Mandarin Goby in a 20G ?

I've had this 20g up and running for about 6 months and I have had an ocellaris clown for about 5 months untill he jumped out of the tank last night... I went to the LFS today to see about replacing it and I was thinking about getting a mandarin goby. I have a 2" sand bed with 30lbs of live rock and pods are everywhere they dont even wait for the light to go out. I dont have anything else in the tank right now so there wont be any problems there. Any thoughts good or bad??

 

I would think that the mandarin would eat the pods faster than they could reproduce and eventually starve.

 

I agree 100%


Jason

 

You would need a refugium or sump where the pods would multiply and slowly furnish the tank with pods.. After you set the refugium up I would a good six months or more.

 

My problem with that Idea is there is usually a pump between the Fug and the main system. That would elliminate all pods as a food source for a Mandarin.
Plus you would need a 50G or so Fug


J

 

What are the chances of getting the goby to eat other foods? frozen vitamin enriched or how can you get a supply of live black worms like one web site suggested? Would it be worth it?

Jim

 

I've read that they are carnivorous, they wont eat plankton or small shrimp?? I wouldn't think that they solely feed on pods.

 

Very very few mandarin gobies eat frozen mysis, cyclopeeze, or brine but they are hard to find and usally extra pricey. Would not take a LFS word on it either I would want to see it in person. That would be your best chance at keeping one in a small tank.

 

before i had a refugium, none of the manderins i bought would last. i would always buy the nicest, most colorful, biggest, and fattest looking ones,still they would die.
now i bought one that was real cheap, i didnt think he would last cause he was small and looked real skinny. here we are months later and he's even eating frozen. i go to a LFS once a week and get live brine just to make sure he gets food.

so, i agree you should have a fuge. and i also have a pump in between my tank and fuge and even a uv sterilizer and the pods still get through.

 

A rule of thumb is at least 90 lbs of live rock and the tank needs to be at least 18 mos. old for a dragonet to have a chance