More than 1 dottyback per tank?

[Larah]

I've heard that one per tank is the limit, unless it's quite a large tank...
As previously stated mine is 60 gal.. I have one purple stripe pseudochromis, would like an orchic dottyback too, is it possible?

 

[realest]

don't do it, i have a 55gal with 2 of them. They will battle each other to one drops!!

 

[Larah]

Darn...that's what I thought....
thanks so much for the info and your input, 'preciate ti!

 

[camlov2]

I have a bicolor "royal" dottyback that I though was pretty easygoing. Then I tried to add another fish that was near the same size. My son calls him royal but my nickname for him is now "devil". I couldn't return the other fish to the fish store until the next day, he didn't make it. I guess any fish near the same shape as him is a threat and he decided to deal with that threat.
Sorry for the bad news.

Brian

 

[Larah]

Yeah, I had a feeling it was gonna be liek that.. Thanks for the benefit of your experience... If it makes you feel any better, I will learn from your "devil"....LOL!

 

[Sangogo]

My tank has one dottyback, a bicolor dottyback . . . and it was one dottyback too many. He has chased countless fish to their deaths, and he was impossible to catch.

Luckily, when first setting up the calcium reactor, I accidentally put too much CO2 in at once and all of the fish were in a paralyzed state, which let me scoop out dottyback and throw him in the sump. (I do not recommend this method . . . I thought I was going to lose all my fish when it first happened.)

Moral of this story. No more dottybacks for me.

 

[tmz]

Agreed. no more than one. One can be nasty depending on the other fish you keep.

 

[camlov2]

If you ever get a chance to remove the one you have I would (unless you are strongly attached). A royal Gramma, six line wrasse, and many others would probably make better tank mates.


Brian

 

[tmz]

Agree on the gramma but not the Psuedocheilinus hexataenia (six line wrasse). These wrasses can terrorize a tank.

 

[Larah]

really? I had heard that the sixline wrasse was fairly peacful...
So far Mr. Dotttyback has been ok... So logn as no one messe with his "spot" we're all good...

 

[dileggi]

I have one indigo dotty in a 29g with 2 chromis and 2 clowns. So far, knock on wood, he hasn't bothered anyone else. The dotty was the last one in the tank. The other 4 were already in there for a few months before the dotty was added.

I was looking at possibly one more small fish...a lawnmower blenny. The person at my LFS suggested even the blenny may be too close in body shape to the dotty. I have not tried the blenny yet.

 

[Larah]

Hmmmmm... well I dunno... Maybe I'll try it for you and let you know.. I'm game to be a guinea pig! LOL!
When I put mine in I had a blue damse. I no longer have the blue damsel.... But not because the dottyback did anything... I hunted the damsel down and took him out...
He grabbed my dottyback by the tail and swung him around slamming him into the glass like a WWF fighter...
Damsel go bye bye......

 

[dileggi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11613535#post11613535 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Larah
Hmmmmm... well I dunno... Maybe I'll try it for you and let you know.. I'm game to be a guinea pig! LOL!
When I put mine in I had a blue damse. I no longer have the blue damsel.... But not because the dottyback did anything... I hunted the damsel down and took him out...
He grabbed my dottyback by the tail and swung him around slamming him into the glass like a WWF fighter...
Damsel go bye bye......

Hmmm, ouch? LOL! My only issue with adding the lawnmower is the size of my tank. One, I'm not certain because I don't want to over-do the bioload. Secondly, back to the dotty! haha!

 

[sharko88]

Taking the risk of war there.

 

[steri]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11613156#post11613156 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
I have one indigo dotty in a 29g with 2 chromis and 2 clowns. So far, knock on wood, he hasn't bothered anyone else. The dotty was the last one in the tank. The other 4 were already in there for a few months before the dotty was added.

I was looking at possibly one more small fish...a lawnmower blenny. The person at my LFS suggested even the blenny may be too close in body shape to the dotty. I have not tried the blenny yet.

I don't know if the size or the shape makes too big of a difference. I have one in my tank. They are just a VERY territorial fish. Once a fish becomes territorial, aggression shortly follows. Mine was the last fish I added, so I thought I might be safe. I was for about 4 months. Then he got more risky and started picking on my firefish, clown, blue tang, and even my flame angel. He did this for a few days until my rock beauty angel saw him doing it and put him in his place. He still tries to bully fish in the tank, especially if they come anywhere near "his" cave, but my rock beauty continues to keep him in check. These fish are very territorial. There are beautiful in color, but you should not have 2 in a tank. If I knew then what I know now, I would have gotten a gramma!

Personally I don't think a blenny is fast enough to evade a dottyback. If the blenny is added after the dottyback, I am willing to place a pretty sure bet, he will get picked on significantly.

 

[Larah]

Well I caved in and got the blenny...Damn he's cute! So far they're ok.. as long as everyone stays away from the dottyback's cave, all is right with the world....LOL!

 

[Larah]

Man you all are right, that Dottyback is a mean little sucker... so any thoughts, opinions etc on what I can get to replace Mr. dottyback?

 

[tmz]

really? I had heard that the sixline wrasse was fairly peacful

That was not my experience. My sixline killed fairy wrasses and other things until I inadvertanly left the tank open and it jumped . Check out some of the postings on this fish. Many others have had problems with aggression.