Tips on caring for spotted mandarin Dragonetts

[Dilan Patel]

Hey guys so I decided when I get back in town I want to get a spotted mandarin goby. But im trying to decide if I want two or stick with one. I want two because I think it would be cool to have a pair of them spawn in my tank. Are they hemaphrodites? Or would I have to buy an already bonded pair? Or would I have to sex them while in the store and hope for the best lol. Any other tips on care would be great haven't had a spotted one before...kept a green mandarine when I FIRST started out and it did well but disappeared in my "bermuda triangle".

 

[Eva Rose]

Buy a male/female bonded pair. 2 males will injure each other or fight to death. Females will beat on/bully a male they don’t accept.
In spotted mandarins the male’s mast is not as pronounced as the blue or red mandarin males who have a longer mast. Also always check carefully. A male’s mast can be clipped off during capture, fights with fish etc.
Also getting a pair depends on your tank size & pod population. You want to make sure you can sustain the mandarin’s (or mandarins’ ) pod requirements.

Pic of male spotted
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/spotted-mandarin-sexing.573921/#post-5867312

 

[Dilan Patel]

I have a 180 gallon tank thats been set up for awhile so pods and stuff not really an issue. It was just my ability to sex them. So I guess I will try and get my hands on a bonded pair.

 

[Fishy212]

Get your pod population established first and hopefully you can train your new mandarin to eat frozen foods / pellets / flakes. Mine ate frozen brine within 3 days, was an unexpected surprise!

try to do a wysiwyg kind of thing where you know they are male / female and get along fine.

 

[Eva Rose]

I think you would be happiest doing that. I read an article that when adding a male mandarin - to add one substantially larger than the female. Article said female mandarins could be brutal to males they do not accept & often don’t accept a small male (or one only slightly bigger than the female).

I tried adding a much larger male spotted to my tiny female & she relentlessly chased him around the tank. I had to rehome him.

Post pics once you acquire a pair - I love seeing mandarin pairs.