Question around Dragonets
 

Essentially, what to believe and bear in mind?

I have always, always wanted these outstanding little things and now I have to start my marine tank from scratch (long story), I have the opportunity to go for it BUT I would describe myself as a part-time hobbyist. What I mean by that is I probably spend half a day a week looking after the tank - water, filters, tidy up, tests, etc. Naturally that excludes feeding.

I purchased my specific tank because it had a convenient slot in the lid for an automatic feeder for when I go away on holiday (the friends I have come into feed them can be a touch unreliable!).

So ... part-time hobbyists and dragonets ... are we match?

If you have a properly setup and well established system you shouldn't spend more than a hour or 2 a week on maintenance.

Ok, so let me say ... some of that time is me driving to me LFS to get a jerry can of RODI salt water, some of it is me faffing and coo'ing over them. I'm a faffer

Dragonets, especially Mandarins, aren't the easiest fish to care for. First and foremost is getting familiar with them and understanding their care requirements before deciding to get one. This is a big key to success. I had a ruby red for a while and he was awesome until he jumped out of a small opening and landed on the glass top. There's not really a direct correlation with keeping them and how much time is spent maintaining your tank, BUT, they generally require a steady supply of pods in the tank to be able to scavenge from the rocks. I would say that plays a huge part as it's a natural food source for them. Getting them to take to prepared foods is kind of a gamble and since they are regularly foraging for food, they can starve very easily.

if the tank is properly sized, and set up with them in mind, then they can be kept with minimal work.

the tank should be geared to providing them enough food, anything you offer should only be considered supplemental. in my tank, i don't feed either of my dragons. they find their own food. sometimes my scooter will snag a mysis shrimp or two, but typically they fend for themselves. my mandarin isn't even interested in feeding time. she tends to melt away in to the rocks when the feeding starts.

And this is why when I finally decide to get a mandy, I will only purchase an ORA mandy(tank bred and raised). They are already predisposed to eating flake and pellet. Which as you have said, should only be considered supplemental.

Now that's not to say I won't make sure there is plenty of pods for it and the tank is appropriately sized, but buying one that is already used to eating other things gives it a better chance at survival.

i've heard quite the opposite about the ORA Mandarins, that they are no more disposed to eat pellets or flake than wild caught.

they don't offer them very often though, so i would be interested in hearing more reports.

my best advice dragonets, or any obligate (or near obligate feeder) is to make sure they have a steady supply of whatever it is they eat. that's almost always going to be your best weapon for keeping them fed.

Most certainly will provide it plenty of natural food, and I really didn't even consider the ORA mandy till I read ORA's website about them being predisposed to "other" foods.

I setup this tank with the sole purpose to house a mandy, and I've done my homework.:thumbsup:

Guess I'll have to do some internet digging on the ORA mandy as I hadn't read anything to dispute ORA's claims(I honestly hadn't done much reading other then a few posts around here and ORA's own website)

I already have a leopard wrasse that soley eats pods. She isn't even intrested in anything else I feed the tank. When the pumps go off, all my other fish know its feeding time. The leopard just goes about picking pods off the rocks(pretty sure she has learned that the pods come out more when the flow is off in the tank as she starts going nuts at hunting then also).

homer I could be wrong but I believe ORA has stopped breeding them. not profitable i think. to easy to get a wild caught. maybe i am wrong. I LOVE mandys my all time fav. fish. I was thinking about it as well. even having a 10 gal pod farm...still might at some point.

let us know what you find out.