Yellow Mandarin Goby

Yellow Mandarin Goby - A Stunning Jewel of the Reef

The Yellow Mandarin Goby (also known as the Yellow Mandarin Dragonet) is one of the most visually striking fish available to reef keepers. With its psychedelic pattern of electric blue, yellow, and orange markings, this captivating fish is a true living work of art that will mesmerize anyone who sees your aquarium.

Key Features:

• Breathtaking Coloration: Vibrant yellow body adorned with intricate blue and orange patterns that seem hand-painted
• Unique Behavior: Graceful, deliberate movements as it hunts for copepods across rockwork and substrate
• Reef Safe: Completely safe with all corals and invertebrates; peaceful temperament
• Natural Pest Control: Actively hunts copepods, amphipods, and other microfauna
• Captive-Bred Advantage: Our captive-bred specimens are trained to accept prepared foods, greatly improving long-term success

Important Care Requirements:

Tank Size: Minimum 30 gallons; 50+ gallons recommended for established copepod population
Experience Level: Intermediate to Advanced - requires special feeding considerations
Diet: Primarily copepods and amphipods; captive-bred specimens accept frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp, and enriched mysis
Temperament: Peaceful; may be territorial with other dragonets
Reef Compatibility: Excellent - will not harm corals or invertebrates

Critical Success Factors:

Established Tank Required: Your aquarium should be mature (6+ months old) with a thriving population of copepods and amphipods. A refugium with macroalgae helps maintain a sustainable food source.

Feeding Strategy: While wild-caught mandarins can be challenging to feed, our captive-bred Yellow Mandarin Gobies have been trained to accept frozen foods, significantly improving their chances of long-term success. Supplement with live copepod cultures to ensure optimal nutrition.

Tank Mates: Avoid housing with aggressive feeders that may outcompete the mandarin for food. Only one dragonet per tank unless you have a very large, well-established system.

Why Choose Captive-Bred?

Captive-bred Yellow Mandarin Gobies offer significant advantages over wild-caught specimens: they're already acclimated to aquarium life, trained to accept prepared foods, and don't impact wild reef populations. This gives you the best chance of long-term success with this spectacular species.

Our Yellow Mandarin Gobies are carefully selected, quarantined, and eating a variety of foods before shipment. Each fish is backed by our live arrival guarantee, ensuring your new jewel arrives healthy and ready to thrive in your established reef system.