New Husbandry Techniques for Mandarinfishes
Tropical Dragonets Can Be Kept with Relative Ease
Mandarinfish from the genus Synchiropus are popular marine aquarium fishes with a reputation for, as Bob Fenner, author of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, puts it having “one of the most dismal survival records.” Some aquarists, however, are now challenging that conventional wisdom with a new approach to madarinfish husbandry that may, in time, place this beautiful fish within the reach of any aquarist.
These fishes are sold as dragonets, gobies or even blennies. They are properly Callionymids from the family Callionymidae. Within the genus Synchiropus, several species are commonly seen in the hobby including Synchiropus stellatus, S. splendidus, S. ocellatus, and S. picturatus.
This article applies to most mandarinfishes but specifically is geared toward two favorites: Synchiropus splendidus (e.g., green mandarinfish, striped mandarinfish, picturesque mandarinfish, or psychedelic mandarinfish) and S. picturatus (the spotted mandarinfish).
Old and New Husbandry Approach
Conventional wisdom says to only keep a mandarinfish in a mature (6-9 months old), 75-gallon or larger home aquarium with loads of live rock and an attendant population of small invertebrate life upon which the mandarinfish can feed. A connected refugium is strongly recommended. This approach to keeping mandarinfishes is rooted in the idea that mandarinfishes need plentiful live food in order to keep up with their near constant foraging behavior.
Matt Wittenrich is a doctorate candidate at Florida Institute of Technology and author of The Complete Illustrated Breeder's Guide to Marine Aquarium Fishes. Wittenrich subscribes to the “mandarins-are-no-longer-a-for-experts-only-fish” philosophy. In fact, Wittenrich refers to the necessity of providing a spacious, mature, live rock-filled aquarium as little more than “a myth.”
There are two critical steps to success with any mandarinfishes in Wittenrich’s experience. They are
- acquiring a healthy individual
- wean that individual onto a captive diet consisting of frozen fare
“The challenge of acquiring healthy stock is the major hurdle,” Wittenrich explains, “but this really determines if a specimen is to survive in captivity.” Make sure the specimen you get is not emaciated. The fish should be active, aware of its surroundings, and, by all means, ask to see it eat.
Once at Home
Once home, it’s time to wean the mandarinfish onto a captive diet. “Spotted mandarins (S. picturatus) are usually ready feeders and require little weaning to get their attention with frozen mysid shrimp,” Wittenrich says. “Often, spotteds will pick frozen fare from the water column like a butterfly.” Some other mandarinfishes, like the popular green mandarinfish, are slightly more difficult to wean onto a captive diet. Regardless, Wittenrich has always had success with the following technique.
Best Method for Weaning Mandarinfishes
“The best method I have seen to wean green mandarins was put forth by Matt Pedersen,” Wittenrich says. “He puts newly acquired specimens in a breeder box, feeds them enriched live brine and slowly starts introducing frozen brine and mysids to the regime. Once the mandarins begin accepting the frozen fare, the live stuff is slowly removed from the diet.” Piscince Energetics mysids is Wittenrich’s food of choice for mandarinfishes.
Conclusion
Whether you take the traditional approach or Wittenrich’s approach to mandarinfish husbandry, the good news is that successfully keeping this most stunning of marine fishes id within the reach of just about any dedicated aquarist.
Green Mandarin Dragonet
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