Who has kept a royal Dottyback and Mandarin together?

[NMSREEFER]

I've had my mandarin for about a month now and he's been health and eating since day one. My reading on the Mandarin says that few fish mess with them because they have a pungent odor. So today I added a royal Dottyback. Lfs said it would not be an issue with the mandarin or compete for pods.

With further research I see they do eat pods. So, pods aside, has anyone kept a royal Dottyback and Mandarin together? For how long? What were keys to success?

 

[o2manyfish]

Not sure what a 'royal' dottyback is - But I have lots of dotty backs with a couple of types of mandarins. Both not only are doing well in the tank, but the mandarins are comfortable enough to spawn.

But it will also depend on the size of your tank, the quantity of rock work and amount of hiding spaces and territory for the fish.

Dave B

 

[hotelbravo]

I have a royal gramma and mandarin if thats what your talking about. Royal grammas are basslets not dottybacks
There are bicolor dotty backs that are purple and yellow

 

[snorvich]

Neither fish will work in a 29 gallon tank and especially not together.

 

[East_St_Reefs]

In our 65 reef we have a red mandarin with an orchid dottyback and they do fine. Give them a big enough space and enough live rock for hiding places and they will be fine.

 

[Neebles]

Not sure what a 'royal' dottyback is - But I have lots of dotty backs with a couple of types of mandarins. Both not only are doing well in the tank, but the mandarins are comfortable enough to spawn.

But it will also depend on the size of your tank, the quantity of rock work and amount of hiding spaces and territory for the fish.

Dave B

A royal dottyback has the same coloration as a royal gramma, but the purple to yellow is more defined. The purple stops and the yellow begins, unlike the gramma where there is more of a "fade"
from one color to the next.

I'm not sure if they are called a royal dottyback in the trades, but I just watched something the other day comparing the two fish.

 

[NMSREEFER]

They are relatively new to the trade and are also called bi-color Dottyback. Keeping enough pods and/or training the mandarin to eat other things might be the biggest challenge. The lfs said they don't hunt pods like the mandarin, but I think she was wrong. She also sold me 2 peppermint shrimp saying they'd be fine, but I read of dottybacks eating peppermint shrimp. I didn't think the lfs would lie to me, but I guess they did.

 

[Neebles]

They are relatively new to the trade and are also called bi-color Dottyback. Keeping enough pods and/or training the mandarin to eat other things might be the biggest challenge. The lfs said they don't hunt pods like the mandarin, but I think she was wrong. She also sold me 2 peppermint shrimp saying they'd be fine, but I read of dottybacks eating peppermint shrimp. I didn't think the lfs would lie to me, but I guess they did.

The LFS will tell you anything you want to hear just to make a buck (in a lot of cases, I'm sure there have to be some good ones out there)

 

[o2manyfish]

What you are talking about is a Bi-Color Pseudochromis.

Whomever told you this is a "new" fish to the fish trade is either laughing at you as you walked away, or is not someone knowledgeable enough to be guiding you.

I've had Bi-color pseudos in my reef tanks going back 40+ years when I was a little tadpole watching my Dad's 40 gallon saltwater tank.

Dave B

 

[Mael]

I agree on the size of tank not being good for that pair.

That said I have a mandarin, royal gramma and a splendid dottyback in my newer 110g DT and they have gotten along fine this first 3-4 months(the mandy and royal have been together for a year in a smaller tank) Mandarin is still a fat little guy and the other two eat frozen and pellets out of the column with all their other tank mates, dont ever see either picking on the rocks or sand.

 

[NMSREEFER]

The Blue Eye Royal Dottyback recently generated excitement among hobbyists as a newly described species of Pseudochromis. At first glance, it is almost indistinguishable from the commonly available Royal Dottyback (Pictichromis paccagnellae). However, upon closer examination, the astute hobbyist will discover distinguishing features unique to the Blue Eye Royal Dottyback. Beginning with the namesake feature, the eye of this newly described species is a beautiful blue compared to the purplish eye of the familiar Royal Dottyback. However, the more identifiable physical feature is the distinct, lyre-shaped tail of the Blue Eye Royal Dottyback. Both the top and bottom margins of the caudal fin extend to form a classic lyre-shaped tail. Though less obvious than the signature lyretail, the color margin between the magnificent maroon anterior and brilliant yellow posterior of the Blue Eye Royal Dottyback features a transitional band of color.

 

[NMSREEFER]

From live aquaria.com