Mandarin gobies

[Rich-n-poor]

OK, I know some of you have some beautiful mandarians and I would like some information.

First what fish would compete with the mandarin for pods and should therefore be avoided ?

Is it concievable to keep a dottyback in the same tank as a mandarin ?

what is the minimum size you have a mandarin in ?

How many of you who have mandarins also have refugiums ?

thx rich
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Airgun Designs

 

[peregrine]

I've been told that Six Line Wrasses will out compete the Mandarins. They will eat the same pods and worms that the Mandarins eat and they'er a lot faster.

 

[EmilyB]

About 200lbs of live rock, one mandarin (synchiropus picturatus) - (they are not gobies btw...but dragonets), it is also eating homemade food, quite gregariously.

Dottybacks, in general, are just plain evil :evil: and will attack and harass fish of similar body shape.

 

[fishfarmer]

Is it concievable to keep a dottyback in the same tank as a mandarin ?

Don't do it. Granted my experience with a purple dottyback and mandarin was in a small tank, 38 gal. The mandarin had been in there for a while and was eating frozen foods and doing great. I wanted another fish, preferably colorful and captive bred that would eat prepared foods. I chose the dottyback. It was a very efficient hunder of pods. It always had a full belly and harrassed the mandarin when she would be trying to eat. Eventually I was able to remove the dottyback and the mandarin was able to eat in peace.

I also had a coral beauty in the same tank which did fine with both fish. I also had a percula clown in there at one point without problems. I never had more than three fish at a time in this tank.

 

[ReefLion]

I have a green mandarin in a 40 gallon tank, which is supported by a 200 gallon sump system including a DSB and maybe 120-150 pounds of rock. There is an additional 20-30 pounds of rock in the display tank. The mandarin seems to be doing well.

There are two ocellaris clowns that compete somewhat for amphipods, but are otherwise fine. I had two yellow-tailed damsels for a short time, which I had to remove because they would pester the mandarin.

I've had a six-line wrasse in the past and it was a very, very efficient hunter. I would not put one in with any mandarin. I generally would try to avoid any small fish having a pointed mouth designed to get at things in crevices.

Tim

 

[ChrisIsBored]

I'm kinda curious at the success of a mandarin in smaller sized tanks.

If anyone has Scott Michael's pocket reference handy, turn to page 340 he recommends a minimum 20G tank. 8O

When I finally have my 200G tank setup I'm hoping one of these guys will be one of my first fish (after it's been up for a few months). And for now I have a custom built refugium underneath that's 36" long X 16" wide and it's covered in all sorts of life. Every square inch has at least 5-10 pods.

It's so tempting but i'm not sure how long it'll be before the big tank is up and running so i'll probably have to pass.

 

[Anonymous]

OK, I know some of you have some beautiful mandarians and I would like some information.

First what fish would compete with the mandarin for pods and should therefore be avoided ?

Is it concievable to keep a dottyback in the same tank as a mandarin ?

what is the minimum size you have a mandarin in ?

How many of you who have mandarins also have refugiums ?

thx rich

I would not keep any wrasses with a mandarin, with the exception of the flasher wrasses.

I had an Orchid dottyback with my mandarin and they never noticed each other. The Dottyback disapeared recently, I think I have a mantis shrimp

I have mine in a 155 gallon, with a refugium.


I also have a 55 gallon, unskimed tank with a DSB that has a mandarin, she is always fat, but I rarely see a single pod in there, I think it is just on the verge of having it's pod resources depleted.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

Emily wrote:

Dottybacks, in general, are just plain evil and will attack and harass fish of similar body shape.

personally I love my dottyback, but it is a ferocius eater, it will steal large chucks of frozen foods right out of the mists of my coral beauty and percs and quickly retreat with it into one of the many crevices.

I seem to have no shortage of pods in what is a relatively small tank 37 gallons, and Im wondering if I can keep the dotty when i make the transition to the larger tank i am buying 120-180 gallon range.

perhaps you can help with the name of the dotty. It has a yellow stripe down its back, which is bordered by blue which quickly fades to grey. I want to say fermandi's dotty for some reason but am not sure
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Mercedes OC500LE

 

[EmilyB]

Flavivertex maybe ? You might find it here, I'm looking for my magazine with a great article on dottybacks.