Mandarin Goby!

[Rockyreiter]

i know most people say to stray away from mandarin's because they're hard to keep alive due to them not eating, but im proud to say that mine has done well for the past month :)
i've been told that they need 70-75 gallon tanks so that they'll have enough copepods around the tank to feed on without wiping out the population of them, but when i saw him eating frozen foods at the store and the guy said he would do well in my tank, i HAD to have him!
he's been getting along really well with everyone else!
tons of fun to watch!

(most recent picture)

(right before i put him in the tank i was working on some aquatic photography)

with him now in the tank i have also been enlarging my clean up crew (so far: 10 hermits, 1 green sea serpent, 2 turbo snails and 1 orange crab) i was thinking about either a sand-sifting starfish or sand-sifting snails along with a diamond goby. what do y'all think?

 

[AmberSunrise]

Congrats he is really cute! I just love these fish they are so pretty. I hope he does well in your tank.

I have a diamond goby and I just love him he is so fun and really keeps the sand stirred up which is good.

 

[sen5241b]

Lookin quite nice!

 

[ErinCahir]

I suggest a Diamond Goby as well. I would also suggest the sand stirring snails over the star.

 

[Rufio808]

Nice getting one that eats frozen.

 

[little_fish]

What a lovely addition!

Also i too recommend the nass snails over the starfish. That guys will likely starve in your tank because you tank wont have a large enough sand bed to support them long term.

 

[Devineverrr]

what kind of camera are you using? beautiful fish! keep the pics coming, you got some good photography here!

 

[supernatureal]

I would not recommend any goby until the mandarin is settled in and eating frozen otherwise they would be competing for food. If you have a small tank that would not be good.

 

[karisfish]

very pretty!

 

[Dana42078]

Nice fishy......the first pick kinda looks like he got ripped up or is it just me?

 

[ukeka1sttimer]

Such an awesome pic !! Glad your new addtions is doing so well !! I plan on Having This same fish in my tank once its established !!

 

[Rockyreiter]

I'm using a nikon d5000. thank you :) im actually going to take an under water photography course in a year, so im looking to improve!

 

[Rockyreiter]

I would not recommend any goby until the mandarin is settled in and eating frozen otherwise they would be competing for food. If you have a small tank that would not be good.

i actually bought him from the store eating frozen foods so no worries there! :)

 

[Rockyreiter]

Nice fishy......the first pick kinda looks like he got ripped up or is it just me?

i think that's just you... none of the other's show any interest in him and if they go near, he flares his fins and they go away :)

 

[supernatureal]

I hope he does there have been alot of people who seen them eat frozen in the store only got get them home and they will not touch it. I am not saying not to get the goby maybe just not now wait until he eats frozen in your tank is all.

 

[Rockyreiter]

I hope he does there have been alot of people who seen them eat frozen in the store only got get them home and they will not touch it. I am not saying not to get the goby maybe just not now wait until he eats frozen in your tank is all.

you must have missed that part in the original post. he's been in my tank for a month eating the frozen food :)

 

[DAvis]

That's great! Is he an ORA Dragonet? They have several species bred in captivity that they have eating frozen food. I have a Diamond goby. Though I don't think he would harass a dragonet, he is big and might be competitive for food, and is a bigger fish. By the way, I don't see the pictures, did you remove them?

 

[supernatureal]

Ok I don't see that in the first post that he is in your tank eating frozen just the LFS tank. Then good. He is looking good. congrats.

 

[Gooseman]

i havent had any luck with mandrins ... i had 2 and both got extremely skinny even though i added 2 bottles of copepods to keep them alive ... they were both grazing but just couldnt seem to find enough to eat ... beautiful fish and i hated to lose them