Mandarin - To add or not to add?

[fishytime]

Had a scooter blenny starve out in a 110g with a 50g sump..... Completion for food was the cause I'm sure

[toolmanbmw]

Yes... Too many tang police. I feel that I have the world happiest yellow tang, and he is in a 75 gallon. To the OP my mandarin also eats frozen mysis and he hovers around my live rock pecking at stuff all day.

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by toolmanbmw

Yes... Too many tang police. I feel that I have the world happiest yellow tang, and he is in a 75 gallon. To the OP my mandarin also eats frozen mysis and he hovers around my live rock pecking at stuff all day.

My last spotted ate mysis after a while.

From what I have read... Spotted are "more likely" to take frozen before a green/blue mandarin. But then again... In a pod rich tank, I doubt they would ever try frozen. It's always a gamble "training" a fish. Lol.

I have not witnessed it, but my green mandarin gets excited when I drop nls pellet in... She won't come out and eat with me present, but I have suspicions she might have tried it.

So if I add... Based on compatibilty... I hope eventually it would go onto pellet or frozen.

[doch]

You know... I find it funny that six lines are considered an aggressive fish. I never once had a problem with the one that I had. New fish, old fish, no problems. Judging from that experience, I'd say that you'd be fine. I find that my pair of mandarins are among the fish that none of the other fish seem to even notice. I have a Lyretail Anthias that is a real jerk to every fish that I have, but ignores the mandarins. The Antias has chased my black capped basslet into hiding to the point that for 3 months, I thought he had died... and then he showed up breifly the other day. To me, there seems to be something about mandarins that makes all of the other fish oblivious to their existance. I should also mention that I have 4 wrasses in with my pair of mandarins without issue. Oh, and a large regal tang... and 4 angels. All in a 50gallon. (alright.... 2 angels, and it's a 160... hahaha... bring it tang/angel/mandarin/wrasse/everything police)

[bignose]

hehe

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by doch

You know... I find it funny that six lines are considered an aggressive fish. I never once had a problem with the one that I had. New fish, old fish, no problems. Judging from that experience, I'd say that you'd be fine. I find that my pair of mandarins are among the fish that none of the other fish seem to even notice. I have a Lyretail Anthias that is a real jerk to every fish that I have, but ignores the mandarins. The Antias has chased my black capped basslet into hiding to the point that for 3 months, I thought he had died... and then he showed up breifly the other day. To me, there seems to be something about mandarins that makes all of the other fish oblivious to their existance. I should also mention that I have 4 wrasses in with my pair of mandarins without issue. Oh, and a large regal tang... and 4 angels. All in a 50gallon. (alright.... 2 angels, and it's a 160... hahaha... bring it tang/angel/mandarin/wrasse/everything police)

I think it is more territorial. Which leads to the aggression.

Mine is fine with all current tank mates. So far.

[dc4]

I have had a female mandarin for about 9 months now, eats frozen blood worms. Adding a 2nd male mandarin which is not trained and both are still doing great. I did seed my tank with a few thousand copepods I picked up in the states and now it seems the macro algae fuge keeps the tank stocked with enough to have them both fat and happy. The female has been preggers for a few months now too. Nothing bothers the mandarins, except for the ywg at times. Even my ex-devil reincarnated saddleback female left it alone and it leaves nothing else alone, didnt even bother the mandarins when they got close to her nems. I swear, mandarins are the most peaceful fish you can get for our tanks, favourite things in my tank by far. I say get one and if something bothers it, get rid of the fish that is bothering it.

[doch]

Maybe mine was just abnormally mellow. Never bothered anybody.

[onesocksarah]

Hi, I have a similarly stocked tank and just added a Mandarin 10 days ago. My sixline and regal tang can be bullies at times and in fact gave another new addition (bicolor dottyback) a hard time. However, they have absolutely left the Mandarin alone. Because of his slow moving/hunting habit he seems to be no threat to anyone in terms of food and habitat. While he is safe I fear that I do not have enough food source in an established 70gallon tank to keep him well fed. I have a refugium, chaeto and a great breeding ground for copepods but he seems to either feed very methodically and slow or is lacking food. I even fed live brine the last few days and his feeding habit remains very slow. He came in very fat, adapted very easily and seems happy enough so only time will tell.