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Reef Fish Guide designation and why
Keep it wild
Although these fish can acclimate to tanks, they are all very difficult to feed. They have very poor survivability in captivity because a tank must be well established with live sand and/or rock which support a robust population of copepods (tiny crustaceans that naturally populate coral reefs).
Distribution
All of these species are found in the Western Pacific
Maximum Size
They range from 2.4 inches (6 cm) to 3.1 inches (8 cm)
Care Requirements (for experts only)
The most important factor when keeping Pterosynchiropus or Synchiropus spp. is to keep them with docile tankmates that won't bother them or prevent them from getting enough to eat. Mandarinfishes will nearly always starve in new or under-established tanks. They need plenty of live substrate and places to hide in a reef aquarium. Please note: You will see Mandarinfishes at nearly every fish store in the area. This is because expert hobbyists have well-developed skills, and special equipment, which helps create a natural environment for the copepods to thrive.
Food: It must be reinforced that the only way these species have a chance of surviving is if they are put into a tank with well established live rock and sand, typically supported by a refugium. Even though they get their main nutrition from copepods, they must still be fed three times a day. Offer meaty foods, including shaved shrimp, vitamin-enriched live brine shrimp, and live black worms. Brine shrimp can be offered using a long pipette, rigid air-line tubing, or a poultry baster to deposit items near the fish on the substrate. Mandarinfishes are methodical feeders that do not fare well with competitors.
Compatibility: If able to survive, the Dragonets and Mandarinfishes are non-predatory and it is recommended that you don't add these fish to any tank with large carnivorous fish that naturally eat smaller fish. Green and Spotted mandarinfish males ignore all other species but may attack males of the same species.
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