Green Mandarin Dragonet Care Guide | Diet | Tank | Lifespan | Cost

The Green Mandarin Dragonet is a perfect fish to look at, and you are sure to get enamored by it. Having it in your aquarium is assuredly a treat for the eye. It has the scientific name Synchiropus Spendidus and is the perfect example of what saltwater or marine fishes can offer in an aquarium.

Coming from the Pacific Ocean, they are a mixture of magnificent colors, such as blue, green, and yellow, the blue tints are spread around their body in stripes.

But to have such a captivating and glamorous fish in your aquarium, you will have to take care of it properly. They are somewhat easy to care for, and most of it is similar to what you do with other fishes. The only thing you will find trouble with is its diet. But aquarists are passionate people, and you can overcome any task.

The Green Dragon Mandarin don’t move around too much and like to kill time hanging around in the substrate.  

In this article, we’ll take you through a guide to taking care of this magnificent marine species. So, now let us get on with it.  

General Characteristics

Lifespan and Size of Green Mandarin Dragonet  

The Green Mandarin Dragonets can reach up to a size of about 3 to 4 inches (7.6cm to 10cm). 4 inches is about the maximum size that they can reach. A Green Mandarin Dragonet can live for about five years in an aquarium. 

Diet Of Green Mandarin Dragonet  

The diet of Green Mandarin Dragonet is the hardest or the most complicated part of owning one of them. They have a unique or specific diet. These species of fish are carnivores and their food includes small invertebrates, the favorite being the copepods.

As they mostly eat live foods so it is better you have live rocks in your aquarium so that the copepods can exist for your Mandarins to eat. You can buy copepods and keep restocking them as one batch finishes. But it can become costly as these Mandarins gobble them up every chance they get.  

Instead of buying copepods again and again you can breed them. First what you can do is get a larger tank. With larger tanks, the copepods can breed and some can get themselves acquainted in hiding spots. Another best way is to get a refugium. Getting a refugium is probably the better option.  

As you know copepods are their favorite food, but there are alternatives for everything. You can feed them amphipods, live brine shrimp, artemia, and frozen foods as well.

But to make them start eating frozen foods, you must first provide it along with copepods. The Green Mandarin Dragonet will slowly begin to get and like the taste of frozen foods and eventually start eating them. 

Taking Care of Green Mandarin Dragonet  

Now lets get on to the care of Green Mandarin Dragonet. Setting their diet aside other aspects are quite simple.  

Tank Size of Green Mandarin Dragonet  

When it comes to their tank size, a Green Mandarin Dragonet needs a minimum of a 30-gallon size tank. They need a larger tank because you need copepods in the tank otherwise in a smaller tank they can gobble up the pods in a matter of minutes. You will have to give them some space for pods to breed. If you keep them in a smaller tank the pods will be over in an instant and they won’t have anything to eat. This also means that if you are planning to keep a pair then you will need a 60-gallon tank.  

Temperature and Water Parameters 

Green mandarin Dragonets prefer temperatures ranging from 73℉ to 81℉. In the matter of water parameters, their sweet spots are pH levels of 8.1 to 8.4 and dKH levels of 8 to 12. They prefer salinity levels of 1.020 to 1.025. Keep these species in such conditions and they won’t face any problems. They will live to be healthy and free from harm. 

Tank setup and care  

For Green Mandarin Dragonet, let’s first begin with a large tank. A large tank is a must for the copepods, and the importance is already spelled out. Live rocks are a must as these species won’t be able to get nutrition without them. The substrate is best if you use live sands. You will also require rocks and corals for them to have some hiding spaces.  

In terms of pieces of equipment a filter, protein skimmer, and heater are a must. You will have to keep the water temperature and water parameters in the proper ranges. Temperature fluctuation doesn’t go well with them. It is also important that you maintain the cleanliness of the water and keep the toxic chemicals at bay. If you don’t, they can get sick.

A water pump is not necessary as not much water movement is required. You must also do water changes of about 10 to 20 percent.

Remember during water changes, the water you will be adding must be similar to the conditions of the water in the aquarium. You must do this to not shock the Dragonet. If you’re worried about parasites, you need not as they don’t have scales, and their body is covered with mucous. 

Green Mandarin Dragonets can fall sick easily if the water parameters are not right and if the water is not clean, and inadequate nutrition. You will need to look out for sicknesses such as discoloration, fin rot, cloudy eyes, wounds, and loss of appetite.

Copper medications also should not be used to treat them. But the best thing you can do is keep the water parameters right and water changes. 

Tank Mates for Green Mandarin Dragonet  

Green mandarin Dragonets are not aggressive at all and spend their time looking for copepods. They won’t disturb other species. But what you must know is who you will keep them with. As with other species, they will eventually fall into a competition for food. With them being slow and peaceful, they will lose the battle for food. Keeping two male Green Mandarin Dragonets is not wise as well, as they can show aggression towards one another. So if you want to keep a pair, you should keep a male and a female.  

The best species of fish that you can keep them with are Clownfish, Firefish, Royal Gramma, Watchman Goby, Green Chromis, Pajama Cardinals, Small Damselfish, and Coral Beauty. You can keep them with snails, crabs, and Seahorses as well. They do well with Corals as well, but don’t keep them with Anemones. 

Cost of Green Mandarin Dragonet  

You can get a Green Mandarin Dragonet for yourself easily as they are a popular choice of fish. You can get them in aquarium stores and online as well. The price of the fish can range from $25 to $50. Keeping them is costly as well. Their specific and the need for live rocks and all can make them pricy to keep. 

So a Green Dragon Mandarin is a fish worth keeping. Its graceful appearance is dazzling. Owning it can be difficult because of its diet. But once you get a hang of it, you won’t have any problems. It isn’t that costly, and you can get your hands on it easily.

Although setting up the tank for it and keeping it can be costly. The main thing is its diet which can cost you bulk at the initial stages. So it’s better to think first rather than be impulsive by its appearance.