neon dottyback aggression

[vid660]

I posted this in the New forum, but didn't get much of a response....

I bought a neon dottyback (3-3.5 inches long) from a LFS a couple days ago. I just had to have it! I told her what I had in my tank and she assured me they would all get along. Well......I need some advice.

Quick summary:
75g w/ 100 lbs LR
false perc
yellow wrasse
(2) firefish
mandarin goby
yellow watchman goby / pistol shrimp
scooter blenny
cleaner shrimp
peppermint shrimp

So far, I've noticed the neon dottyback pecking at the pistol shrimp, mandarin goby, scooter blenny, and the cleaner shrimp. He seems most aggressive towards the pistol shrimp. Although the pistol shrimp does his "pistol snap" and the dottyback goes away until he sees him again.

Will he calm down? Will this combination work long term?

 

[danorth]

I've got one, and it will be tough on new fish, especially a royal gramma it basically killed in a minute. But I've added damsels and even a zebra dartfish (Ptereleotris zebra) and all is fine now. Took a couple of days for the zebra to come out but it is all good now. The dottyback can hang with a big crowd, and I'm pleasantly surprised with how well the zebra can as well. The big fish don't even try to go after it.

Cool thing about the dottyback, it feeds on what ever it finds laying around or floating by.....never need to target feet it.

Here it is:

 

[Avi]

vid...I know why you couldn't resist getting one...I have one for the same reason. Mine even coexists with a Fridmani (Orchid) Dottyback so my guess is that it will calm down after a time and be less aggressive. I do think that having a large amount of crevises and holes in the rockwork in your reef would make it more likely that it will retreat to a particular area in the tank and leave the other fish alone...unless they get too close.

 

[vid660]

Thanks for the responses. However, I came home tonight to see him attacking my pistol shrimp. He drug him out of his cave and was biting him like crazy. This isn't going to work out. I took out all my rockwork :mad2: and finally netted him. He's in my QT and will go back to the LFS tomorrow. I love the way he looks, but I like my pistol shrimp and cleaner shrimp more.

 

[scoutmaniak]

I think dottybacks like to eat shrimp in general any way right?? I had one for a few years but couldnt keep shrimp long with him. If he ever got hungry he would attack the shrimp right away. Beautiful fish, but pretty mean, lol