Mandarin dragonette (or an angel)

Ok, so I've been thinking of going from easier fish (ex. clowns, cardinals, dartfish) to a bit harder fish, and I've got the mandarin dragonette on my mind. I'd like to see what the community thinks about my readiness.
I have this equipment: 14 gallon aquarium (cycled, well established)
filter(of course)
heater
copepods/ amphipods
I have this experience (not that all of this lasted long)
Dwarf angel (6 days, because my lfs didn't remember we might need to work on our red algae)
Seahorses (one lived for 4 months)
Firefish (hated me until the day it died)
Ocellaris clownfish
2 banggai cardinals (first one died due to heater dying on us)
2 gobies (one killed the other)
Damsels (evillll....)
I know I probably look like an idiot, (I'm working on equipment right now) but I have learned from this experience. I have coral and live rock, which has happily been taken over by taro tree coral, other than a couple colony polyps. (I am working on getting a protein skimmer, a UV sterilizer (maybe), and a phosban reactor. I might get an angel instead though. I just don't know that we could kill off that red slime...

 

Any takers?

 

Mandarian are difficult to keep becuase of their food requirements. Now it is known that there are places that have gobies that have learned to accept Mysis so if you are going to go this route I would suggest looking for that. Otherwise keeping your tank populated with PODs could get expensive..

Angels even dwarf are not exactly advisable in a reef tank, not sure if you have coral or not. The are labeled as use with caution. They have been known to nip and anything.. Besides I dont know if I would put one in a 14 gallon tank.

Of course this is all just opinion

Good luck

 

I know, I would need to stock with pods, but there have been times when my fish are hard to see with all the pods. All the lfs in my area carry pods relatively cheaply. So how many pods do you think I would need?

 

I vote nay.
I suppose you could keep one alive if you bought pods twice a week but...
You really should think about getting a bigger system in my opinion.

 

I think your tank is way too small for either fish. You may have a good pod population for your tank, but your tank is only 14 gallons. Theres not enough hunting room for a mandarin and not enough swimming room for a dwarf angel. From reading your post, I take it that right now you have one clown, one cardinal, one goby, and damsels? You are fully stocked already if that is the case. I don't want to burst your bubble, but its really not fair to the fish.

 

Ok. I have been trying to find a good deal on a bigger system lately. I have been looking for a 55 gallon tank. Anyone know where I can find a good price? I know I can't get a good price, since this is still saltwater. Just trying to size up here.
Thanks for all the help!

 

Oh and Annie, I sold the goby and damsels back to the lfs, as they kept picking on my clown and banggai.

 

Karma to you all!

 

Your system is definitely too small, and you need a ton of established live rock to keep a mandarin healthy.