Mandarin Dragonet

Very non-aggressive to other fish and other fish seem to pay them no attention. 2 males will fight, so they should only be kept singly or in male/female pairs. Mandarins spend their days carefully checking over the live rock and sand looking for tasty tidbits to eat.

Common Name(s): Mandarin Dragonet, Mandarin Goby, Green Mandarinfish, Striped Mandarinfish, Psychedelic fish.
Scientific/Other Name(s) : Pterosynchiropus splendidus
Care Level : Hard
Maximum Size: Mandarins can get up to about 3" in length
Minimum Tank Size: 55 gallon with 50lbs or more Live Rock
Reef Safe: Yes

Feeding Requirements: Feeding can be a major issue with Mandarins. Some will take foods such as frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. Others will refuse to take anything but live foods. Mandarins are extremely slow and hover, much like a hummingbird using their front fins while looking for food. Even Mandarins that take prepared foods have a hard time competing with faster fish for the morsels. One suggestion I have heard that makes good sense, especially in smaller tanks that don't support a large pod population is to build something called a 'pod pile'. This is a few small rocks stacked into a pile into which small pieces of shrimp or similar food can be inserted every couple of days. This pile of rocks provides shelter and a food supply for the pods which allows them to rapidly breed and provide food for the Mandarin.

Temperament / Behavior: Very non-aggressive to other fish and other fish seem to pay them no attention. 2 males will fight, so they should only be kept singly or in male/female pairs. Mandarins spend their days carefully checking over the live rock and sand looking for tasty tidbits to eat.

Other Comments: The head and body of the Green Mandarin, also known as the Striped Mandarinfish or Green Mandarinfish, are a mazelike combination of blue, orange, and green. Males may be distinguished from females by their more-elongated first dorsal spine.

The head and body of the Red Mandarin Dragonet are a mazelike combination of blue, orange, and red. Males may be distinguished from females by their extra-elongated first dorsal spine. The red variation of the Mandarin fish is a rarer find and is extremely popular with aquarists because of its unusual beauty. Unlike the green mandarin, the red variant has much wider and more pronounced red stripes and red pectoral fins.