Madarin dragonet

reefertanker · Oct 12, 2021

Hello about a month and a half ago I got a mandarin to control my amphipod population and was told I wouldn’t have him long. He doesn’t eat anything but copepods and he will suck your tank dry. Those 3 things are all an opinion. Let’s start by saying he eats flakes, dried brine shrimp, dried mysis shrimp, and also copepods/amphipods. In addition I still have plenty of copepodes and amphipods I thought a bought getting a second dragnet. Just for those who aren’t so sure about mandarins they are cool and fairly easy to care for.

reefertanker · Oct 12, 2021

I will also add I have him in a 30 gallon reef tank with a 12 gallon sump/refugium.

olonmv · Oct 12, 2021

I was spooked in a similar manner. Bought a mandarin and his lateral line was starting to show. I was told by several that he wouldn’t make it past a month. Goin into month 3 and he’s fattened up a little and hunts all day and eats fine at feeding time. He eats just about anything frozen….currently feeding my tank reef frenzy and he try’s to chase down food when flow is on. Of course I shut it off when my a-ho cleaner shrimp stops tryna steal food from everyone. Mines in a 13.5 evo.

blaxsun · Oct 12, 2021

If you've got them eating frozen (calanus, brine, mysis, etc.) then you're probably ok. A single mandarin can basically wipe the pods from a 50-gallon tank in no time flat, so if you'd had your mandarin for months in an under 50-gallon tank I think it's safe to say he's not surviving solely on the copepod population.

reefertanker · Oct 12, 2021

olonmv said:
I was spooked in a similar manner. Bought a mandarin and his lateral line was starting to show. I was told by several that he wouldn’t make it past a month. Goin into month 3 and he’s fattened up a little and hunts all day and eats fine at feeding time. He eats just about anything frozen….currently feeding my tank reef frenzy and he try’s to chase down food when flow is on. Of course I shut it off when my a-ho cleaner shrimp stops tryna steal food from everyone. Mines in a 13.5 evo.

There was not very many posts about them lasting in tanks so I was very nervous considering I have only 30gal for him so that’s why I made the post for future mandarin owners

blaxsun said:
If you've got them eating frozen (calanus, brine, mysis, etc.) then you're probably ok. A single mandarin can basically wipe the pods from a 50-gallon tank in no time flat, so if you'd had your mandarin for months in an under 50-gallon tank I think it's safe to say he's not surviving solely on the copepod population.

Yes eats during feeding time which I will say I didn’t see him do for the first 2-3 weeks but recently I’ve seen him eat all that I’ve named.

Spare time · Oct 12, 2021

reefertanker said:
Hello about a month and a half ago I got a mandarin to control my amphipod population and was told I wouldn’t have him long. He doesn’t eat anything but copepods and he will suck your tank dry. Those 3 things are all an opinion. Let’s start by saying he eats flakes, dried brine shrimp, dried mysis shrimp, and also copepods/amphipods. In addition I still have plenty of copepodes and amphipods I thought a bought getting a second dragnet. Just for those who aren’t so sure about mandarins they are cool and fairly easy to care for.

Honestly it really depends on the individual and species. Your experience does not represent all or likely the majority of dragonettes in the trade. I love that yours eats the flakes. I mostly feed flakes to my tank

davidcalgary29 · Oct 12, 2021

I think the general cautions about these fish are probably warranted. Some mandarins appear to successfully transition to other types of food, but it doesn't appear to be a widespread phenomenon. I happen to have one that did accept msysis and grindal worms, but I was ready to move it into another tank with a healthy pod population after it ate everything in its own. As it is, it's been sharing an Evo with two orchid dottybacks for the past six months.