Fish compatibility

[robitreef]

Any blue fish out there that can coexist with a bicolor dottyback and an ocellaris clown in a 16 gal reef? Have tried blue damsels but the dottyback is too vicious. Might have to settle with what I have.

 

[Len]

As you know too well, dottybacks can be mean SOBs Unfortunately, I can't think of any small blue fish that would coexist with the dottyback in a 16 gallon. There are some larger fish species that wouldn't be bothered, but their size excludes them as possibilities.

 

[robitreef]

Thanks for the info. I figured in a small tank like mine I may not want to overload the system with a third fish. Plus I don't want to tear down my tank trying to remove him.

 

[Anonymous]

If youwere to put the dottyback in last after you put a damsel in there it might have been easier. I have a neon Dotty back in with a blue damsel and a yellow tail damsel and everything is fine. The Yellow tail and the dotty back get into scuffles every once in a while but nothing to bad.

I also have a questions regarding neon dottybacks. Why is the neon dotty back on liveaquaria.com blue, red, yellow and orange and the neon dottybacks on every other website orange and purple?? are these different color morphs or different species?? I really like the liveaquaria.com version

 

[robitreef]

I have heard it is better to add the dottyback last. I did have an Orange Tail Blue Damsel put in before the dottyback, but the Clown harrassed him to death. I tried a Fiji Devil which traded punches with the dottyback the first day, but after that it was all dottyback.

 

[Anonymous]

Have tried blue damsels but the dottyback is too vicious.

He he. I think the above sentence clinches it, if a damsel can't handle the heat, I don't think there will be another small fish that can.

 

[robitreef]

A Blue Ribbon Eel perhaps? Just kidding, I know that would be a disaster waiting to happen!

 

[Anonymous]

Neon Goby is exremly small and will get along with the dotty back. But its not all blue

 

[robitreef]

I have had someone recommend a neon goby before, but I have an Indo pacific reef and want to keep fish from similar regions. If I recall the goby is from the Carribean. Thanks for the info. I think I will have to learn to live with only two fish in my tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I have an Indo pacific reef and want to keep fish from similar regions. If I recall the goby is from the Carribean. Thanks for the info. I think I will have to learn to live with only two fish in my tank.

The fish you got probably was tank bred and neon gobies are also tank bred all over the place so in a sense they would be from the same region. Someones tank. Sorry just felt like being a smart @$$. :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

I think a dottyback would probably rip a neon goby to shreds...
JMO.

 

[Anonymous]

I think a dottyback would probably rip a neon goby to shreds...
JMO.

Negative on that mine live happily together and neons are used to living in mouths of larger aggressive fish. Now if you got a particularly nast dottyback that could be a different story

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe so, is it a 16 gallon tank? Did you add the goby AFTER the dottyback? It sounds like he does have a particularly nasty dottyback.

neons are used to living in mouths of larger aggressive fish

Ever add a cleaner shrimp AFTER the predators are in the tank? They seem to forget that they're not supposed to eat it.

 

[Anonymous]

, is it a 16 gallon tank? Did you add the goby AFTER the dottyback? It sounds like he does have a particularly nasty dottyback

True the tank is kinda small for more than 2 fish that may have something to do with it.

Shrimp are more likely to get eaten than neons though

 

[robitreef]

I'll let you in on some info. I still have the Fiji Devil Damsel, in fact I purchased him this past Monday. He traded punches with the Dottyback the first day he was put in. Both experienced some shredded fins. On Tuesday I found him swimming at the top of the tank staying as far away from the Dottyback. If he swam away from the surface the Dottyback would shoot out from below and chase him. Yesterday, upon returning home from work I saw the Damsel swimming around the tank and the Dottyback hiding. He was actually avoiding the Damsel, and the Damsel would chase him away as soon as he saw him. Hopefully it wont turn the other way again. When I had the Orange Tail Blue, I put him in after a Dottyback and there were no noticeable problems, except with the Clown. So far the Clown and Fiji Devil don't bother each other.

 

[liquid]

Have you checked our fish compatibility chart? http://www.reefs.org/library/compatibility.html

Shane

 

[robitreef]

Yes, I did see that chart. It shows that Damsels and Clowns are compatible with Psuedochromids. Though theory and practice have not always been congruent.