Why do Mandarins die in new tanks?

They eat live copepods continuously. A young tank cannot produce enough, so the fish slowly starves.

Can I keep a Mandarin in a nano reef?

Only if it is captive-bred and eating frozen food, and even then a larger mature system is safer.

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Mandarin Dragonet

Synchiropus splendidus

A slow, spectacularly patterned dragonet that lives on live copepods and needs a mature reef with a large pod population.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 27 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Salinity: 1.023 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 6 – 8 cm
Min. tank size: 200 litres+
Lifespan: 5 – 8 years
Diet: Specialist micropredator — live copepods and amphipods
Water flow: Low
Preferred setup: Mature reef with abundant live rock and an established copepod population

About the Mandarin Dragonet

Mandarin Dragonets are peaceful and beautiful, and they are also the most common example of a fish lost to starvation rather than disease. Success depends almost entirely on a mature system with a self-sustaining copepod population or on training the fish onto frozen food.

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Is it right for your tank?

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Where Mandarin Dragonet comes from

Native range

Western Pacific, Coral Triangle

Countries / regions

Philippines, Indonesia, Australia

Habitat

Sheltered inshore reefs and lagoons with rubble and coral cover.

Illustrative native range only, not an occurrence dataset.

Similar species

Spotted Mandarin
Synchiropus picturatus
Yellow Watchman Goby
Cryptocentrus cinctus

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Royal Gramma
Gramma loreto
Different niche and feeding style, with no competition for copepods.
Great
Yellow Watchman Goby
Cryptocentrus cinctus
Both work the bottom, and the goby is a faster feeder in a small system.
Compatible with caution
Six Line Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
The wrasse strips copepods from the rock far faster and will starve a mandarin out.
Not recommended

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