Theoretical help: Mandarin Dragonet

[_cpate3_]

Say I were to have a Fluval 13.5 with 2 clownfish and a shrimp goby pair. Also, say I attached a refugium on the back of the tank to take care of pods. And ALSO say that I got a biota Mandarin that feeds on pellets. Would it be feasible in a 6 month old aquarium with an already high bioload?

If not how would I go about keeping one of these gorgeous creatures? Wait until I upgrade the fluval then put the mandarin in the old fluval? set up a new 10 gallon tank for a biota mandarin and a refugium? This is one of my dream fish and I am planning out the best way to keep one of these beauties!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Say I were to have a Fluval 13.5 with 2 clownfish and a shrimp goby pair. Also, say I attached a refugium on the back of the tank to take care of pods. And ALSO say that I got a biota Mandarin that feeds on pellets. Would it be feasible in a 6 month old aquarium with an already high bioload?

If not how would I go about keeping one of these gorgeous creatures? Wait until I upgrade the fluval then put the mandarin in the old fluval? set up a new 10 gallon tank for a biota mandarin and a refugium? This is one of my dream fish and I am planning out the best way to keep one of these beauties!

Even captive bred mandarins need to have food available all the time (pods). The fact that Biota trains theirs on pellets is great but some fish revert back to only eating pods, and others don't eat pellets consistently. I have a pair and one eats pellets (on occasion) and the other one doesn't (or does so in secret). But they graze all day on pods.

So my answer to you is, buy captive bred because that's the right thing to do, but don't rely on them getting all their nutritional needs met by feeding pellets once or twice a day.

Also, having them in a small tank with other fish may limit the amount of pods available to the mandarin... you may need to replenish the supply frequently.

Personally, given the options you listed, I wouldn't add one to the tank with the clowns/goby. If you get a refugium going on that current clown tank and then later move those fish to a new system, then your 13.5 gallon will be better able to meet the needs of a mandarin. Since it's so small, plan to have lots of rock (possibly more than you'd otherwise use) in the mandarin tank for pods to colonize.

That's my 2 cents

 

[_cpate3_]

Even captive bred mandarins need to have food available all the time (pods). The fact that Biota trains theirs on pellets is great but some fish revert back to only eating pods, and others don't eat pellets consistently. I have a pair and one eats pellets (on occasion) and the other one doesn't (or does so in secret). But they graze all day on pods.

So my answer to you is, buy captive bred because that's the right thing to do, but don't rely on them getting all their nutritional needs met by feeding pellets once or twice a day.

Also, having them in a small tank with other fish may limit the amount of pods available to the mandarin... you may need to replenish the supply frequently.

Personally, given the options you listed, I wouldn't add one to the tank with the clowns/goby. If you get a refugium going on that current clown tank and then later move those fish to a new system, then your 13.5 gallon will be better able to meet the needs of a mandarin. Since it's so small, plan to have lots of rock (possibly more than you'd otherwise use) in the mandarin tank for pods to colonize.

That's my 2 cents

The problem is I’m in college so setting up a larger tank is kinda impossible. If I set up a small tank right now for JUST a single female (because they stay smaller) biota mandarin with lots of rock and a refugium and not touch the tank to let the refugium populate pods for a month or 2 with nothing but a small CUC would that be a good plan? Obviously I am prepared to add pods periodically to seed the tank, but if I had just a box of water with rocks and copepods for a few months would that be ok to add a mandarin too?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The problem is I’m in college so setting up a larger tank is kinda impossible. If I set up a small tank right now for JUST a single female (because they stay smaller) biota mandarin with lots of rock and a refugium and not touch the tank to let the refugium populate pods for a month or 2 with nothing but a small CUC would that be a good plan? Obviously I am prepared to add pods periodically to seed the tank, but if I had just a box of water with rocks and copepods for a few months would that be ok to add a mandarin too?

It's not ideal, but you're certainly welcome to try.

