Which Dottyback to get?

[injektion]

I'm setting up a 135g and i want to add a dottyback but i can't decide between the orchid or a royal gramma. which one would be more suitable? the tank is gonna be a reef and i plan to house the following fish (the list is still a work in progress)

3-4 lyretail anthias
pair of clowns
scopas tang
blonde naso tang
bluethroat trigger (female)
bi-colour blenny
mystery wrasse
scooter blenny
orange spot sleeper goby

if you want you can write in your favourite dottyback but the orchid and royal gramma are two of my favs so they would likely trump any other choices (except maybe the Gramma dejongi )

 

[PiXieCath]

Personally, I own a red elongated dottyback and really love it! Probably the most peacefull dotty available. Pictures on the web don't show the real beauty of the fish. I have it with a black cap basslet(same family than the royal gramma) in a 2x2x2 60gal cube with absolutely no problems.;-)

But anyway, IMO, a royal gramma and an orchid dottyback can do fine togheter in a 135gal display.

 

[PiXieCath]

BTW, royal gramma isn't a dottyback, it's a basslet.;-)

 

[cside]

royal grammas are beautiful peaceful fish. the only dottyback i had was a neon and he sure raised hell. go with a royal gramma, which is a basslet. BUT this was in a 29g tank so you may be fine. either are beautiful and relatively easy to care for.

 

[injektion]

yea i know it's a basslet but they're so similar that i've always regarded them as dottybacks lol

 

[davocean]

You'll think of them differently when you've had both!LOL
Gramma's are great to have, but I'll never have a dotyback in my tank ever again, most are just too mean.

 

[injektion]

Personally, I own a red elongated dottyback and really love it! Probably the most peacefull dotty available. Pictures on the web don't show the real beauty of the fish. I have it with a black cap basslet(same family than the royal gramma) in a 2x2x2 60gal cube with absolutely no problems.;-)

But anyway, IMO, a royal gramma and an orchid dottyback can do fine togheter in a 135gal display.

are you referring to Pseudochromis elongatus? if so i've never seen them at my lfs but they look pretty neat, and at reasonable prices from what i can find on the internet

i wasn't looking to add both royal gramma and an orchid dottyback because they're both the same color (kind of). if i do add a royal gramma and an orchid dottyback, should i add them both at the same time?

You'll think of them differently when you've had both!LOL
Gramma's are great to have, but I'll never have a dotyback in my tank ever again, most are just too mean.

i had a royal gramma before and i loved it, that's why i'm considering getting one again. it wasn't aggressive at all and it was pretty hardy too

 

[Angel*Fish]

The fridmani's (orchids) are not aggressive like their cousins. In my experience you'll see the gramma out more.

My bicolor blenny murdered my royal gramma. I assumed he didn't like the similar coloration. Or the fact that they both like hidey holes. It was a smaller tank though.

 

[davocean]

I've never had the orchid, I wonder if they go after shrimp/inverts like most dotty's will?

 

[Angel*Fish]

Yes, they probably will. Beautiful fish, but they are hunters and I assume they go after your pods and maybe the worms, too (?).

 

[snorvich]

You'll think of them differently when you've had both!LOL
Gramma's are great to have, but I'll never have a dotyback in my tank ever again, most are just too mean.

Amen. The orchid dottyback (P. fridmani) is the least aggressive of the bunch. All in all, Gramma Loretto is more interesting, at least to me.

 

[snorvich]

Marie is right, blennies and a gramma loretto may not be compatible for the reasons she states.

 

[MItank]

I have a pair of P. Fridmani in my tank and they have absolutely no aggression. They have never went after any of my shrimp (2 sexys, a cleaner, and a fire). Obviously I represent only one experience but I know they are not the terrors that other dotty's are.

 

[davocean]

Out of the dotty's I've had, a springheri was my favorite, and mellow as dotty's go, but shrimp weren't an option in that tank w/ him in it.

 

[Angel*Fish]

I have a pair of P. Fridmani in my tank and they have absolutely no aggression. They have never went after any of my shrimp (2 sexys, a cleaner, and a fire). Obviously I represent only one experience but I know they are not the terrors that other dotty's are.

It's just that it's a always a risk that they might go after larger ornamentals. I'm pretty sure amphipods are more what they're after. How big are yours? I'd love to see them if you have a pic.

 

[injektion]

Marie is right, blennies and a gramma loretto may not be compatible for the reasons she states.

what's funny with my bicolor blenny is that it no longer has that bright orange bottom half anymore. i've had him for about a year now and the orange progressively changed to the dark brown body color it has on the top end.

i'm guessing the blenny may still be aggressive towards the royal gramma? plus it's a 6' tank with lots of rocks and holes so the gramma could in theory run away if the blenny gets too aggressive. my bicolor has never been aggressive towards anything new i add. it's currently in a 70g tank and has always minded it's own business

i don't plan on adding any ornamental shrimps or crabs as they'd probably never be seen in a 135g tank, especially smaller shrimps like sexy shrimp

thanks for the replies so far! keep em coming!

 

[Angel*Fish]

My Red Sea mimic blennies got along fine with my blackcap basslets, but they were really small fish and there were no similar markings. The basslets didn't pick on them. This was a 100g tank, but they actually lived in close proximity to the blackcaps.

I thought my bicolor blenny was the most peaceful fish in the world until I added that royal gramma.

 

[Elysia]

Amen. The orchid dottyback (P. fridmani) is the least aggressive of the bunch. All in all, Gramma Loretto is more interesting, at least to me.

Actually, I have read that the striped is the least aggressive of the bunch, but many of the captive bred Red Sea dottybacks are great fish -- whether the orchid, striped, or Springer's.

By the way, I had both a royal and a black cap gramma and both were brusiers. My Springer's dottyback was much, much nicer.

I didn't know a Naso could go in such a small tank.

 

[Moort82]

My choice would be other and i'd always have the springers dottyback at the top of my list. I'd also go for a small group if i had your tank.
I think they are the most laidback dotty and they are really active and cool. You also don't see jet black marine fish that often and they have the amazing contrasting face as well.

If not have you considered the assessors?

 

[Sheol]

Get both! The Gramma and the Orchid dottyback. You have the room for them. FWIW, Orchids and Springers are almost pacifists compared to the rest of their kin. Neon are one of the MOST aggressive. Always research your fish before you buy them..

Matthew