Mandarin Dragonet staying in same area

[steallife904]

Hello, got a mandarin dragonet 2 days ago. Since going into the tank he has pretty much stuck to the same little area he swam to when i put him in. He is swimming around picking at rocks and flashing his spine up from time to time. Is this normal? Is he just getting use to the tank still? Tank is nearly 4 years old, i have stocked it with copepods before and levels are all where they should be. He was acclimated for 2 hours and i haven't seen anyone bothering him in tank.

 

[Sean Duggan]

I have a target mandarin that was added to my tank 4 weeks ago. The first week or so he pretty much only hid under one of my frag racks and one neighboring rock. I observed him picking at pods so left him be. After that first week he started exploring all the rock caves and hunting throughout the day. Now I can barely ever find him in the tank unless I just happen to see him among the rock work. I’d say he’s still adjusting and getting use to his new surroundings. If he’s picking at rocks I’d say there’s not much to worry about.

 

[Jesterrace]

As long as he is moving in and around the rockwork he should be okay. Watch the belly as if they are underfed they will develop a dent in the belly area and it needs to be addressed ASAP.