Blue Mandarin Goby (Dragonette Goby)

PEVINE11

Feeder Fish
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would a blue madarin be ok in a 30g. with a clown fish and a firefish gobby?

all i can find on google is they work with seahorses and also with pipefish, would they get along with what i have? i cant really find anything on google when i put in Blue Mandarin Goby or Dragonette Goby

(also have have a few asst. hermit crabs and a cleaner shrimp )



please help me even if its just tellingmy to type someting diffrent on google. thanks
 

Nic

Peacock Bass
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Oct 8, 2005
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will be fine but the tank will have to be very well established and i recomend a fuge so they have plenty of copepods to eat
 

revkkoolaid

Gambusia
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Apr 29, 2005
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yeah feeding him is the only issue. . .you would need a ton of liverock + a fuge to grow enough pods (typically)

btw I've been coming across more and more people who have had luck getting them to eat bloodworms (of all things lol). We don't get many in at work , just one at a time every few weeks, and usually we sell them within 48hrs. I had one a few weeks back and tried it and it worked. Apparently they really do eat them ?!?! Dunno why lol. I'm begining to think most people just never think to try offering them.

I do find most saltwater fish will eat them and they are FAR superior nutritionally to brine shrimp.
 

Scuba Kid

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Aug 25, 2006
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I don't reccomend it. Your tank is not nearly matured enough and like has been said, you would need an everlasting supply of copepods, unless you got it to eat another kind of live food or frozen food (which can be unlikely). I'd say go for a fish less demanding and better suited for the beginner marine fish keeper.

By the way, first link when you type in Mandarin Goby on Google:

Caring For the Mandarin Goby
 

PEVINE11

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i hear they eat finly cut up shrimp? i read in my marine fish book they are hard to feed. how do i introduce copepods to my tank? i have the tank for a few months now, i have about 33 lbs of live rock, but would like 5 - 9 more pounds to finish my rock work.



would these fish be ok with coral?

and is the spotted mandarin and blue mandarin the same when it comes to feeding? in my marine book it says they are but are they?
 

KenyanSandBoa

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PEVINE11;1064573; said:
i hear they eat finly cut up shrimp? i read in my marine fish book they are hard to feed. how do i introduce copepods to my tank? i have the tank for a few months now, i have about 33 lbs of live rock, but would like 5 - 9 more pounds to finish my rock work.



would these fish be ok with coral?

and is the spotted mandarin and blue mandarin the same when it comes to feeding? in my marine book it says they are but are they?
You will see some variations in color with these gobies. Pterosynchiropus splendidus is the one you see most often, but there is also Synchiropus picturatus, which shows up as well. Some places have had success getting mandarins to eat prepared foods, but it's not too common.

You would introduce copepods by setting up a refugium so as they are reproducing they will flow into the main tank and the mandarin can feed on them. Keep in mind that these guys do not do well with any sort of competition for food so you would be VERY limited with any other tankmates.

I would wait a while before you attempt to add a mandarin. Wait until your fuge is thriving with copepods and a good base is formed in you main tank...then maybe give it a shot. I would purchase the fish with the assumption that you will have to supply copepods versus hoping you will get him to eat frozen/prepared foods.

Best of luck...these are great fish.
 

KenyanSandBoa

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Oh yeah...forgot to respond to one of the questions...they will be fine with corals. :D

I was also thinking of something else. Jay's Aquatics in Salem, NH weans his mandarins onto a liquid based food that they go crazy for. I can't remember the name of it, but I think it's fairl expensive...like $25 a bottle. Maybe someone else knows the name of this stuff and can help.

If I talk to Jay today I'll ask him what it's called and update the thread.
 

PEVINE11

Feeder Fish
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Salem, NH

i shop there also, it quit a bit away from here but that place is huge and amazing, thats were i got alot of my live rock. its like 4.99 a lb! and like 6.99 for the other stuff. i love that place!!!

but thatnks for the info:headbang2


"introduce copepods by setting up a refugium"
is it possble to set up a refugium on a biocube 30? and approx mow much would it cost? also woud my cleaner shrimp and clown and firefishgobby eat the copepods also or just the mandarin?
 

KenyanSandBoa

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Yeah, that is a bit of a drive for you.

Other tankmates will pick at the copepods too...that's why it's good to have a lot growing in a fuge.

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to set up a fuge on that tank. I'm not to familiar with the biocubes, but they make some fuges that function similar to an HOB.

You can make a fuge too. You could use a small aquarium with a decent PC and a powerhead to supply the fuge because you would want them to pull water from below the surface to avoid pulling any dissolved organics or oils that may be on the surface. The fuge can then just gravity return into the tank as long as it's a little higher than the main display tank.

I hope this helps. :D
 

PEVINE11

Feeder Fish
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do you have any pics of one someone made? i would like to make one or even buy one. thanks for the help :)
 
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