Hybrid Dragonet Pair

[DaveedDM]

aww that's so sad that the female passed away :(

[xxleonxxx]

sad, so sad aboud fan accident. could a tell u was a nice and sentimental video. there are not just bugs, they have feeling, like pistol shirmps and gobys.

:P

[28GallonBowfront]

ORA is releasing their spotted mandarins that except frozen/prepared foods tomorrow. They are $100. Im having one shipped to me and should have it by saturday.

[ryuge]

@28GallonBowfront Good to know!  Thx for the update.

[28GallonBowfront]

@ryuge Yeah the store owner said that the green mandarins arnt out yet and doesnt know when they will be released.

[28GallonBowfront]

@ryuge Hey so i have a male ORA spotted mandarin and hes fat and happy. Do you think it would be alright with a female ORA blue mandarin?

[ryuge]

@28GallonBowfront : They should be fine. Remember to keep them from jumping out - I learned my lesson the hard way!

[28GallonBowfront]

wait my bad ignore that last comment. ahaha i read the wrong comment. does fins and friends ship fish?

[ryuge]

@28GallonBowfront I don't know, doubt it. But it looks like you got your answer above, kudos!

[28GallonBowfront]

@ryuge Yeah i got the spotted mandarin and its a male but hes small! only like 1.25 inch. he ate some pellets and frozen brine/mysis shrimp. Just incase, i am putting a bottle of 3,000 copepods in my tank every month or so just to make sure he eats something

[ryuge]

@28GallonBowfront Very cool! Sounds like a great purchase. Regards, ryuge.

[28GallonBowfront]

@ryuge Yeah he really likes ROD's fish eggs food mixed with pellets.

[RaffleReefer10]

@ryuge can you make a update and did they lay eggs?

[ryuge]

@RaffleReefer10 :

If you look at this thread, I posted the following 4 months ago:

Words of caution on Mandarins: Leave the lid closed! I had a fan to blowing on the surface to keep it cool, and the female jumped out! Only male left now. :(

[ryuge]

@odst93 - Only 28 gallons.

[28GallonBowfront]

Do you know anyplace where you can buy green mandarins that are tank raised or are trained to eat prepared foods?

[ryuge]

@28GallonBowfront - Fins and Friends in Phoenix.

[charzarg]

I have a mandarin fish but he rareley ever shows his beautiful face :( I do wish he came out more, he really is beautiful :)

[TLwalshz]

have they spawned?

[ryuge]

@TLwalshz - Words of caution on Mandarins: Leave the lid closed! I had a fan to blowing on the surface to keep it cool, and the female jumped out! Only male left now. :(

[nanobudsNR]

have they mated at all?

[ryuge]

@nanobudsNR Words of caution on Mandarins: Leave the lid closed! I had a fan to blowing on the surface to keep it cool, and the female jumped out! Only male left now. :(

[prestonmehungry11]

what are hybrids? mixed fish or somethin?reply. srry i barly got a aquariam and only got 2 fish 3 crab

[ryuge]

@prestonmehungry11 - Generally an animals whose parents are of different a species or genera.

[brett35540]

when you paired them did they fight alot

[ryuge]

@brett35540 No - they got along fine.

[brett35540]

was it hard for you too pair them?

[ryuge]

@brett35540 No - they accepted each other right away.

[ryuge]

@brett35540 - No - they were liked each other right away.

[ryuge]

Unfortuately not - the tank is only 24 gallons. I have my 80 gallon all ready to setup and it has a refugium (which is something I highly recommend). So far the tank is doing great - Green Star Polyps are spreading like grass everywhere. Have fun with your tank!

[brett35540]

do they eat frozen and if so what do they eat im trying to get mine to eat mysis, will eat brine with garlic and selcon but wont eat mysis

[ryuge]

They 'usually' will eat frozen Cyclops (San Francisco Bay Brand is the one I use). Some reports of them eating frozen blood worms - but no guarantee on either. Working in the industry for over 15 years, I have seen too many die from stores telling them they *will* eat frozen, and without live copepods, most will die of starvation. Best advice to always ask the store employee to feed frozen food before you purchase, and only buy the ones that actually eat it. Hope this helps!

[ryuge]

(Written by: 767er767er, but was accidently deleted)

Thanks! Hey check out my tank. (ryans reef video) Oh and how long have you had the two dragonets?

[ryuge]

The pair were together only 2 months at the time of the footage, so they have been together 7 months. A little too young to breed - they need to get bigger; the female was very young when I got her.

[767er767er]

Nice dragonets!

How big is your tank? I was thinking about doing the same thing you did, getting a spotted and mandarin dragonet, and wanted to know if my tank is large enough for the two?

[ryuge]

My tank is a (well-established) 24 gallon. Normally, I would recommend 1 per 25 gallons, but since I could visibly see copepods on the glass, I figured it was far enough along to support 2. I have only 2 other fish in the tank, who are herbivores, so the mandarins had 'sole rights' to the myriad of copepods. They will also eat frozen cyclops, but it should be given sparingly, as this can increase the bio-load, thus putting a strain on the living filtration system.

[bananatree94]

an inter racial relationship lol

[lilbluependragon]

These are so cute. How hard are these to care for? What requirements do they have?

[ryuge]

They require a well established 'reef' tank, complete with lots of copepods (pinhead sized crustaceans), as this comprises the majority of their diet. Mandarins have no appetite for prepared/frozen foods and can starve without the live food they need and crave. Other than that, they are best with other small, mild-mannered marine creatures.

[PithOffNDie]

There's actually a specialty frozen fish food called 'cyclops' designed to feed the mandarin fish.

[ryuge]

Thanks for the heads-up! I got some (at the best fish store in AZ - F&F), and my dragonets loved it (as well as wy other fish and polyps).