Blue Mandarin Dragonet

Only add this fish when tank is mature.

So beautiful. I love this fish. It was a dream fish from the start. I dosed live pods for a few months before getting it, and continue to dose periodically. It can always be seen happily grazing the rocks and algae for pods :)

Favorite fish hands down, fun to watch. Make sure to seed your tank with pods prior. I have noticed him eating frozen food that will go to the bottom of the tank, smaller pieces obviously so make sure to get mixed frozen block or something of the sort if pods aren't always accessible over time

LOVE my green mandarin. Beautiful. He’s always working his way around the rock work picking off pods. Mine ONLY eats pods so words of caution: you will need to stock live foods. If in a smaller tank you will need to add supply regularly. The larger the tank and the more rocks you have the less often you have to stock pods as they will have more time to reproduce without being a snack.

Gorgeous fish!

A very beautiful fish with a cryptic personality. They are a little tricky to care for as the require live copepods to feed on in the tank and rarely adapt to eating frozen foods/pellets. They don’t really interact with other fish or you when you approach the tank but rather just move across the rock looking for food, so they sometimes are very visible. Once the food requirement is met they are extremely easy to care for as they basically feed themselves.

Unfortunately the only time ever buying one of these was from an LFS. It didn’t make the drive home. I’m not entirely sure what happened because I had driven straight home after buying it but I think it goes to show how sensitive these guys are and it will be a while before I take another chance on one.

Stunning fish to see with colourful patterns on its body. Distinction between male and female is super easy. Would keep this fish in a bigger and mature (>1 year) tank next time. If the tank is not mature enough you should dose your tank once in a while with live copepods. This fish is always on the hunt for copepods.

Difficult and picky eater but beautiful to look at. I’ve named mine Van Gogh since his patterns and colors remind me of A Starry Night.

Beautiful fish but can be difficult due to its diet

First fish I put into my tank, she is beautiful and so peaceful. Definitely 10/10 recommend having one of these guys in your tank. Not as personable but I’m sure as time goes on that will change!

Sweetest little guy on the reef! Happily flits around the tank looking for food and always comes up to the glass to visit!

They are one of the most beautiful fish out there ! Make sure you have a solid copepod population before you get one because they are voracious pod hunters.

Would not recommend for a beginner or someone with a small tank. Researching the biology of these fish is super important with getting them to thrive. Beautiful but on the more difficult side to keep if not properly taken care of. Prepare to culture copepods or buy frequently to restock.