Spotted Mandarin
Earns 137 Aqua Points, worth £1.37 off a future order. How points work
- Arrive alive guarantee
- Overnight, oxygen packed
- You pick the day
Livestock delivery, done properly
- Overnight insulated delivery on fish orders, £19.95, and free collection near Gatwick
- Arrive-alive promise plus our Perfect Health Arrival guarantee
- You choose the delivery day at checkout. We only show days we can genuinely deliver
- £35 minimum on livestock orders. Dry goods ship free alongside fish
Marine Fish Perfect Health Promise
All marine fish have a Perfect Health Arrival guarantee. For the following reasons, we cannot guarantee beyond that.
A number of different reasons can affect why a marine fish does not settle into its new environment. These range from:
- Unsuitable water conditions: incorrect pH, high ammonia and nitrite levels.
- Tank bullies: some marine fish are very passive and will not mix well with more boisterous tank mates.
- Incorrect tank size: please research the fish you are buying, as some will become stressed in a tank that is too small.
If you have any problems on arrival
Please contact us straight away and we will extend your guarantee until the fish is healthy again. You must call on the arrival day to activate this.
01293 749046Credit notes
If any of your aquatic life dies during our guarantees and has been acclimatised in a mature aquarium, please take a photo and email it across and we will send you a credit note.
Please email photographs of the deceased specimens to sales@aquaticstoyourdoor.co.uk.
About this fish
Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus)
What is its maximum size?
The Picturesque Dragonet can reach approximately 7 cm in length.
Where does it come from?
The Picturesque Dragonet originates from the Indo-West Pacific, including the Philippines, eastern Indonesia and north-western Australia. It is commonly found around sheltered coral reefs, sandy areas and coral rubble.
Is it reef compatible?
Yes. The Picturesque Dragonet is considered reef safe and will generally leave corals and larger ornamental invertebrates alone. It feeds on tiny crustaceans and other small organisms found naturally amongst live rock and sand.
What should I feed it?
The Picturesque Dragonet is a specialist feeder, naturally feeding on copepods, amphipods and other tiny crustaceans.
A varied diet can include:
Live copepods.
Enriched live brine shrimp.
Frozen mysis shrimp.
Cyclops and other suitably sized frozen foods.
Other small live crustaceans.
Some specimens can be difficult to train onto frozen foods, so a mature aquarium with a plentiful, established copepod population is strongly recommended. Regularly supplementing with live copepods may be necessary.
How many can I keep?
The Spotted Mandarin is best kept individually or as a compatible male-and-female pair.
Avoid keeping two males together, as they can become territorial and aggressive towards one another.
How compatible is it with other fish?
The Spotted mandarin is generally peaceful and suitable for peaceful reef community aquariums.
It may be bullied by larger, more aggressive fish or outcompeted for food by fast-feeding species. Avoid keeping it with aggressive tank mates and other fish that heavily compete for copepods.
Water Parameters
Temperature: 24–27°C
pH: 8.1–8.4
Specific gravity (salinity): 1.020–1.025
If it does not arrive alive, you do not pay for it.
Photograph the bag unopened, send it to us within four hours of delivery, and we will put it right with a refund or a replacement.* Our guarantee on marine fish covers their health on arrival. If anything concerns you, please ring us on the day they arrive and we will extend it until the fish is healthy again.
*Whether we refund or replace is our decision and depends on the fish and its cost. A replacement may travel with a future order rather than straight away.