The ruby red dragonet ( Synchiropus sycorax ) is a captivating fish, instantly recognizable for its vibrant coloration and unique swimming style. Its shimmering red body, adorned with intricate patterns, makes it a prized addition to many saltwater aquariums. However, beneath the beauty lies a reputation for being challenging to keep. So, are ruby red dragonets truly hard to keep? The answer, as with many things in reef keeping, is nuanced and depends largely on your experience, tank setup, and understanding of the fish’s specific needs.
Understanding the Ruby Red Dragonet’s Needs
Before even considering adding a ruby red dragonet to your aquarium, it’s crucial to understand its dietary requirements and environmental preferences. These fish are not suitable for beginner reef keepers and require a mature, well-established reef environment to thrive.
Dietary Demands: A Constant Feast
The primary reason ruby red dragonets are considered difficult is their specialized diet. They are primarily copepod eaters. Copepods are tiny crustaceans that live in the substrate and on live rock within a reef aquarium. These dragonets spend their days actively hunting these small creatures, pecking at rocks and sand in search of their next meal.
Unlike some fish that readily accept prepared foods, ruby red dragonets often refuse to eat anything other than live copepods. This presents a significant challenge for many aquarists. Without a sufficient supply of copepods, the dragonet will slowly starve, even if it appears to be actively foraging.
The challenge isn’t simply providing copepods; it’s maintaining a sustainable and constant supply of them within the aquarium. Overfishing by the dragonet can quickly decimate the copepod population, leading to starvation.
Tank Environment: Mimicking the Natural Reef
Ruby red dragonets originate from specific regions and prefer a mature reef environment. Replicating this environment in your aquarium is crucial for their well-being.
Water Parameters: Stability is Key
Like all saltwater fish, ruby red dragonets require stable water parameters. Sudden fluctuations in temperature, salinity, pH, or alkalinity can stress the fish and make it more susceptible to disease. Regular testing and maintenance are essential. The ideal parameters are as follows:
- Temperature: 72-78°F (22-26°C)
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 specific gravity
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity: 8-12 dKH
- Ammonia: 0 ppm
- Nitrite: 0 ppm
- Nitrate: <10 ppm
Tank Size and Setup: Plenty of Room to Roam
A minimum tank size of 30 gallons is recommended for a single ruby red dragonet. Larger tanks are always better, as they provide more space for the fish to roam and forage, and they are also more stable in terms of water parameters. The tank should be densely aquascaped with live rock, providing ample hiding places and surfaces for copepods to colonize.
The substrate should be a fine sand bed to allow copepods to burrow and reproduce. A deep sand bed (DSB) is even more beneficial, as it provides an even larger habitat for copepods and other beneficial invertebrates.
Strong water flow is not necessary and can even be detrimental, as it can make it difficult for the dragonet to hunt copepods. Moderate flow is sufficient to keep the water clean and oxygenated.
The Key to Success: Copepod Cultivation and Supplementation
The cornerstone of successfully keeping ruby red dragonets is ensuring a constant and sufficient supply of copepods. This typically involves a combination of natural copepod populations within the tank and supplemental feeding.
Establishing a Thriving Copepod Population
Before introducing a ruby red dragonet to your aquarium, it’s essential to establish a thriving copepod population. This can be achieved by adding live copepods to the tank several weeks or even months before introducing the fish.
Copepods can be purchased from online retailers or local fish stores. When adding copepods to the tank, it’s important to turn off the protein skimmer and other filtration devices that may remove them from the water.
Providing refuges for copepods is also crucial. A refugium, a separate chamber attached to the main tank, is an ideal place to cultivate copepods. Refugiums are typically filled with live rock, macroalgae (such as chaeto), and a sand bed. The macroalgae provides a food source and shelter for the copepods, allowing them to reproduce and thrive.
Supplemental Feeding: Bridging the Gap
Even with a well-established copepod population, supplemental feeding may be necessary to ensure the ruby red dragonet receives enough food. This is especially true in smaller tanks or when keeping multiple dragonets.
There are several ways to supplement the dragonet’s diet:
- Culturing copepods at home: Culturing your own copepods is the most reliable way to ensure a constant supply of live food. This requires some initial investment in equipment and time, but it can be a very rewarding experience.
