Has your dragonette (mandarin or scooter) lived in a 20 gallon or smaller for 2 years or more?

[SauceyReef]

I hear lots of people talking about keeping these fish in smaller tanks which I personally find to be not a good idea. I am wondering though how much of this is just rumor vs fact. Has anyone actually kept a dragonette in a 20 gallon or smaller for 2 years or longer?

Please chime in!!

 

[SauceyReef]

Bump !

 

[MaxTremors]

I’ve never kept a mandarin long term in 20 gallons or less (I’ve done it short term and then moved them to a larger tank), but I’ve kept scooter dragonets in 10 gallon tanks long term (and in a five gallon for over a year). So long as you can get them eating prepared foods and have at least some live rock to supplement their diet with pods, there shouldn’t be any issue. I’ve had probably ten scooter dragonets (both the standard and red, but not the ruby red) over the years, and every single one has readily eaten frozen and some even flakes or pellets. So, yes, it’s absolutely possible. I’ve had spotted mandarins readily eat frozen food (but never kept them in less than 29 gallons long term), so I imagine if you had one that ate frozen you could put it in a smaller tank. I think for all of them it’s important to have some live rock, or dry rock seeded with pods, but so long as they’re eating prepared foods, they should do just fine long term.

 

[SauceyReef]

I’ve never kept a mandarin long term in 20 gallons or less (I’ve done it short term and then moved them to a larger tank), but I’ve kept scooter dragonets in 10 gallon tanks long term (and in a five gallon for over a year). So long as you can get them eating prepared foods and have at least some live rock to supplement their diet with pods, there shouldn’t be any issue. I’ve had probably ten scooter dragonets (both the standard and red, but not the ruby red) over the years, and every single one has readily eaten frozen and some even flakes or pellets. So, yes, it’s absolutely possible. I’ve had spotted mandarins readily eat frozen food (but never kept them in less than 29 gallons long term), so I imagine if you had one that ate frozen you could put it in a smaller tank. I think for all of them it’s important to have some live rock, or dry rock seeded with pods, but so long as they’re eating prepared foods, they should do just fine long term.

I hear a lot more contradicting advice than agreeable stances on your side. I have never had either fish but most people claim even if eating frozen food they will starve without an ample pod population which can not be provided in such small tanks. That is why I hope more people chime in on the poll to hear more numerical data and real experiences! How long did the older scooters live in the 10 gallon? Curious if you have had 10 what was the demise of most of them?

 

[MaxTremors]

I hear a lot more contradicting advice than agreeable stances on your side. I have never had either fish but most people claim even if eating frozen food they will starve without an ample pod population which can not be provided in such small tanks. That is why I hope more people chime in on the poll to hear more numerical data and real experiences! How long did the older scooters live in the 10 gallon? Curious if you have had 10 what was the demise of most of them?

I’ve been in the hobby for a little over 20 years, and I’ve had at times 6 different tanks going at once. The longest lived scooter dragonet I’ve ever had was around 6 years (I think, it’s been around ten years since it died). But I’ve had a couple that lived 3-4 years too that apparently died of old age (there were no other obvious causes of death, both were fat and appeared healthy, over several months they just sort of slowed down and then died), one of these was in the ten gallon. The one in the ten gallon and the one that lived 6 years were both standards, and the other one that lived 3-4 years was a red (not ruby red). All of them were juveniles when I got them, so I can assume that however long I had them is close to their entire lifespan.

I’ve had a couple jump, one get eaten by an anemone, and there’s been a few over the years that I’ve gotten rid of after breaking down tanks or when I’ve noticed aggression and had nowhere else to put them. All of them ate prepared foods and were in reef tanks with live rock (none of it was dry, this year was the first time I’ve ever set up a tank that had dry rock in it). I think it’s important that their diet is supplemented with some pods/worms/microfauna, but I also think if they are eating prepared or frozen foods it is possible to keep them long term without.

Its also important to recognize that not all dragonet species take to prepared foods or are equally suited to life in an aquarium, and that it can depend on the individual. If I had to rank them in terms of most suitable/readily eats live food to least, it’d be standard scooter> red scooter>target/psychedelic mandarin>red or blue mandarin. I have not kept a Ruby Red (though plan on trying one soon). I have gotten a couple different target mandarins eating frozen foods, and one red (though the red would just eat a piece here or there, there wasn’t a big or noticeable feeding response).

Again, I’ve never had a scooter dragonet (standard or red) not eat prepared foods, IME they are far better suited to a smaller tank than mandarins. All that said, I would only recommend a scooter in a smaller tank to advanced/experienced hobbyists,

 

[Saltyanimals]

Manny's and reds scooters are in the same dragonette family, but does anyone know if their skin types are actually the same? I'm asking from the perspective that mannys have a thick slime coat which generally protects them from diseases thus worth the risk and not QT. I have a scooter that has been in QT for 7 days and not looking great. I think it's still alive because I'm throwing DT chaeto into QT every few days hoping to get pods in it. Trying to make a judgement call if it's worth the risk to move him earlier and not risk the DT fish. Skin experts anyone? =)

 

[Jekyl]

2 years is nothing. Benchmark should be 10+. Not a fan at all of training them to eat prepared food. Better to pick fish that suit your tank.