I think they should be avoided by beginners. They should be in a tank that has been up and running for a year or more, with plenty of life on the live rock. Also pay attention to the other fish in the tank. If you have fish that eat bugs off the live rock (like a 6-line wrasse for example) they can out-compete the mandarin for food.
My mandarin is doing fine but he is in a 120g with lots of life in it.
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