Sad Day,,,

[micki]

Well I was looking in my tank and noticed my female mandarin acting weird.  I then notice my normally fat happy male mandarin wasn't looking so good.  His fins looked jagged and he was laying on the bottom barely breathing.  The female was bitting him.  It actually looked like she was biting his eyes. I can't figure out if she was attacking him or trying to get him to go with her.  They were just starting to seem like a "pair"  ;(    Unlike a lot of mandarins, he was out and about 99% of the time.  She was starting to be out almost as much as him as of late.  I have no idea what happened.  He was one of the fattest mandarins I have ever seen!  She was quite a bit smaller than he was. I've had him for 2 years and her for about 8 or 9 months.   

[Hunter21]

awwwwe....micki...I'm sorry to hear about your mandarin.  It's so hard losing fish...sometimes I hate being in this hobby for that very reason!

[micki]

thanks Erin. He was just so fat and healthy...

[rmstevensiii]

Sorry to hear about your loss Micki

[Hunter21]

did he look sickly at all while she was biting him?

[micki]

Thanks rmstevensiii...

Erin, yes he was barely breathing and looked a bit beaten up.  If they were really a mated pair I would guess she was trying to get him to move with her.  I've never seen them fight.  He was a LOT bigger than she is so I doub't that had anything to do with it.  He was just one of those fat happy mandarins that would even swim against my hand when I would be working in the tank.  She will not come near me if I'm in there. 

[BobbyC]

Sorry to hear about your fish micki.  Did you notice any aggression or unusual behavior from any other fish that may have done the damage?

[REDPYRO]

i think it the one got old and didnt like the other one wink wink

[micki]

Thanks Bobby. I haven't notcied any problems with the mandarins.  The tangs get into it every now and then, but still nothing too bad. 

Maybe you're right Matt.  I'm guessing as big as he was when I got him he might have been older. 

[aquavista99]

Sorry to hear about your loss, Micki. I have a male mandarin fish as well.

In the wild mandarin fish are expected to live between 10 to 15 years. In captivity, however the lifespan is greatly reduced due to dietary requirements. On average, mandarin fish live between 2 to 4 years in captivity.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Synchiropus_splendidus.html

[micki]

Thanks Tim.  The article if very good. Maybe he was just at the end of his life cycle. 

[micki]

Ok, this is kind of strange...  My female is acting really weird.  She is swimming to the top of the tank and just hanging out there.  She sometimes swims against the current with no trouble and sometimes lets the current take her for a ride.  She looks fine other wise.  She will then swim to the bottom and fight with her reflection.  I wonder if she is in mourning? 

All the other fish look like they are doing fine.