- Commercial copepod cultures: Live copepod cultures can be purchased from online retailers. While this is a convenient option, it can be expensive in the long run.
- Frozen copepods: Some ruby red dragonets will accept frozen copepods, although this is not always the case. If you choose to try frozen copepods, be sure to thaw them thoroughly before feeding.
- Prepared Foods: Rarely, ruby red dragonets will accept high-quality, small-particle prepared foods. It’s worth trying, but don’t rely on this as their primary food source.
The key to successful supplemental feeding is to offer small amounts of food frequently throughout the day. This mimics the dragonet’s natural feeding behavior and ensures that the food is available when the fish is actively hunting.
Choosing the Right Ruby Red Dragonet
Not all ruby red dragonets are created equal. Selecting a healthy and well-acclimated fish is crucial for success.
Observing the Fish Before Purchase
Before purchasing a ruby red dragonet, carefully observe the fish in the store’s aquarium. Look for the following signs of health:
- Bright coloration: A healthy ruby red dragonet will have vibrant red coloration.
- Active swimming: The fish should be actively swimming and foraging.
- Good body condition: The fish should not be thin or emaciated.
- No signs of disease: Look for any signs of disease, such as white spots, cloudy eyes, or labored breathing.
Quarantine: A Crucial Step
Always quarantine new fish before introducing them to your main display tank. Quarantine allows you to observe the fish for any signs of disease and treat it if necessary. A quarantine tank should be a small, simple aquarium with a heater, filter, and some hiding places.
During quarantine, offer the fish a variety of foods to see what it will eat. Observe the fish closely for any signs of stress or disease.
Potential Challenges and Solutions
Even with the best care, keeping ruby red dragonets can present challenges. Being aware of these potential problems and having solutions ready is essential.
Starvation: The Biggest Threat
Starvation is the most common cause of death in ruby red dragonets. To prevent starvation, closely monitor the fish’s body condition. If the fish starts to look thin or its belly appears sunken, it’s a sign that it’s not getting enough food.
If you suspect that your dragonet is starving, increase the frequency and amount of supplemental feeding. You may also need to add more copepods to the tank.
Competition: Avoiding Conflicts
Ruby red dragonets can be territorial, especially towards other dragonets or similar-looking fish. Avoid keeping multiple ruby red dragonets in the same tank, unless the tank is very large and well-established.
It’s also important to avoid keeping the dragonet with other fish that may compete for copepods, such as mandarins or scooter blennies.
Disease: Recognizing and Treating Ailments
Like all saltwater fish, ruby red dragonets are susceptible to various diseases, such as ich (white spot disease) and velvet. Early detection and treatment are crucial for success.
If you notice any signs of disease, immediately quarantine the fish and treat it with appropriate medication.
The Verdict: Are They Hard to Keep?
So, are ruby red dragonets hard to keep? The answer is yes, they can be challenging, but not impossible. Success hinges on providing a mature reef environment with a thriving copepod population, supplementing their diet when necessary, and closely monitoring their health.
With proper research, planning, and dedication, even novice reef keepers can successfully keep these beautiful fish. However, it’s important to be realistic about the challenges involved and to be prepared to put in the extra effort required. If you’re willing to commit to meeting their specific needs, ruby red dragonets can be a rewarding addition to your reef aquarium. Remember, responsible fish keeping is about understanding and fulfilling the needs of the animals in your care.
Are Ruby Red Dragonets truly difficult to keep, or is the difficulty overstated?
Ruby Red Dragonets have earned a reputation for being challenging, and unfortunately, this reputation is largely accurate. Their specialized feeding habits are the primary reason for this difficulty. They are micropredators, exclusively feeding on small invertebrates known as copepods and amphipods that live within the live rock in a mature reef aquarium. If these food sources are insufficient, the dragonet will slowly starve to death, even if seemingly eating other foods offered.
That being said, the difficulty isn’t insurmountable. With careful planning, diligent observation, and a dedicated approach to creating a thriving copepod population within the aquarium, a Ruby Red Dragonet can flourish. A stable, well-established reef tank with abundant live rock and a refugium can provide the necessary environment. Regular supplementation with copepods and attention to water quality are also crucial factors for long-term success.
What size tank is appropriate for a Ruby Red Dragonet?
