Mandarin dragonet tank size....

aw1447, i see the point of your thread. showing that it is not so impossible to keep a mandarin in a smaller tank.

But i feel this type of thread will do more damage than good. Many people who will do a search now will come across this thread and see people saying how its easy to care for a mandarin, and "they dont eat that many pods" these types of comments will stick out to new aquarists and will quickly add these delicate beauties to newly established tanks.

IME adding a mandarin to a smaller un matured tank is about as equal as to sticking a achilles tang in a 30 gallon. Sure they will live, they will eat. but not long term or happily.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I'm just about to start saltwater I wouldn't keep anything fancy like a dragonet for a long time I'm just trying to plan long term.

 

The new issue of Coral magazine has a big article on dragonets.

If you download Coral's free app, you can get the issues free on your phone. I'm not sure how long the delay is before Coral makes the issue available on the app, because it is not up yet.

I enjoyed how the article basically says many reefers have a poor attitude towards mandarin dragonets as they just throw them in their tank, make no effort to feed, and hope the tank produces enough food on its own for the fish. The article stresses feeding and says you can keep these fish successfully in fairly small aquariums. I also found it interesting that the article compared these fish to seahorses/pipe fish in that they should be kept in lower flow tanks.

 

Thanks, that was a great article.

 

I have a 40 with no refugium with a mandy.

 

Haha yeah I'll see him peck a few off the glass every now and then.. But hes mostly swimming in open water, not constantly prowling around like my mandarin does. Funny how difference fish of the same species have different preferences.

 

But thats my point exactly.. I am saying its easy to care for, because it is lol. Yes, wait a few months before you add one, but aside from adding pods twice along with having little pod piles built I don't do anyyything for him. I'm not encouraging people to put mandarins in brand spankin new tanks, thats not what I said at all. I hope people do search and see this thread, and maybe give them a little encouragement that it CAN be done. Like you said, its not impossible.

 

Good idea. I think its funny how people see them as a really fancy fish, and yet its one of the cheapest fish in the hobby haha.

 

Hey aw, I was searching on mandarins and saw your thread here. Have you kept your mandarin long term?

 

Sure have. I've had the same lil guy for around a year and a half now.