 

[TokenReefer]

I will say that watching one starve is heartbreaking. I tried a biota that was advertised as eating pellets. Didn't take chances and setup a hob refugium on a slightly larger system. Upgraded a few months later with a proper sump and refugium. He was fine for a bit but stopped eating. Not saying I did it all perfectly but... I want a ruby dragonette atm and think I'm more ready to accommodate but I'm very hesitant because of my past exp. Beautiful fish. I wish you luck if you do

 

[Rugops]

The problem is I’m in college so setting up a larger tank is kinda impossible. If I set up a small tank right now for JUST a single female (because they stay smaller) biota mandarin with lots of rock and a refugium and not touch the tank to let the refugium populate pods for a month or 2 with nothing but a small CUC would that be a good plan? Obviously I am prepared to add pods periodically to seed the tank, but if I had just a box of water with rocks and copepods for a few months would that be ok to add a mandarin too?

If you want a larger population of pods, you might want to feed more. At least set up a refugium.

The dosing pods (if you buy them from a LFS) empties out the wallet real quick. I am also a college student and its a real pain to buy supplies sometimes but its worth it.

The box with rocks could be how you culture them although there are smaller scale options as well.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

I will say that watching one starve is heartbreaking. I tried a biota that was advertised as eating pellets. Didn't take chances and setup a hob refugium on a slightly larger system. Upgraded a few months later with a proper sump and refugium. He was fine for a bit but stopped eating. Not saying I did it all perfectly but... I want a ruby dragonette atm and think I'm more ready to accommodate but I'm very hesitant because of my past exp. Beautiful fish. I wish you luck if you do

I would definitely try a ruby to get comfortable with the dragonets again, I’ve personally never had issues with them other than accidentally squishing one while moving rocks in his tank

They’re amazing eaters and like 90% of the ones I’ve had in store move to frozen within a week of arriving (obviously will still happily graze on pods as well). They are much hardier and easier than mandarins, in my experience at least.
They won’t complain about larger frozen foods like adult brine and mysis shrimp either, but are crazy for frozen baby brine and daphnia or similar sized foods of course.

 

[_cpate3_]

I would definitely try a ruby to get comfortable with the dragonets again, I’ve personally never had issues with them other than accidentally squishing one while moving rocks in his tank

They’re amazing eaters and like 90% of the ones I’ve had in store move to frozen within a week of arriving (obviously will still happily graze on pods as well). They are much hardier and easier than mandarins, in my experience at least.
They won’t complain about larger frozen foods like adult brine and mysis shrimp either, but are crazy for frozen baby brine and daphnia or similar sized foods of course.

That’s good to hear!!! Maybe I should do a ruby instead of a mandarin given my situation?

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

That’s good to hear!!! Maybe I should do a ruby instead of a mandarin given my situation?

I would highly recommend a ruby or ocellated dragonet instead for your tank, and when you’re able to upgrade that’s when I’d get into mandarins. Its hard with them with anything less than a 40gal tank worth of established substrate/rock (ours is also connected to a 90gal system altogether with sump and tanks above it). I’ve still had mandarins manage to clear that tank out over a couple weeks, and 20gals can only support one for a week or less max before all of the pods are completely diminished and it needs to be moved into a better supply.

Ruby’s are so small that they don’t even touch the pod population in my 40gal, and the 20gals they’re set up for months. Id say a 10 will have enough for them for a long time especially once it’s eating frozen.

I will note that it would be best to get any species of dragonet in person at a local fish store (I go to locally owned businesses/breeders if I want high quality) and ask an employee if they can feed it for you before you buy it. When ordering online you cant see if it’s eating well or established yet. If you ever get a dragonet, set yourself up for success and look for good activity/coloration, alert and consistently picking at rocks around them, and then watching it eat frozen food ideally. Also look for a rounded belly, if its sunken in avoid it until its healthier.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

That’s good to hear!!! Maybe I should do a ruby instead of a mandarin given my situation?

The brown ones are cute too, and often easier to find