Neon dottyback tankmates

[Eric79]

I have a large neon dottyback that's been terrorizing my 50 gallon for a few years now and killing off anything I put in there except for the clown fish and banggai Cardinal that were there in the beginning before him. I want to add more fish to the tank but I need to find something that can hold its own with the dottyback this is a mixed reef tank and I really don't want to try anything like a dwarf angel that may nip at my corals. Things that have been suggested to me are as follows... Fang blennies because they're poisonous and the dottyback may know to stay away from, chromis because there a semi aggressive fish that hangs in the water column, small blue throat trigger because it's a trigger and who's gonna mess with him, and lastly a hawkfish. . I really want to add some movement to the tank but I don't know what to get

 

[homegrowncichlid]

What you need to do is to introduce a bunch of fish at the same time, distribute the aggression, so that no one individual fish gets fatally injured. So, if you like clownfish, add 5 more. If you like the cardinal, get 5 more. They will form a school of sorts. Don't bother adding just a single fish unless its much bigger then the dottyback. (note, banggai cardinals are not schooling fish, but form monogamous pairs, but I'm using them as an example)
I would say add at least 4 fish simultaneously, perhaps this is a goodd time to add a school of (fill in the blank).

 

[albano]

I have a large neon dottyback that's been terrorizing my 50 gallon for a few years now and killing off anything I put in there ...

That's what neon dottybacks do... Best idea is to catch it and sell it, if you want to add new fish

 

[BKLYNREEF123]

That's what neon dottybacks do... Best idea is to catch it and sell it, if you want to add new fish

+1 send it packing

 

[MIKE NY]

As mentioned dotties are naturally territorial and aggressive some more so than others especially to similarly shaped and colored fish like wrasses. A technique I use and works most of the time is to remove it for a week or so than re-introduce it so it's the newbie again. Also using an acclimation box for newbies will ease aggression as well. If you like the fish try these before getting rid of it.