Interesting Behavior

I think mandarins like predators. Our mandarin used to share a cave with snow flake eel, and was never pushed around by the lion or the trigger.

They sure do it's in their slime coats. I'm not exactly sure what the toxin/unpalatable chemical they produce but it must be pretty good. They tend to be quite fearless and anything that small from a great big old sea must really be able to pack quite a punch.
chris

sorry i dont want to steal your post but i wanted to know if i could any type of dragonet. i know you need a really established tank and all but i wanted to if i could do it in a two month old 30 gallon. i know that they pretty much only eat pods and stuff like that but my tank has so many i can see them swimming in the current and there are all over the walls i also set up some little hiding places for them that i made out of little cave like structures in the sand but i just put a piece of pvc pipe in there the other day and i can see them crawling around in there.

thanks im only asking

Pleaase don't put a mandarin in your tank yet. They need a tank that has been set up for at least 6 mo. Even though you see all those pods, a mandarin would make short work of them in no time. IMO, a mandarin needs a tank with a refugium setup so as to produce the greatest amount of pods at any given time. Maybe a hob refugium would work for you. I am considering doing that to my tank.