Synchiropus splendidus also known as striped mandarinfish or striped dragonet
Dragonets, including mandarins, are one of the most beautiful fish found in the hobby. They can be very challenging to keep, so we recommend these to more advanced hobbyists. These fish should be kept in an established aquarium of 30 gallons, or more. Live rock, live sand or gravel and plenty of places to hide is required.
What makes dragonets challenging is their need to continuously feed on live zooplankton, such as copepods, isopods and amphipods. Without an abundance of live feed organisms in the aquarium, dragonets will starve. It is important to note that even if you have a mandarin or other type of dragonet eating TDO pellets and our other products, you will still need to provide them with a habitat that contains live zooplankton. This will ensure that they have something to eat in between feedings since they are constantly foraging.
To keep a diverse zooplankton population, we recommend our live copepods, Tigger-Pods and Apex-Pods. It is also important to note that it takes time to train dragonets to eat pellets or other dead food items, so be patient and make sure that your fish have ample live feed organisms to consume.
Reef Nutrition is your source for the best foods for healthy, colorful mandarins like Tigger-Pods®, our top-selling live food attracts mandarins who chase pods as they swim upwards with a stimulating. And Apex-Pods™, smaller live apocyclops panamensis pods, is another effective food for these finicky fish.
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