What can I do with that female mandarin?

[Myka]

That doesn't mean to say that she is trying to release eggs. I (and likely you) have seen mandarins (and other fish) do lots of "false" rises where eggs are not released. Mandarins are non-monogamous so it's not like the pair has to get used to each other, but the male may not yet be proven and may not be stimulating the female properly to release the eggs.