which purple fish

[susan2626]

40 gallon LR-all euphyllia with pennant fairy wrasse, small clarkii clown, allen's damsel and neon goby. Would like either a blackcap basslet, pseudochromis or royal gramma. I know pseudo's get aggressive but would like opinions on which of the 3 might be the best fit.

[edwing206]

I just bought a purple psuedochromis and he get along with everybody. He even leaves my flasher wrasse alone, which is surprising because they are the same body shape.

[THB]

Edwing, Is that the orchid dottyback? I have always liked those, but was put off by the dottyback reputation. I have heard the captive bred orchids are quite peaceful except for the occasional rowdy specimen. Good to hear from someone having good fortune with them. Susan I have a royal gramma which is very peaceful. The Brazilian Royal Gramma I understand is more aggressive, but is also drop dead gorgeous.

[yeldarbj]

I have a blackcap basslet. It has an amazing purple color and is extremely peaceful, never touches anything else in the tank. Unfortunately it spends most of its time in the rocks or very near them.

[bubbaOPPD]

Ever thought about a Purple Firefish, they're a lot more mellow then the other listed fish.

[lilprincess]

I've kept the royal gramma and an orchid dottyback. A friend of mine had a blackcap basslet, which I got to see approximately 5 days a week.

Of the three, my favorite always was (and still is) the orchid dottyback. My dottyback is the most timid fish in my tank and I've never seen any of them aggressive. Although I have heard horror stories about the dottyback's, I have never seen any evidence to back all those claims.

I also like the dottyback's color over the other two as well. Although I do have to admit my dottyback hides more than the two.

[55gSW]

I had a blackcap basslet in my reef tank and it was a wonderful fish, always out and about, excellent color, able to co-exist with shrimp too ....... unfortunately it was one of many casualties of the hurricanes of 2004 :(
I've been thinking lately of starting up a 20g nano and if I do, the blackcap is one of the fish on my list!
:D

[Gary Majchrzak]

No contest. Orchid Dottyback. Get a pair.

[mile sq. reefer]

Try a pseudochromis elongatus, picture on marine center. Great little colorfulfish that cruises the rock work and keeps to itself.

[SDguy]

I'd go for the black cap, simply because I don't like that pseudo's will kill shrimp.

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8859084#post8859084 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
I'd go for the black cap, simply because I don't like that pseudo's will kill shrimp.
Orchid Dottybacks (Pseudochromis fridmani- the purple Pseudo from the Red Sea) won't kill shrimps.

[Bax]

I like the orchis dottyback, I lost a pair to a move and the an ich incident while restocking, I am about to introduce another pair to QT at my wife's instruction, they were her favorite.

[Kahuna Tuna]

Another vote for the orchid pseudo here, just a great fish. Whatever you do don't get one of those purple pseudos, most of them are just plain mean and while they may leave existing fish alone (or not), they will probably attack any newcomers, especially passive fish.

[susan2626]

ok forgive my ignorance Kahuna Tuna - I thought an orchid pseudo and and purple pseudo were the same - I had a purple pseudo - the one with the black coloration through the eye and it was indeed a nasty one - very aggressive..... what is the latin term for the one you are recommending (Kahuna or anyone) - thanks

[susan2626]

ok forgive my ignorance Kahuna Tuna - I thought an orchid pseudo and and purple pseudo were the same - I had a purple pseudo - the one with the black coloration through the eye and it was indeed a nasty one - very aggressive..... what is the latin term for the one you are recommending (Kahuna or anyone) - thanks

[SDguy]

P. fridmani is the orchid dottyback from the Red Sea. Supposed to be slightly more mellow than some of the others from the area. Aquacultured specimens are supposed to be even more mellow. I have no experience to this effect.

Pseudochromis porphyreus is the magenta dottyback. Quite aggressive. More purple than pink colored.

[xxtriggermanxx]

one vote here for the royal gramma .come on people how can you not love this fish?
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e71/xxtriggermanxx/fishpics007.jpg

[DrHank]

Two votes for the Royal Gramma. Hardier and less aggressive than the Brazilian. I agree not as colorful. You can't have everything.

[Kahuna Tuna]

What peter said regarding the orchid vs. purple pseudo. Orchids and sankey's are about the mellowest ones around and purples are very aggressive.

I love the royal gramma as well, just not as much as the orchid.

[jpslickorocks]

I was givin a royal gramma for free and I wish I never put it in the tank. He is big and mean. I have a Fridmandi's Psuedochromis and I love it. Very active and personable.

[rodd1rj]

Vote against the purple psuedo attacked my mystery wrasse both times I tried to introduce the two.

