Mandarin Fish (Dragonet): Ultimate Care And Breeding Guide

Mandarin fish (Dragonet) are one of the most popular saltwater fish.

They can be found in almost any pet store and many people keep them in their homes.

This article will go over Mandarin Fish Facts & Overview, Mandarin fish Appearance, Mandarin Fish Habitat and Tank Conditions, Mandarin Fish diet, Mandarin Fish care, and finally how to breed your mandarin fish.

Mandarin Fish Facts & Overview

Mandarin fish Origin & Habitat

The mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) are part of the Callionymidae family and are native to the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Behavior

Mandarin fish are a peaceful species and can be combined with many other fish without fear of aggression.

They do well in tanks that have plenty plants and caves to hide within, as they are a more shy species than most other fish.

They also spend a lot of time near the bottom of the tank as they search for food.

Size and Appearance

Mandarin are absolutely stunning to look at and one of the most beautiful fish available.

It has a mucus-coated skin with an unpleasant smell that protects it from predators, and it doesn’t have scales.

When it comes to size, they generally grow to around 3 inches.

Lifespan of Mandarin fish

Mandarin fish generally live about 2-4 years.

Types Of Mandarin Fish

Striped Mandarin Fish

Also known as the “Psychedelic Mandarinfish” (Synchiropus splendidus).

It’s most common to see the Striped Mandarin fish of amongst live rocks and a substrate. It slurps up copepods, amphipods, and tiny crustaceans as it moves around the aquarium.

The striped mandarinfish is easily weaned off of live foods and trained to accept frozen Mysis shrimp, which is a high-quality food.

Spotted Mandarin Fish

Synchiropus picturatus (the spotted mandarin fish searches for copepods and amphipods at the bottom of the tank where they spend all of their time.

Red Mandarin Fish

Synchiropus cf. splendidus red mandarin fish is a variation striped mandarin fish.

The head of this variation is orange, red, and blue with males having an extra-elongated first dorsal spine in comparison to females.

Habitat and Tank Conditions

Tank Setup

In the wild , Mandarin fish are found in coral reefs. They live around shallow reef flats or tide pools with an abundance of sponges, algae and crevices to hide in.

Aquariums should be well-planted with plenty of hiding places among rocks, driftwood, artificial plants or PVC piping to help recreate their natural habitat.

You’ll need plenty of rock and coral to create caves and overhangs as these fish love to hide.

Live rock is also a food source for Mandarin fish. It’s important to have plenty in your tank as a single dragonet requires around 75lbs of live rock to provide enough food.

Water Conditions

Here are the ideal water conditions to keep your Mandarin fish thriving.

• Water temperature: 75-81°F
• pH levels: 8.1-8
• Salinity: ou will need a heater in the aquarium to keep the water at the desired temperature. A water pump is not required as they prefer slow moving water.

What Size Aquarium Do They Need?

You will need at least a 30 gallon tank for a single mandarin.

The reason for such a large size tank for a single fish is due to the large amounts of live rock you will need to place in their as a food source.

How Many Can Be Kept Per Gallon?

It’s recommended to only ever keep mandarin in pairs, never in groups. A pair will also require a 60 gallon tank.

Substrate

Cover the bottom of a tank with live sands or silty substrates.

Check to see if the layer is thick enough for your fish to burrow into. This allows them to hide if they feel stressed or threatened.

Tank Mates

Mandarin fish are a very peaceful species and do well with most other fish.

They can be kept in a reef tank as they will eat invertebrates such as shrimp, crabs and snails.

However, avoid any predatory species that may see your Mandarin Fish to be prey or live rock dwelling animals like lionfish and eels!

Ideally, the tank mates should be smaller than the Mandarin. They are also not aggressive feeders.

So pairing them with fish who are aggressive feeders means they will not be able to compete for food.

Here are some good options for tank mates.

• Firefish
• Clownfish
• Small Damselfish
• Green Chromis
• Watchman Goby
• Pajama Cardinals
• Royal Grammas

Can You Keep Mandarin Fish Together?

The only issue you may find is that males will fight if they are kept together. The best option is to pair a male with a female.

Diet

Mandarin are carnivore’s who would eat copepods (their favourite in an aquarium), small snails, worms and fish eggs.

They spend pretty much all day scavenging food from the substrate and rocks near the bottom of the tank.

The rocks actually contain copepods which is why it is important to have a large tank with plenty of rocks inside.

If the tank is too small, your fish will consume all of the copepods and need additional foods to survive.

Frozen Mysis shrimp or live brine shrimp make an excellent alternative. Frozen foods will need to be slowly introduced into their diet.

Care and Common Diseases

As long as the tank is kept clean and healthy, Mandarin do fish do not require any special care.

To prevent a build up of dirt inside of the tank, you should conduct water changes every week.

Mandarin are a very hardy species of fish and can tolerate a wide range of water conditions. But just like other fish, they can get diseases.

The most common conditions you will encounter are ich and fin rot.

Ich is very easy to spot, as the fish becomes covered with white spots that look like salt grains glued onto their skin.

This can be deadly if left untreated, but it’s easily cured by treating the tank with copper sulfate or malachite green.

Some indicators to watch for in order to assess their health. These symptoms include discoloration, darting, flashing, rapid ventilation, and a loss of appetite.

If you Mandarin do get ill, here is what you can do:

• Check the water parameters
• Make water changes more regular
• Alter their diet

Breeding

In captivity, this species of fish are difficult to breed. They are very picky, so the process is not as easy as just placing a male and female together.

The dragonet breeding process is often induced by lowering the water temperature to around 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

The male and female will then be placed in a spawning tank together.

Up to 200 eggs can be released, which generally hatch after around 12 hours. Once eggs are laid, they will be removed from the parents and placed in an incubation tank.

After hatching, the fry will be fed newly hatched brine.

After three weeks, the youngsters should have acquired their bright colors and resemble the adult fish.

Mandarin Fish (Dragonet) Conclusion

Mandarin fish are a great addition to any aquarium. They will provide your tank with color and activity, as well as other benefits like cleaning up algae from the bottom of the tank.

But make sure you do your research before buying these fish because they have some unique needs that need to be met for them to live comfortably in an aquarium environment.

This includes specific habitat requirements and dietary restrictions. We hope this blog post has helped answer most of your questions about mandarin fish.

If you have any further questions, drop them in the comments section below.