Dottybacks for a 110 gallon reef tank.

longranger

New member
I am just starting to get my 110 gallon reef tank up and rolling. Will have reel reef rock, sand and water in it in a day or 2 and then start adding fish slowly after it stabilizes. Will start with a few corals, a rose nem and a pair of clowns.

Want a couple of Dottybacks that will get along with my planned purchase of a Melanurus wrasse and possibly one more similar size wrasse. Suggestions on specific varieties would help me narrow down my now oversized wish list.

Over time also plan a couple of tangs(smaller), maybe crosshatch trigger pair, disposable cleanup crew etc..
 
Thanks for the advice. It would be my first attempt to keep them. LOL thought the wrasses and triggers were the nastiest.
 
I used to have a neon dotty in my 36g. I introduced it with my firefish and 2 clowns at the same time and never had any aggression between fish for over 4 months, but I couldn't keep a single shrimp and everyone that i did add got torn to bits in minutes so out he came. shame because he was a beautiful fish.
 
I have a neon dottyback in a 400G tank and every time I am a new fish despite size, color, or anything he hunts them down and harasses them. And this is in a 8' x 3' x 30" tank with tons of rock. If you must get one make it the last fish and be ready for some aggression.
 
I would look at the orchid dottyback... pretty docile for a dottyback. The few that Ive had havent been very aggressive.
 
+2 for Orchids. These are not your standard troublemaking dottybacks and the purple is nearly neon its so bright. An absolutely stunning fish. Have kept mine singly with never an issue. I should note to the OP that some of the tankmates were three Halicheores wrasses, very similar to your Melanurus. If anything they can be a bit reclusive.
 
Excellent. The Neon and Orchid were my top 2 choices. So maybe I will chance a couple of Orchids.

Good deal. The neons are an awesome fish looks wise but much more aggressive than the Orchid. I'm sure you'll be happy with this decision.
No certainty that two will get along unless they form a male/female pair. I know that Bax has done this successfully in the past so maybe shoot a PM for help in pairing them up.
Good Luck.
 
my captive bred orchid pair is very docile. THis is the second pair I have had, the first pair was also very docile. Lived with sunburst anthias and other docile tankmates no problem.
 
Whats shocking about putting a nem in a tank early in it's stocking cycle?

It is not generally a good idea. Nems really need a mature stabile system for successful acclimation, most say a year as a minimum. It can be done like most everything else but it will significantly reduce your chance of success.
 
Thank you for the advice. I honestly would do things that way if I could keep more than one tank long term at once. As it is my wife is ready to kill me while I cycle the new 110 gallon tank before tearing down the 45. I am sure she will want to kill me again when it gets set back up as a QT tank in future months.LOL
 
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