Adding second mandarin risk?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I got a pair of tank raised mandarins a few months ago but the female disappeared the second day after arrival. The male has grown a lot and is clearly thriving.

Is there any significant aggression risk from the male adding a new tank raised female mandarin?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[rtparty]

I’d think adding a female would be just fine. Maybe ask Dr Reef for a little larger one that’s closer in size to the male?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’d think adding a female would be just fine. Maybe ask Dr Reef for a little larger one that’s closer in size to the male?

Good point. :)

 

[dwest]

I’m thinking about the exact same thing. My female was lost as well. I saw her when I put her in and that was it. I got both of mine from biota and did a several month grow out before I put them in the main tank. My male is 2 years old now.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

I will get you another female. We breed them as well along with getting some from ORA and Biota.

 

[DanyL]

Never had a problem doing so, go for it!

 

[Miami Reef]

I have some information on mandarins.

The male should ideally be significantly larger than the female. If they are around the same size, the female will sometimes reject and kill the male. It happened to me, but this is pretty standard Mandarin knowledge.

 

[tgray9937]

I started with a male biota mandy. He started getting lonely after about a year swimming with the clown fish and racing back and forth through the tank and floating around on the surface of the water. I added a baby girl biota mandy in a acclimate box. It took him a few hours to notice her and then he started trying to impress her, it was adorable. After adding the female mandy, my male stopped exhibit any of those behaviors. He chased her alittle at first but he also protected her at the same time. They are a happy pair and I have had them both for almost 2 years together.

 

[becca10]

I wish I had seen this sooner. I have a large female target mandarin and ordered a male. When I received him, he was significantly smaller than her. At first they swam together, then she started beating him up. I removed him and have him fattening up in another tank. Hopefully he will grow fast and I will try again.

 

[tgray9937]

I started with a male biota mandy. He started getting lonely after about a year swimming with the clown fish and racing back and forth through the tank and floating around on the surface of the water. I added a baby girl biota mandy in a acclimate box. It took him a few hours to notice her and then he started trying to impress her, it was adorable. After adding the female mandy, my male stopped exhibit any of those behaviors. He chased her alittle at first but he also protected her at the same time. They are a happy pair and I have had them both for almost 2 years together.

I am sorry, I didn't mean to post the same thing twice

 

[littlefoxx]

I got a pair of tank raised mandarins a few months ago but the female disappeared the second day after arrival. The male has grown a lot and is clearly thriving.

Is there any significant aggression risk from the male adding a new tank raised female mandarin?

Thanks in advance for any input.

No Ive done this (with wild caught not biota) and as long as you are 100% sure on the sex of the two dragonettes then it it will be fine! Love seeing paired guys

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I started with a male biota mandy. He started getting lonely after about a year swimming with the clown fish and racing back and forth through the tank and floating around on the surface of the water. I added a baby girl biota mandy in a acclimate box. It took him a few hours to notice her and then he started trying to impress her, it was adorable. After adding the female mandy, my male stopped exhibit any of those behaviors. He chased her alittle at first but he also protected her at the same time. They are a happy pair and I have had them both for almost 2 years together.

Very interesting!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I will get you another female. We breed them as well along with getting some from ORA and Biota.

Thanks. I’ll let you know when I’m ready. Might be when I get some other fish at the same time and I haven’t decided what those should be yet. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have some information on mandarins.

The male should ideally be significantly larger than the female. If they are around the same size, the female will sometimes reject and kill the male. It happened to me, but this is pretty standard Mandarin knowledge.

Thanks, Miami. :)

 

[DHill6]

I’ve done this, male first then months later added a female. Both Biota. No problems.

 

[wickedxreef]

I haven't had much luck with this. Even with them being different sizes and what I thought was a male and female with the male being larger. I might try again in the future, but for now my single Mandarin is fat and healthy.

 

[LordClownFish]

I will get you another female. We breed them as well along with getting some from ORA and Biota.

The male i just received from you guys is being bullied by my larger female im trying to figure out what to do

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

The male i just received from you guys is being bullied by my larger female im trying to figure out what to do

Did it stop? Or still at it?

 

[LordClownFish]

Did it stop? Or still at it?

It's hard to watch I had to remove him, I have him in his own 20g ATM, the 20g is filled with amphipods so he should be okay

 

[winxp_man]

I got a pair of tank raised mandarins a few months ago but the female disappeared the second day after arrival. The male has grown a lot and is clearly thriving.

Is there any significant aggression risk from the male adding a new tank raised female mandarin?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Nope should be fine. Very rare that the male would do any thing to a female. Now if you add a male. Might be a different story. When I had my male for about two months. My buddy got me a female. And it was funny watching him perk up super horny haha…. But they were good together. My issue was, I did a tank transfer… and during that time went to a bigger tank. And many of the pod population didn’t make it. So I gave them to my LFS. I now have millions of pods. That could support row mandies. Maybe when upgrade to a 300 from my 150 will get another pair. Love them!