Ruby Red Dragonette vs. Mandarin

[joro]

I'm in the process of setting up / cycling a Reefer 170 (34 display gallons, 43 total gallons) and originally had a Mandarin as one of my "must haves." I was looking around today online and came across they Ruby Red Dragonettes which were absolutely beautiful and apparently - from what I read - a little easier to get feeding frozen foods vs the Mandarins. Any thoughts or experiences with this species that you can share?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

yup. easy. get a very good pod Pop going just like a Mandy.

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

If you can find an ORA Mandarin, that would be the best route IMO. They apparently are already taken frozen and possibly pellet food, and you can buy them in pairs. But if you're sold on the Ruby, I'd make sure you have a significant pod population until you can wean them to frozen.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I have had Ruby Reds. They ate anything. Unfortunately I lost them, but not for eating or disease. I sort of, well, made mistakes at water changes and not covering tanks right. They were in nano and picos. My bad. They are gorgeous though.

I had one for over a year. But they come in full grown and I am not sure what life expectancy is. Good luck!

 

[joro]

If you can find an ORA Mandarin, that would be the best route IMO. They apparently are already taken frozen and possibly pellet food, and you can buy them in pairs. But if you're sold on the Ruby, I'd make sure you have a significant pod population until you can wean them to frozen.

Interesting, I don't recall seeing that ORA bred Mandarins but do see it now that I'm Googling :p Do you think a pair of those (or for that matter the Ruby Reds) would be too much in the Reefer 170? I much prefer the fish to coral and was thinking maybe a pair of clowns (TBD) and maybe a fire fish in addition?

 

[Nibejeebies]

Sustainable aquatics has captive bred mandarins as well, Some times. They don't always have them but that's where I got mine; specifically at the first link, which is literately just down the road (less than 1/4 a mile) from the hatchery.
http://www.coralreeftn.com/
-or-
http://sustainableaquatics.com/

My mandarin will eat frozen mysis as long as the pumps are off and he has a bit of time to think about it, however I do have swarms of pods, and I add a "booster pack" of 100-300 every other month.
I recently saw the beauty of the red scooter dragonett (also called ruby red) and I was taken away by how amazing they look.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Good luck finding the female of the pair. I tried for over a year. Mostly locally though. Ruby Reds are very small and mandarins comparatively are much larger, so which ever will fit better.

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

Interesting, I don't recall seeing that ORA bred Mandarins but do see it now that I'm Googling :p Do you think a pair of those (or for that matter the Ruby Reds) would be too much in the Reefer 170? I much prefer the fish to coral and was thinking maybe a pair of clowns (TBD) and maybe a fire fish in addition?

Yeah, I wouldn't see it as an issue. Just make sure they are all eating well.