Description
Spotted Mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus / Spotted Mandarin Dragonet)
A stunning and highly sought-after marine fish, the Spotted Mandarin is famous for its intricate pattern of blue, green, black, and orange spots. Peaceful and constantly foraging, this beautiful dragonet is a true jewel of the reef aquarium and a favourite among experienced marine aquarists.
Compatibility:
Peaceful. Excellent with clownfish, gobies, blennies, cardinalfish, and other non-aggressive community species. Avoid aggressive or highly competitive feeders that may outcompete it for food.
Reef Compatibility:
Reef-safe. Completely harmless to corals and most invertebrates, making it an ideal reef aquarium inhabitant.
Diet:
Carnivore – feeds primarily on copepods, amphipods, and other microfauna found within live rock and substrate. Some specimens can be trained onto frozen foods such as mysis shrimp and enriched brine shrimp, but a healthy pod population remains essential for long-term success.
Water Parameters:
- Temperature: 24–27°C
- Salinity: 1.023–1.026 SG
- pH: 8.1–8.4
- Minimum Tank Size: 120L
Care Level:
Moderate to Advanced – requires a mature aquarium with a well-established copepod population and stable water conditions. Not recommended for newly established systems.
Top Tip:
A refugium or dedicated copepod culture can greatly improve long-term success. Always ensure the fish is feeding well before purchase, as dietary requirements are the most important aspect of Spotted Mandarin care.
Click & Collect
Livestock will only be bagged once you arrive, or if you contact us in advance to request it ready beforehand.
Local Delivery
Order anything from our in-store range and have it delivered right to you.
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Minimum spend: £50
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Delivery from £15 - £30
- Range 0-25 miles from store
Distances are measured “as the crow flies”, not by road.
Once your order is placed, we’ll be in touch to arrange a suitable delivery date and time.
Please note, delivery may take a little longer as we often group orders together to build an efficient delivery run.
Important: If you’re ordering a large aquarium, please ensure someone is available to help unload the van on arrival.
Dry Goods Delivery
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DX Express: 1 working day, same-day dispatch before noon 0-75kg
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Express Pallet: 1–3 working days 75-500kg
If you'd like to add more items to an existing order that hasn't yet been dispatched, please place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to combine the orders.
Please note: We currently only dispatch parcels Wednesday to Friday.
Pre-Order
Want the full details? Check out our Terms & Conditions.
Livestock Delivery
Thursday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Wednesday afternoon
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Delivered Thursday before 1pm
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Order by Wednesday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Friday Delivery – £24
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Dispatched Thursday afternoon
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Delivered Friday before 1pm
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Order by Thursday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
Saturday Delivery – £29
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Dispatched Friday afternoon
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Delivered Saturday before 1pm
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Order by Friday 12 noon
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Minimum spend: £50
📦 Want to Add to an Existing Order?
No problem! Just place a Click & Collect order and leave a note asking us to link it with your original one (as long as it hasn’t been dispatched yet).
🛒 Dry Goods Now Included!
You can now include dry goods in your livestock delivery – perfect for topping up supplies in one go.
❄️ Please note: We can’t send frozen food with livestock – please order frozen items separately.
⚠️ Delivery Exclusions
Unfortunately, we’re unable to deliver livestock to the following postcodes:
Scotland & Isles:
AB30–AB56, DD8–DD10, DG3–DG9, DG12–DG14, FK17–FK21, KA18–KA19, KA26–KA30, PA20–PA38, PA80, PH3–PH40
Cornwall Isles: TR21–TR25
All of the following postcodes are excluded:
BT, HS, IM, IV, JE, KW
Plus Channel Islands and Shetland Islands
Payment & Security
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