getting another mandarin

Marine Ornamental Fish & Invert Breeders Association • View topic - Dragonettes & Mandarinfish Breeding/Spawning Overview

 

I just ordered one for my 26g

 

I will pray for it. Maybe it will help.:-/

 

i will pray with you vinny

 

If I had any doubt that I could care or provide proper husbandry for a fish, I just would not do it. I just do not get this mentality " I can push the envelop, I will be the exception". People post that they have kept them for 6 month or a year and it's a total success, nope. The vast majority of those never post that the fish died or if they do it's " he was fat and eating I have no idea what happened".
Tons of information out there regarding keeping Mandarins and few heed it, amazing.

 

Hmmm if it wasn't for those who have "pushed the envelope" we wouldn't be keeping salt water tanks period. We are not talking about a wild caught fish. We are talking about a captive bread, aquacultured fish. Totally different! These fish have been bread and raised on prepared foods. Not because they are endangered! But only because people love and want to keep this fish! Yes I personally have spent the last 3 years researching the Mandarin Dragonet. I've waited that long! Today because someone pushed the envelope I can keep one, successfully!

 

Nana this Mandarin envelop has been pushed for 30 years. This is not some break threw fish. Granted you stand a much better chance with a captive but reduce your chances in a small reef tank.
I wish you nothing but success.

 

I think nana will be perfectly fine. I do not know why everyone on this site is so anti mandarin.

 

If you look at tanks where Mandarins live long term, those tanks are not small pristine reef tanks, those tanks have algae, good places for pods to harbor. No one is anti-mandarin just pro fish. Take a gander at the breeding site link I provided a lot of those tanks have substantial algae growth, not the types of tanks that promote growth and health of stony corals. If you want to take the challenge of keeping a Mandarin in a small reef tank you should at least know what your in for. Hence the reason people post their personal experiences with the fish, just honesty.

 

My tank is anything but pristine Algae free though she may be, but only because my 3.3g fuge is loaded with cheato and a ton-o-pods! My tank is also full of Pukani which is a very porous *holey* rock As for size I know a 2 1/2-3" fish will have plenty of room to flutter around