Coolest Fish in House

After a 14-year hiatus of keeping mandarins, I must admit, they are slowly creeping up on my list of favorite fish.

My motivation is being driven partly by photography; I have a vision. You know the images of dozens of Tridacna clams in different colors and sizes, squished together with their mantles touching? Yep, I want a picture of mandarins; Greens and Spotteds, all captive-raised and squished together to form a puzzle your grandfather couldn’t figure out. A picture that says “Wow”.

Coolest Fish in the House

But, as always, a vision is far from the final product, so I thought I would share a bit of my struggle to get the image. It hasn’t happened yet, but I am hopeful and continue to snap some shots along the way.

Though somewhat similar to the Greens, Spotteds offer something entirely different. At first, it is the color and psychedelic pattern of this fish that commands attention. Mint green with orange bullseyes, a striking fish for sure. But, after a time, it is their personality that shines through and earns them a spot on the list of family favorites. Both species of mandarins are undeniably popular in the aquarium trade, but recently, my Spotteds hold the rank of coolest fish in the house.

The spotted mandarins sleep together, perched in the same rock, every night. They forage the tank side by side and are quite active in hunting frozen foods from the water column. Spotteds seem a bit easier to train to frozen fare and often take frozen mysids straight out of the pet shop.

Sure, weaning is sometimes necessary and the "Matt Pedersen, Put Them in a Breeder Box and Feed Them Live ''Artemia'' Until They Take Frozen Trick" works wonders. (See: Breeding the Green Mandarin.)
http://microcosmaqx.typepad.com/matt_wittenrich/aquariums/.