Mandarins' complex social structure

[justahobby]

Cool little article on a fish that easily makes my favorite five http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/04/0423_mandarinfish.htm

[glennr1978]

cool read, thanks!

[DrMark]

Good stuff. I love Mandarins. However, my personal opinion is that these fish should not be collected for the Aq trade. Even if collected properly. Vast majority will die of starvation in hobbyist tanks due to their preferred diet. They are cheap to buy so too many uneducated people buy them and are doomed to failure. As much as I love this fish, I wouldnt mind there being no access to them for this reason....JMOA.
mark

[glennr1978]

Good stuff. I love Mandarins. However, my personal opinion is that these fish should not be collected for the Aq trade. Even if collected properly. Vast majority will die of starvation in hobbyist tanks due to their preferred diet. They are cheap to buy so too many uneducated people buy them and are doomed to failure. As much as I love this fish, I wouldnt mind there being no access to them for this reason....JMOA.
mark

DrMark makes a good point here.


I kinda feel bad, I ordered a mandarin that will be here today.

[DrMark]

At least you know how to take care of its needs. Its the people that have basic systems with a nemo that see the Mandarins at the pet stores and take them home to have them "disappear" in 4 weeks. I wonder what happened to the fish.........
mark

[Bill S]

Actually, the one in my big tank "disappeared" for about 2 months! He's now out quite often. The one upstairs I've had for at least 3 years. Never seen either of them eat...

[Rychek]

Nice read. Mandarins are amazing fish and one of the reasons I'm in the hobby. Love at first sight. I'm glad my little Draca is fat as a pig.

[CoryDude]

Excellent point Dr. Mark.

Sometimes I wish their availability was more limited so the price would discourage newbie hobbyists. It was even worse in the 90's since the majority of them were caught in the Phillipines using cyanide. Didn't matter if you had an established tank or not, because they'd starve anyways.

Very cool read. Thanks!

[CoryDude]

Nice read. Mandarins are amazing fish and one of the reasons I'm in the hobby. Love at first sight. I'm glad my little Draca is fat as a pig.

Thought my wife was the only one to name a mandarin. Ours is called Beulah and she's as fat as a potbellied pig too!

[greatwhite@AlamoAquatics]

interesting info mandarins are one of my favorite fish ive had mine for about 3 years and hes a fat pig . do any of you guys know if theyll breed in captivity that be a cool project if it were possible