A minimum tank size of 30 gallons is generally recommended for a single Ruby Red Dragonet. While they are small fish, their need for a significant copepod population necessitates a larger environment. A smaller tank might struggle to maintain a sustainable supply of their natural food source, leading to starvation. Larger tanks, naturally, will offer a more stable and diverse environment, making it easier to establish and maintain the necessary ecosystem.
Furthermore, a larger tank provides the Dragonet with ample space to forage and establish its territory. This is especially important if you are considering keeping a pair, as adequate space is necessary to minimize aggression and competition for food. Overcrowding can also negatively impact water quality, which can stress the Dragonet and make it more susceptible to disease.
What water parameters are crucial for keeping Ruby Red Dragonets healthy?
Maintaining pristine water quality is paramount for the health and well-being of Ruby Red Dragonets. This includes stable and appropriate levels of temperature (72-78°F), salinity (1.024-1.026 specific gravity), pH (8.1-8.4), alkalinity (8-12 dKH), calcium (400-450 ppm), and magnesium (1250-1350 ppm). Regular testing and maintenance are essential to keep these parameters within the recommended ranges.
Equally important are low levels of nitrates and phosphates. These nutrients can fuel algae blooms and negatively impact the overall health of the reef system, including the Dragonet. Regular water changes, the use of protein skimmers, and the implementation of refugia can help to keep these levels under control. Consistent and diligent monitoring is crucial for long-term success.
How do I ensure my tank has enough copepods for a Ruby Red Dragonet?
Establishing and maintaining a thriving copepod population is critical for the long-term survival of a Ruby Red Dragonet. The foundation of this effort lies in a well-established reef tank with plenty of live rock, which provides ample habitat for copepods to breed and flourish. A refugium, a separate compartment within the aquarium system, is highly beneficial for cultivating copepods as it offers a safe haven away from predators.
Supplementing the copepod population with commercially available cultures is often necessary, especially when initially introducing the Dragonet or when the population appears to be dwindling. Regularly adding copepods to the refugium and introducing them directly into the display tank at night, when the Dragonet is most active, can help ensure a constant supply of food. Avoiding over-aggressive fish that might prey on copepods will also benefit the population.
What are the signs that a Ruby Red Dragonet is not getting enough food?
Recognizing the signs of starvation early is crucial for preventing irreversible damage to a Ruby Red Dragonet. One of the first indicators is a visible thinning of the body, particularly around the head and dorsal area. The Dragonet may also exhibit lethargic behavior, spending more time resting on the substrate and showing less interest in foraging.
Another telltale sign is a change in the Dragonet’s behavior. They may become more active during the day, constantly searching for food, even if the tank lights are on. If the Dragonet is spending more time picking at the glass or other surfaces where they are unlikely to find copepods, it is a strong indication that they are not finding enough food within the live rock. Immediate intervention, such as supplementing with copepods, is necessary.
Can Ruby Red Dragonets be trained to eat frozen or other supplemental foods?
While some Ruby Red Dragonets can be trained to accept frozen or other supplemental foods, it is not a reliable method and should not be the sole source of nutrition. They are naturally inclined to feed on live copepods, and their digestive systems are optimized for this type of diet. Relying solely on supplemental foods can lead to malnutrition and other health problems.
The best approach is to focus on establishing a thriving copepod population within the tank. If you choose to attempt training, offer small amounts of finely chopped frozen mysis shrimp or cyclops near the Dragonet during feeding times. Patience and persistence are key, and even with diligent effort, success is not guaranteed. Continually monitoring the Dragonet’s body condition is crucial, regardless of their acceptance of supplemental foods.
What are the common diseases that affect Ruby Red Dragonets, and how can they be prevented?
Ruby Red Dragonets, like other marine fish, can be susceptible to various diseases, with parasitic infections like ich (white spot disease) and velvet being the most common. These infections are often triggered by stress, poor water quality, or the introduction of infected fish into the aquarium. Quarantine new fish for several weeks before introducing them to the main tank to prevent the spread of disease.
Maintaining excellent water quality and providing a stress-free environment are the best defenses against disease. Regular water changes, a stable temperature, and appropriate salinity levels will help boost the Dragonet’s immune system. Observe the Dragonet regularly for any signs of illness, such as white spots, cloudy eyes, or erratic swimming behavior, and address any issues promptly. Early detection and treatment are crucial for a successful recovery.