Description

The Ruby Red Dragonet is a stunning nano reef fish prized for its intense red coloration, peaceful temperament, and unique hovering behaviour. Also known as the Ruby Red Scooter Dragonet, this species has become increasingly popular in reef aquariums due to its vibrant appearance and active personality.

Despite their smaller size, Ruby Red Dragonets require mature aquariums with established microfauna populations to thrive long term. When properly cared for, they become fascinating and rewarding additions to peaceful reef systems.

Scientific Name

Synchiropus sycorax

Common Names

• Ruby Red Dragonet
• Ruby Red Scooter Dragonet
• Ruby Scooter Fish

Care Level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Reef Safe

Yes — Completely reef safe

Minimum Tank Size

80L+ recommended

Maximum Size

Around 5–6cm

Lifespan

3–5+ years with proper care

Natural Habitat

Ruby Red Dragonets originate from the Indo-Pacific region where they inhabit sheltered reef zones, rubble areas, and sandy bottoms rich in copepods and microfauna. They spend most of their time slowly gliding across surfaces while hunting tiny live prey.

Diet & Feeding

Feeding is the most important aspect of Ruby Red Dragonet care.

In the wild, they constantly consume copepods and tiny crustaceans throughout the day. Many specimens struggle in immature aquariums lacking natural food sources.

Ideal Diet

• Live copepods
• Live amphipods
• Enriched baby brine shrimp
• Frozen cyclops
• Frozen roe
• Small frozen mysis (some individuals)

Well-established reef tanks with strong pod populations dramatically improve long-term success.

Some captive-bred specimens may accept prepared foods more readily than wild-caught fish.

Water Parameters

Recommended Parameters

• Salinity: 1.024–1.026
• Temperature: 24–26°C
• pH: 8.1–8.4
• Ammonia: 0ppm
• Nitrite: 0ppm
• Nitrate: <10ppm

Stable reef conditions are highly recommended.

Tank Setup

Ruby Red Dragonets thrive in mature reef aquariums with abundant rockwork and microfauna populations.

Ideal setup includes:

• Established live rock
• Refugium or pod-supporting system
• Gentle to moderate flow
• Peaceful tank mates
• Sand and rubble zones
• Mature aquarium aged 6+ months ideally

A mature ecosystem is significantly more important than tank size alone.

Compatibility

Ruby Red Dragonets are peaceful and reef safe, making them excellent additions to calm community aquariums.

Common Compatible Tank Mates

• Clownfish
• Gobies
• Firefish
• Small wrasses
• Cardinalfish
• Blennies
• Seahorses in specialised systems

Avoid Keeping With

• Aggressive wrasses
• Large hawkfish
• Dottybacks
• Fast competitive feeders
• Aggressive dragonets

They can easily be outcompeted for food by faster fish species.

Common Mistakes

Adding to New Tanks

One of the biggest causes of failure is placing Ruby Red Dragonets into immature aquariums without sufficient copepod populations.

Assuming They Eat Pellets

Many individuals ignore dry foods entirely and require live or frozen microfoods.

Keeping With Aggressive Feeders

Ruby Dragonets are slow, methodical feeders and may starve in heavily stocked community tanks.

Overlooking Body Condition

A healthy Ruby Red Dragonet should display a rounded belly. Sunken stomachs are early signs of malnutrition.

Fun Facts

• Ruby Red Dragonets “walk” and hover across surfaces using specialised fins.
• Their vivid red coloration makes them one of the most sought-after dragonet species in reef aquariums.
• Unlike many marine fish, they lack traditional scales and instead produce a protective mucus coating.
• Dragonets are closely related to Mandarin Fish and share similar feeding behaviours.

Why Buy Ruby Red Dragonets From Aquamarine Aquaristic?

At Aquamarine Aquaristic, we carefully observe feeding behaviour and overall condition before offering delicate species like Ruby Red Dragonets for sale. We strongly encourage proper mature reef setups to maximise long-term success and fish health.