Dottybacks

Masta_Cheef

Masta_Cheef

Large Fish
#1
Jun 15, 2005
315
0
0
36
Mesa, AZ
#1
Can anyone give me some personal advice/opinions on getting a dottyback for my 12g? My YWG is doing fine, eating great, swimming great. I wanted to get a more.. active fish than him to give my tank some more "life" to it. I saw a really beautiful dottyback (pretty sure) earlier in the month. Looked exactly like a neon dottyback, except the bright blue was more of a dark purple. He looked awesome, and I was tempted to get him, but decided to wait.

Would anyone think it was a bad idea to buy one, or should I work on corals etc. before getting any more fish?
 

F

FishGeek

Elite Fish
#3
May 13, 2005
4,294
5
0
38
South Carolina
#3
A Dottyback has the same personality as a Chihuahua. They are little fish with lost of personality. My little Stripped Dottyback inspects everything that comes into my tank includig the big fish. Sometimes he pesters the inverts too. And hes not even afraid of the Eel that can gobble him up in a heart beat (knock on wood he wont...hasnt so far). They are great fish but just beware they do have a nasty side.

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=01-3315
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#6
Oct 22, 2002
4,077
3
0
#6
Many dottybacks are horribly aggressive , and will simply kill the YWG. But, the three species commonly available form the Red Sea are all considerably easier to deal with, plus are also available in captive bred form, so would be ideal fish for you.
This link is to a mail order company selling them... http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=38
Of the three I really like the springeri. If you don't want to mail order (I don't like it) your shop should be able to order these for you. Do NOT buy a.n.other dotty and assume it will be similar -they are generally mean SOB's on contraspecifics (competitors).
Another fish to investigate would be small wrasse, altho' the commonly touted sixline can also be mean to similar competitors. Most of the other nanao fish like cardinals, gobies and smaller clowns I do not much like. Other smaller fish are sometimes available, but it depends on what you see locally.
 

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