looking for a peacful purple reef safe fish

Can't believe people are saying that Orchid dottybacks are peaceful. In my opinion all dottybacks are jerks. I've ripped apart a tank to get rid of a orchid dottybacks because of aggression issues.

A royal gramma is a whole lot more peaceful.

Coral beauty's can be reef safe but again they have some agression issues.

If you want a nice peaceful purple fish I would look at a purple tilefish or a blackcap basslet.
I've never had agression issues with blackcaps. They will though defend there cave/home.

Good luck. You could always go the wrasse route; lineatus are a beautiful purple and would only be aggressive to another wrasse.
 
I've kept a dottyback in my tanks for 13 years never had any issue. I've only heard of one confirmed case of an aggressive orchid in all the years I've been around.
 
Probably all in the individual fish, but I had a whole terror and a couple of my friends will only house them in a aggressive tank.
 
No this was a true orchid, black streak through the eyes. I don't know I just would never recommend one to someone, based on my experience.
 
Royal Gramma aggresive? I dunno? I could be an exception, but my first two fish were a firefish and royal gramma lfs purchase. Then this week I added a fairy wrasse (the cheap one) a mcclusker wrasse, a purple firefish and a purple dottyback.

My observation so far with the dottyback is that he is the most timid of the lot. Always hiding in the rockwork except for feeding time. One of the wrasse's is the largest and the original two are holding their own so I'm starting to think it's all to do with tank size and room to flit to. So yea I have purple on a budget. I'm only afraid I might be addicted to wrasse's now that I have inexpensive one's that color up a mostly bleak tank. A beginner's opinion/input.
 
Whether a fish will be aggressive is a function of a lot of variables - tank size, other fish, layout .... and the temperament of the individual fish. I bought a Splendid Dottyback from a local reefer who was having aggression issues with it in his tank, yet it has been a model citizen (and at the bottom of the pecking order) in my tank. ANY fish, frankly, can be aggressive, given the right set of circumstances. The key is to avoid those fish that are downright mean always. In my 30 years of reefing I only had two of these: a Sohal Tang in a 300 gal (just an evil fish) and a large three-stripe damsel in a 180 gal (also evil).
 
@Ca1ore
In my first post I explained the amount of fish in my tank as well as a the size of the tank. With your experience could you predict or give an educated guess as to how the outcome will be?
 
I would recommend both the Orchid Dottyback and Royal Gramma. I have both in my tank along with a number if other peaceful fish and have never had a problem with either.

The orchid is an active hunter and is always cruising the rocks for food. He's fun to watch swim. The royal gramma doesn't seem to be an active hunter but is also always out in the open.

If you get either if these fish be careful on adding any small (enough to eat) decorative shrimp. I added some peppermints a while back and they were quickly eaten!
 
Size is the issue. If you have large fish and small shrimp then yes. That was my issue. And that could possibly go for any fish that you want to get. For a reference my fish are in the 4 inch range and the peppermints were 1/2 inch long at best.

I DO have a cleaner shrimp and larger peppermint shrimp with the gramma and dottyback with no issues.

If your inverts are adjusted to the tank and decent sized and you introduce smaller fish then you should be ok.
 
I had one a few years ago in a reef, no problems. What sorts of corals do you plan on keeping? Some corals are riskier than others, but I had mine with open brains and zoas no problem. Each fish is an individual though.
 
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