Could I put a mandarin dragonet in a fluval evo 13.5?

[Goby Bryant]

Ok.

 

[fishface NJ]

You have maxed out your fish

mandarin fish need an established Tank that is over a year old with an insane amount of pods. You tank is too new and too small. Enjoy the fish you already have

 

[Goby Bryant]

It’s 2 years old, but I revamped it after COVID.

 

[Mschmidt]

How should I train it to eat mysis or pellets?

Not a clue on that. There's probably a thread on it though.

 

[Goby Bryant]

Thanks

 

[Privateye]

I agree that your tank doesn't need more fish, but just to chime in this is possible. Very unlikely but possible. One of the biggest and longest-lived green mandarins I ever saw was in a 20 gallon. The trick is getting one that aggressively eats frozen food.

I don't have a foolproof way of selecting one, but when I go to get a mandarin I ask the store to add some live brine to the tank(s) and I pick a mandarin that eats it. They show promise at least. I also avoid any with sunken bellies. I've been successful with the majority of my mandarin purchases since I started doing that. Mine last years. Spotted mandarins tend to take better to frozen food than green mandarins IME.

This is more of a tip for anyone else though. You're maxed-out.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I hope u listen to reason and take the advice offered. But from the persistent posts I think u have already answered your own question in the affirmative and are going to do what u will. Mayb not but don’t think so. Most have been here long enough to see where this goes. Sad but true. Good luck. Hope the mandarin survives.

 

[Goby Bryant]

I was wondering about it maybe for its own tank, but I think from the advice I’ve gotten I wont get one. I don’t want such an innocent fish to die.

 

[Privateye]

I was wondering about it maybe for its own tank, but I think from the advice I’ve gotten I wont get one. I don’t want such an innocent fish to die.

Good man right there! A mandarin is the type of fish you plan for unless your tank is very large. I'm glad you reached out first.

 

[MichaelReefer]

You need a way bigger tank... Like 100+ Gallons is generally recommended.

 

[Goby Bryant]

Oh ok.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

You need a way bigger tank... Like 100+ Gallons is generally recommended.

Mandarin doing fine in a xl300 but 2years old packed w pods.

 

[Goby Bryant]

He’s a beauty!

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

He’s a beauty!

Ty. Biota blue via TSM aquatics. Was relaxing on the Derasa. Older pic, clam rip but mandarin still healthy.

 

[Goby Bryant]

My crown jewel is a grade a DaVinci.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

You definitely DON'T need 100+ gallons for a dragonet . But you definitely need to upgrade as your system is beyond maxed out fish wise as it is . I think petco is still running a 50% off aqueon tanks. A 40 gallon breeder or 60 gallon breeder would be perfect for what you want to do .

 

[melonheadorion]

i would just stop thinking about a mandarin to be honest. regardless of tank size or how many fish you already have, the mandarin was created with a belly that basically doesnt hold food. think of it like a straight through passage, so they have to eat all day every day. this will be regardless of food type. so, even if you train them to eat frozen, then the next thing you have to be able to do, is to get them food. they are a quite slow fish, so they dont attack food like your other fish will, so the other fish will generally outcompete it for food that is in the tank. if he just sticks to copepods, you have to have a significant amount for him to eat, each day, and quite honestly, your tank isnt going to support him naturally for more than a day or two; a week at most, and thats being generous.
thats assuming that he eats anythign at all. i had one that ate pods right away. i had plenty for him to eat, and then he suddenly stopped. he died within a couple days after that.
i would just get your heart not set on a mandarin at all.

 

[olonmv]

i would just stop thinking about a mandarin to be honest. regardless of tank size or how many fish you already have, the mandarin was created with a belly that basically doesnt hold food. think of it like a straight through passage, so they have to eat all day every day. this will be regardless of food type. so, even if you train them to eat frozen, then the next thing you have to be able to do, is to get them food. they are a quite slow fish, so they dont attack food like your other fish will, so the other fish will generally outcompete it for food that is in the tank. if he just sticks to copepods, you have to have a significant amount for him to eat, each day, and quite honestly, your tank isnt going to support him naturally for more than a day or two; a week at most, and thats being generous.
thats assuming that he eats anythign at all. i had one that ate pods right away. i had plenty for him to eat, and then he suddenly stopped. he died within a couple days after that.
i would just get your heart not set on a mandarin at all.

Completely agree with this.

Even when you get them to eat frozen foods because of to few pods in your system, you have to target feed them with flow off AFTER you feed the other fish and babysitting it to keep the other fish from still eating the mandarins food….. gets old fast.