RHortons 29g biocube

Thought I would share some recent photos, still fighting dinos but corals are still growing strong.

 

How long have you had your Mandarin?

 

Ive had him about 3 to 4 months, I got lucky he took to frozen food right away.
I feed him every three days by shutting off all the pumps and using a turkey baster, slowly put a pile on the sand bed.
now he comes right up to the baster and takes food from it.

 

Awesome, my LFS said they are starting to get them in and they are eating frozen foods.

 

Wow! If you can keep him alive over a year then you are really lucky. It sound like you are really lucky. They often do not take to frozen, especially the males which is what you have. I have a 29g biocube as well and I really want a Mandarin but I REALLY don't want to kill one.

 

Sorry do not mean hijack thread. Love your Mandarin

FROM ORA
ORA introduced captive bred Mandarin Dragonets, also known as Mandarin Gobies, to the commercial aquarium market. Mandarins are exquisitely beautiful and highly desired by aquarists, but the wild-caught specimens have a reputation as being difficult to feed and maintain. Those concerns are resolved as ORA Mandarins have been raised on a variety of prepared foods.

I have a ORA Mandarin

1) Had it in my high flow 38gl tank for 1 month. Tank was not yet year old, however had fair amount pods. Would not come out much and would not chase the frozen mysis (I do not turn pumps off). Started to look skinny. POD count was not bad but it did not like the flow in my opinion.

2) Moved Mandarin to 30gl 130D which has been setup for years and pods cover glass. Low flow tank.. Damn thing fat and happy within a week, and with weak flow the mysis have little spots they float around in and allow the Mandarin to pick them off sand. Swims all around tank. This 1 is much happier in the low flow tank.

3) I do add pods to tank once a month for good measure. Ideally you do not need the frozen foods

My experience is not everyone's.

A good LFS will bring some in for you and QT it for a few weeks and make sure it is eating frozen or pellets.

 

Nice tank!