mandarin dragonet pair behaivor

magnetar68

magnetar68

Member
i have a pair of ora red dragonets. they hang out together under my rockwork, but seem to spend a fair amount of time apart. sometimes the female will come out at night and sleep alone in the front of the tank. the other pairs i have (clowns, sleeper gobies, firefish) are almost inseparable: they spend the majority of their time right next to one another. is this normal pair behaivor for mandarins? i have only had them about a month, and i have not seen any courtship behaivor yet, but have not expected to this early.
 
tnwillia

tnwillia

Well-Known Member
Hey Ramo, I had a pair that did the same as yours and my female died shortly after getting them so I can't help. They (mine) were searching for food all day so that may keep them apart, but I'm guessing. We only have a couple of members who are keeping or trying to breed Mandrain pairs, they will be your best help. Others will Jump in, Good luck!
 
magnetar68

magnetar68

Member
Thanks.

BTW, here is the pair getting along pretty well:
[video=youtube_share;K4r30ZxrraY]http://youtu.be/K4r30ZxrraY[/video]
 
tnwillia

tnwillia

Well-Known Member
Great video, love the house, assuming the tube above the water line is how you feed. Where did you find that?
 
magnetar68

magnetar68

Member
I made it. I just drop sinking foods like frozen mysis, nutramar ova, or pellets and they sink to the bottom. I don't need to put my hands in the tank to feed them or remove uneaten food as I can lift the whole thing out of the water and empty the food via the tube. I bought a small acrylic box at TAP Plastics (#752 in the store for $2.25). I used a dremel routing bit and sanding barrel to round out a small hole for a 3/4" tube that was long enough to stick out of the water with my sand (I bought a 24" tube and then cut it down but this was another $2.00 I think). I did the same on the opening in the top that serves as their entrance. I then used some corners from a piece of scrap to make the 2 supports and glued it with #4 glue.
 
sk8rdn

sk8rdn

Has been struck by the ban stick
magnetar68 said:
i have a pair of ora red dragonets. they hang out together under my rockwork, but seem to spend a fair amount of time apart. sometimes the female will come out at night and sleep alone in the front of the tank. the other pairs i have (clowns, sleeper gobies, firefish) are almost inseparable: they spend the majority of their time right next to one another. is this normal pair behaivor for mandarins? i have only had them about a month, and i have not seen any courtship behaivor yet, but have not expected to this early.
Click to expand...

My first guess would be that they are a pair, just not yet a "mated" pair. Kind of like dating... Some nights ya sleep over... Others ya head back to your own place... Lol.
Just a guess, though.
My second thought would be she is still looking for food. Are they eating pods (live) regularly? Fat mandarins are happy mandarins... And mandarins (by and large) almost exclusively eat live pods to be happy. I'm glad yours have a varied diet, but she might be having "midnight cravings" and is more adventurous than he is.

Hope this helps some. Hopefully someone who is successful in breeding them can weigh in with other options...

....Salt Creep Is Everywhere!....
 
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