mandarin goby care level

[sascoaquatics]

i have been researching about mandarin goby, wondering how hard it is to have one in a reef tank as from what i understand they are hardy just have dietary issues? i will be having a few wrasses aswell as i know they affect copepod amount? just to check aswell they wont upset coral, as i understand they are reefsafe

 

[Paul B]

They are very reef safe and one of the easiest fish to keep. "IF" your tank is mature enough and not cleaned to death. If you have a newish tank with white rocks, don't get a mandarin.

 

[Fish Fan]

I might suggest trying a captive raised Mandarin from Biota, these fish are reported to eat much more than just copepods, and often are a better choice than wild caught Mandarins.

Mandarin Fish

Synchiropus splendidus-Biota’s captive-bred mandarins are incredibly beautiful in coloration and readily feed on prepared diets. Wild caught mandarins are poor aquarium inhabitants and an overwhelming number die in the aquarium trade each year even in ideal conditions. Since mandarins are a...

shop.thebiotagroup.com

good luck!

 

[twentyleagues]

Make sure you have a good population of pods. Even captive bred ones will gravitate towards live feeds over dry or frozen. Tank size and rock (amount?) will also play a factor in being able to provide enough pods especially with other pod predators. Mandarins have a short digestive tract and need to eat most of the day and will hunt pods 90% of the time they are awake. It is not impossible to keep them I have had a few in my day, back then there were no captive bred options as long as you have a mature reef with a fuge youll have pods. All but one of mine I had would eat frozen eventually as well. You have to realize though if they eat prepared foods this will be in addition to live foods and will not support them alone.