Trying to pair my mandarin,should i move my smaller female?

FreeEnergyReefer

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I've had a green mandarin for a year now he was barely a spec when I got him now I love him so naturally i decide to get him a girlfriend. Paired my clowns first then my ywg's now seems I've hit the first bump in the road. They didnt fight at first but after a day the male seems to keep intimidating the small female into staying in the caves and doesn't want her to hunt pods in the open I dont want her to starve. It's been 5days she hardly ever comes out of hiding and when she does if he sees he nips at her and she runs in a cave. What should I do: take her back to the lfs and wait for a female more his size? She's about 3/4 of an inch and hes almost 3in.
 

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Wow 3/4" vs 3" that's a huge difference. I think @OrionN is big into dragonettes, might have advice for you
 

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I've had a green mandarin for a year now he was barely a spec when I got him now I love him so naturally i decide to get him a girlfriend. Paired my clowns first then my ywg's now seems I've hit the first bump in the road. They didnt fight at first but after a day the male seems to keep intimidating the small female into staying in the caves and doesn't want her to hunt pods in the open I dont want her to starve. It's been 5days she hardly ever comes out of hiding and when she does if he sees he nips at her and she runs in a cave. What should I do: take her back to the lfs and wait for a female more his size? She's about 3/4 of an inch and hes almost 3in.
When they fight, they really fight, like one will not survive for 2 or 3 days even in my 320 or 420 gal DT. I think your's will be fine.
However, keep in mind, 75 gal tank is a little small for 1 pair. Unless you really take special care to provide for them, they will not get enough to eat. They actually feed along rock crevices or crack of the rock so your female will have plenty of opportunity to eat.
What you tell me, seem to be courting behavior of the male to the female. Does he flare all is fins when you see interaction between the two?
My female stay in the rock work and rarely come out. I get glimpse of her now and then, other than when they spawned. My male is our and about display all the time.

In a 75 gal tank, you must make sure that you don't have food competitors of mandarin in it. No angels, certain genus of wrasses (Lined wrasse, Leopards, Tamarin...) need to be avoid or else the mandarin will not get enough food. Fairy and Flashers are OK.
What are your fishes in that tank?
 
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Oh my god, Thankyou, What a relief, I was so worried about the female. Yes be flares his fins and walks circles around her always sometimes only when she comes out of his cave does he nip at her. I have a 75g with a 75g refugium and a 55g sump. Theres soo many pods all over the back glass in the morning and on the rocks is why I got the female.My male has been eating fauna Marin lps pellets I feed my corals idk if he eating frozen yet. The fish in the 75 are 4 clowns 2 yellow watchman gobies 2 mandarins 1 fire shrimp 1 pistol shrimp and snails. I see her more yesterday hopefully she comes out and eats more it just seem like she a little scared
 
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I had a 6line wrasse in the tank but I moved him to my sump cause he eat so many pods his belly stretched out everyday and he dont stop eating so I moved him out
 

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Be careful with that Sixline. I used to have a Sixline pair and a Mandarin pair in. 420 gal DT. All were doing well together for well over 1 year. On day the Sixline pair attacked. They acts in tandem. One peck out the R eye and the other peck out the L eye of my female Mandarin. All of this happened in a few seconds right in front of me. I forgot how I got the Sixline out the tank but I was able to do it that day.
I really contemplated flushing them but they went back to the LFS and my fat female Mandarin became emaciated after a few weeks and I euthanized her.
Now no Sixline go into my tank unless it is over my VERY DEAD BODY. I think I would re animated to prevent this if I can.
 

ThRoewer

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Mandarins and Sixlines (and likely also Fourlines P. tetraenia) don't get along and like @OrionN described, the Mandarins are usually the ones on the loosing end of the fight.
It's a shame because I like those little devils...
 
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OMG! Idk it would have been hard not to flush them after that. So sorry.I read they didnt get along and after the first week I moved the 6line to the refugium I'd like to find him a good home cause he's just a baby maybe 1/2in long and beautiful.
 

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When they fight, they really fight, like one will not survive for 2 or 3 days even in my 320 or 420 gal DT. I think your's will be fine.
However, keep in mind, 75 gal tank is a little small for 1 pair. Unless you really take special care to provide for them, they will not get enough to eat. They actually feed along rock crevices or crack of the rock so your female will have plenty of opportunity to eat.
What you tell me, seem to be courting behavior of the male to the female. Does he flare all is fins when you see interaction between the two?
My female stay in the rock work and rarely come out. I get glimpse of her now and then, other than when they spawned. My male is our and about display all the time.

In a 75 gal tank, you must make sure that you don't have food competitors of mandarin in it. No angels, certain genus of wrasses (Lined wrasse, Leopards, Tamarin...) need to be avoid or else the mandarin will not get enough food. Fairy and Flashers are OK.
What are your fishes in that tank?
I saw their mating ritual in a documentary. Apparently it’s a violent relationship like that.
 

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