Who Gives A Fish Forums

Mandarin's are a stunning species. If I'm being honest, they're the one reason I'd consider a marine setup.

He's got some similarities to my Metriaclima Zebra Maisoni, particularly around the head, but the darker fin colouration is quite different. I'd be interested to see how his breeding colours develop when he's with a female, might be worth taking another photo then.

From what I've learned about these species, I think the substrate can cause issues for the new heads as they grow. I personally attach my plugs to a piece of rubble using putty - this way, I can easily remove the rubble if I need to relocate it.

I'm always wary about messing with my water parameters too much, it can get expensive and you could end up causing more harm than good. If I was in your shoes, I'd ask the breeder what they use and what the parameters are before making any changes. I mean, the fish might be tank-bred and used to ...