Description

The Red Mandarin is a vibrant, unique bottom dweller. They are reef safe and should be housed in aquariums with rockwork and sand beds. The live rock and sand act as a refuge for the copepods the Red Mandarin will feed on. These fish eat very slowly and will be out competed for food if kept in densely populated aquariums, so feeding multiple times a day is beneficial. It takes time and patience to get mandarins to eat frozen or pelletized foods. Try starting on live foods like baby brine shrimp and copepods then segueing to rotifers, prawn eggs and other small nutritious foods. They have a small adult size of about 3" and are a great candidate for smaller aquariums. They are truly a work of art with a very detailed pattern of blues, greens, reds and oranges. The Red Mandarin does display sexual dimorphism, where the males are more colorful and have an elongated dorsal fin, while the females' dorsal fin is short and smaller.

• - Add to an aquarium with ample rockwork and a sandy substrate
• - For continued health, provide a varied diet of small live foods like copepods before switching to a prepared frozen diet
• - Reef Safe
• - Recommended for the more advanced hobbyist
• - Needs peaceful tankmates
• - Excellent addition to seahorse and pipe fish aquariums
• - Approximate selling size: small <1.25"; medium 1.25"-2.25"; large 2.25"-3.25"