Mandarinfish (Synchiropus Splendidus)

Species Name : Synchiropus Splendidus

Care Level : Difficult

Temperament : Peaceful

Color : Blue, Green, Orange,Red

Diet : Carnivore

Reef Compatible : Yes

Water Conditions : sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4

Max. Size : 3"

Origin : Philippines

Family : Callionymidae

Minimum Tank Size : 30 gallons

Synchiropus Splendidus, the Mandarinfish or Mandarin Dragonet, is a small, brightly colored member of the dragonet family, which is popular in the saltwater aquarium trade.

The body of the Mandarin goby is green or blue, or combinations of both colors, and is spectacularly decorated with orange wavy lines that run across it. The tail has a bright red coloring and an intense blue edge. Among the main body colors, you can often find other shades as well. The Mandarin goby usually grow up to 3 inches long, and males grow larger than females. The males can also be distinguished on their big and pointed dorsal fin. This fin is however only occasionally displayed. Its funny swimming gives the impression that it flies more than it swims. This is due to its constantly moving pectoral fins. It moves little by little, stopping often and changing direction frequently, like a butterfly. 

A 30-gallon tank or larger is recommended with many hiding places. Live rock is also an essential food source for the goby, and you will need at least 75 pounds of live rock for one Dragonet. If you don’t provide enough live rock, the fish will eat all the copepods on the rock. For that reason, it’s not recommended to add a Mandarin Dragonet to a new setup where there’s no established food supply, or your fish could starve. 

Generally a peaceful fish, but can be territorial and fight among their own species or similar species of the same sex. Tankmates should be of a similar size so that there’s no competition for food. Dragonets are very mild-mannered, and they won’t join in a scrum at feeding time, leaving them potentially hungry if their companions are too competitive. Ideally, you should choose fish who are peaceable, such as seahorses or those who eat a different diet.

Individuals that do acclimatize to aquarium food are considered to be quite hardy. Twice a day, target feeding is recommended, if the fish is eating non-live foods. Otherwise, be aware that this fish will graze constantly, picking copepods, amphipods, worms, etc. off your live rock and sand.

Size: Small: 1" to 1-1/2"; Medium: 1-1/2" to 2-1/2"; Large: 2-1/4" to 3"