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8880086#post8880086 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rodd1rj
Vote against the purple psuedo attacked my mystery wrasse both times I tried to introduce the two.
No doubt you're talking about a different fish. We're recommending an Orchid Dottyback. ;)

[Ninong]

I kept an Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) in a 120-gal tank with Cirrhilabrus scottorum and C. lineatus fairy wrasses without the dottyback causing any problems. And he never bothered my Lysmata amboinensis cleaner shrimp either. He did eat bristleworms and he did demolish a neon goby (Gobiosoma oceanops) that I tried to add. The dottybacks from the Red Sea are the ones that eat bristleworms. This wasn't a problem because he never could eat them all, so there were always lots of them in hiding that would come out at night.

I would highly recommend the Orchid Dottyback but I'm not sure if your neon goby would approve but they only live for about two years anyway.

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8881372#post8881372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ninong
I kept an Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) in a 120-gal tank with Cirrhilabrus scottorum and C. lineatus fairy wrasses without the dottyback causing any problems. And he never bothered my Lysmata amboinensis cleaner shrimp either. He did eat bristleworms and he did demolish a neon goby (Gobiosoma oceanops) that I tried to add. The dottybacks from the Red Sea are the ones that eat bristleworms. This wasn't a problem because he never could eat them all, so there were always lots of them in hiding that would come out at night.

I would highly recommend the Orchid Dottyback but I'm not sure if your neon goby would approve but they only live for about two years anyway.

Just for reference, scott's and lineatus are two of the more aggressive fairy wrasses. As for the shrimp, do you have any experience adding shrimp after the pseudo was already established? Just curious, because this is when I often ran into problems with pseudo's and shrimp.

[Ninong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8881445#post8881445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Just for reference, scott's and lineatus are two of the more aggressive fairy wrasses. As for the shrimp, do you have any experience adding shrimp after the pseudo was already established? Just curious, because this is when I often ran into problems with pseudo's and shrimp.
I have to agree with you on the Scott's being aggressive as far as fairy wrasses are concerned. However, in my experience, they were only aggressive with congeners, not other fish. My Lineatus was a female and she was submissive to the dominant Scott's male in the tank. In any case, my Orchid Dottyback and my fairy wrasses always got along just great and the Orchid was in the tank first by several months.

Yes, I did add the shrimp after the Orchid Dottyback. And then, about 24 months later, I added a second pair of shrimp. The Orchid never did bother the shrimp at all. He went after a neon goby that I added and I'm pretty sure he killed it. I didn't see the goby again after the first two or three minutes in the tank.

And since we're all adding things "just for reference," I would like to point out that the Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) is not even in the same genus with the Purple Dottyback (aka Magenta Dottyback and Strawberry Dottyback). The Purple Dottyback (Pictichromis porphyrea) is much more aggressive than the Orchid Dottyback. The Orchid is the one with the black slash across the eyes and it's fins are the same color as it's body. The Purple Dottyback's fins are pretty much lacking in coloration compared to the rest of it's body. Oh, and the Purple Dottyback used to be called Pseudochromis porphyreus until about three years ago when it was reclassified.

P.S. -- I love common names. They're so great. Where else would you get a choice of three different names for the same animal? :rolleyes:

[Gary Majchrzak]

Fridmani eat parasites of clams and corals- another good reason to keep them in a reef aquarium. I had a spawning pair that never bothered any of my many shrimps. (Spawning brings out the aggressive nature in any fish.) Common names stink. This is a classic case of confusion: don't mistake a "Purple Pseudochromis" from the Pacific for an Orchid Dottyback. Here's more info on the Orchid Dottyback:

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=12741

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8881569#post8881569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ninong

Yes, I did add the shrimp after the Orchid Dottyback. And then, about 24 months later, I added a second pair of shrimp. The Orchid never did bother the shrimp at all.

Ah, excellent, just what I wanted to know.

Hmm, had no idea about the genus name...did others change as well, like the diadema?

[Ninong]

Yes, it's now Pictichromis diadema.

Ref: Gill, A. C. 2004 (http://www.stevensimpsonbooks.com/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=4007&CLSN_1065=116310575610650d2968b412292213ef) (3 June) [Ref ID: 27767]
Revision of the Indo-Pacific dottyback fish subfamily Pseudochrominae (Perciformes: Pseudochromidae). Smithiana Monogr. No. 1: 1-213, Pls. 1-12.

P.S. -- Scott Michael has the new classifications in his Reef Fishes volume on Dottybacks but I sold my copy last year and I don't have a copy of Tony Gill's book. IIRC, the genus Pseudochromis was split into either three or four genera. Also, Gill names 10 new species.