boys accept this as their destiny. Thats why its important to get the biggest male possible and pair up with the smallest female. The bigger the male the better he will display the more likely you are to get them paired. 'Hope this helps.

 

[Justin1997]

hi, yes the picture is correct male has a type of spear on top of fin female are rounded. I did not get them together. I got the female first and then the male.
You have to get a large male and and the smaller female.
Our female actually grabbed the boy upon introduction by her mouth and dragged him around the tank for about and hour or so. We thought she was going to kill him, in all that time he never fought back, we thought it was strange.
But after some more research we found out the male has to display to the female when first introduced, if she likes him she will put him in his place and them become a pair, if she is not impressed with display she will actually kill him or they will never become a pair.
The boys accept this as their destiny. Thats why its important to get the biggest male possible and pair up with the smallest female. The bigger the male the better he will display the more likely you are to get them paired. 'Hope this helps.

Now I know you have 2 spotted but have you heard or had experience with spotted and a green Mandarin?

 

[Lesley]

Spotted and physcodelic green dragonets are the same as mandarins. Go to live aquaria .com. & you will see the red , blue & green all under dragonet /mandarin. No difference. Same care requirements feed etc. ! Like we call blue tangs just that yet some places call them hippo tangs. Different name same fish
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+1635

 

[Justin1997]

Yeah can different names pair is basically what I'm asking?