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. It is extremely popular with aquarists because of its unusual beauty.
It should be kept in a well-established 30 gallon or larger aquarium with live rock, live sand, and plenty of hiding places. It is moderately hardy in reef aquariums if given special care. It is not overly aggressive towards other fish, except for conspecifics.
The Green Mandarin has been known to spawn successfully in an aquarium.
It feeds on a variety of vitamin-enriched live brine shrimp, live black worms, and natural prey on live rock and live sand.
Approximate Purchase Size: Small: 1" to 1-1/2"; Medium: 1-1/2" to 2-1/2"; Large: 2-1/2" to 4"
Testimonial By:
Testimonial:
Jeannette K Shinglehouse, PA
We have a male and female Mandarin in our 75-gallon tank. They have done well on live brine shrimp with an established gravel and live sand bottom to feed on. They learn their owners and will come to the front of the tank to see you.
I have a male Green Mandarin, a clownfish, and a Strawberry Basslet in a 10-gallon reef tank. While beginners are often told not to attempt keeping these fish, I beg to differ! I have only about 4 pounds of live rock and gravel. I also run a hang-on box filter and a protein skimmer. All fish are in good health, including the mandarin. This fish is the best!
I have successfully kept mandarins for years. These fish are not hard to care for if you have lots of in faunal organisms (amphipods and ogiocheates) in the sand. These can take a year to colonize in your tank. Wait to add your Mandarin until colonization is complete. Every so often, take out one of your tank decorations and put it in fresh water. When you see amphipods (sand fleas) in the water, you tank is ready.
This is the most beautiful fish I have ever seen. His color is striking with the royal blue fins and neon orange and green accents. However, his colors fade when he is asleep, so he is almost gray. I thought he was dead until I woke him up with the net. It's like a chameleon with the camoflauge. He picks at my rocks all day looking for copepods. Great addition.
I was able to keep one in a 29 gallon setup for over a year, before having to break down the tank. The Dragonet is still doing fine in a friend's tank. She was easy to care for, and learned to take brine shrimp in a couple of months to supplement her amphipod grazing. An amazing species to be sure.
Very beautiful fish! however, they are challeging to keep. I feed him Actri Pods, but, the cant live on it, a 50 gallon thank with extensive rockwork and a refrigium crawling with pods is a great place for them to live. they can be agressive toward other dragonets, but are peaceful in general.
This is easily one of my favorite fish in the tank! The colors are strikingly beautiful and the movements of its fins are amazing! This fish reminds me of a hummingbird the way it is able to hover over the rocks as it looks for food. You won't go wrong with the gorgeous, peaceful fish!
A gorgeous fish in my reef tank. Requires a well established tank with live rock as it eats live copepods. Very delicate and easy to keep if you can keep it fed. Does not bother any other fish BUT you cannot keep two unless they are different sexes.
WOW! The male mandarin you sent me was half as much as the local fish store, but twice as big. He ate right after I let him out of the acclimation bag. It may be because it's Spring but they rise in the water column next to each other. Many thanks for another great fish.
I have had lots of luck with Mandarins in my 20-gallon setup. Having lots of live rock is great for them. I circulate my live rock in and out of my 10-gallon sump, which helps it maintain a healthy population of copepods. I tend to leave a few bits of rock in the sump just to assure that my sump colony stays viable. I also throw a few shrimp pellets or other food in the sump to give those little guys something to eat.
