New addition

gareth.hubbarde · 04/26/2018, 08:29 AM

So after some advice and consideration I have removed the clarkii clown from my tank, I coukd not trust it with my purple firefish. I believe it had already killed its mate and my bi color blenny. That left the tank a bit empty looking. I added today the most amazing looking fish a black neon Dotty back. Truly stunning to look at. Will post a pic once it has settled in and come out from its cave. Does anyone have experience with this captive bred hybrid fish? Apparently they are really great in the tank, full of movement etc.
In a few weeks the local Lfs is getting in a load of small anemone, thinking of getting one followed by either a sail fin blenny or flasher wrasse to finish the livestock off.
Opinions would be welcome.
I did see a falco Hawk fish today very cool looking. Hmm?

94litre (24g)kent marine bio reef
13kg live rock
4kg sand, 2kg as live.
Filter floss
250g rowaphos
100g carbon
1000 l/pH return pump
100w heater
Hydor 3200 wave maker 2800 lph
Tmc aquabar t series leds:
Fiji purple
Reef white

1 turbo snails
1 blue legged hermit
2 cirrith snails
2 super nassarius
1 Emerald crab
1 red fire shrimp
1 hi fin goby (lives under rocks)
1 purple firefish (stunning)
1 Black neon Dotty back

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AboutToBeReefin · 04/26/2018, 09:45 AM

the dottyback will probably get territorial and torment your firefish. i got rid of my royal dottyback recently for the same reason

he was ok with the clowns but when i added a purple firefish the dottyback went nuts. they get very territorial. the fact he is the last fish recently added by you means he might be cool for now but give it time and espedcially after adding fish after him he will almost assuredly go nuts and torment other fish especially those that hide in the rocks like him

AboutToBeReefin · 04/26/2018, 09:57 AM

to answer your question though i would reccomend getting a pair of ocellaris clownfish instead especially if you are thinking of getting an anenome. I would reccomend a bubble tip(easiest to take care of that the ocellaris could potentially host. the ocellaris come in all kinds of cool morphs too like the "midnight ocellaris" and they are extremely peaceful and a good match with the firefish. other species of dartfish of the Ptereleotris variety also reportedly make good tankmates like the zebra barred, scissortail, and blue gudgeon. They reportedly can pair up with your firefish but because they are Ptereleotris and not Nemateleotris like the firefish is your firefish wont someday flip out and kill it like it can with other Nemateleotris. wrasses can be aggressive and not the best match for your firefish. I would be wary of adding any wrasse

AboutToBeReefin · 04/26/2018, 10:00 AM

your sailfin blenny idea was a great choice. i dont know enough about hawkfish like you asked but one thing i have learned the hard way is to research fish before adding them. Even seeing a "peaceful" tag doesnt mean it will be a good fit for your fish/corals

Tripod1404 · 04/26/2018, 10:16 AM

If I am not mistaken, black dottyback is a hybrid of neon dottyback and Springer’s dottyback (the picture you have looks more like Springer’s dottyback to me). Both are extremely territorial and aggressive fish. They are known to kill fish larger themselves by relentlessly attacking. Unless the hybrid somehow got less aggressive then both parental species, it will also be territorial and aggressive. Not to mention fish are more aggressive to other fish that look similar, and purple fire fish looks similar to the dootyback.

Dottyback can also be a hit or mis with shrimps, hermits and snails, if you have any. It can eat those as that is what they eat in the wild.

gareth.hubbarde · 04/26/2018, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AboutToBeReefin

the dottyback will probably get territorial and torment your firefish. i got rid of my royal dottyback recently for the same reason

he was ok with the clowns but when i added a purple firefish the dottyback went nuts. they get very territorial. the fact he is the last fish recently added by you means he might be cool for now but give it time and espedcially after adding fish after him he will almost assuredly go nuts and torment other fish especially those that hide in the rocks like him

Thank you for your replies. Awesome information. Hopefully the Dotty back will be fine and settle in OK. It does seem to like the same over hang as the firefish atm. Grr.
Definitely going for a small bubble tip anemone when Lfs has one.
Will see how we go with additional fish. The sail fin blenny was cool.

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scooter31707 · 04/27/2018, 11:04 AM

IMO, the only sane dottyback I have experience with the a captive-bred purple orchid. Dottybacks can be jerks.

Cliving1 · 04/27/2018, 11:35 AM

Agree with scooter. I would rehome.

kevin21 · 04/27/2018, 11:55 AM

Agreed with the above. Sadly, some of the fish you love the most just won't work in a smaller captivity environment. I suggest trying to research online and in books what fish you may be interested in and their needs, before you purchase them. Can save you a lot of headache.

gareth.hubbarde · 04/28/2018, 08:39 AM

Dotty back went back the following morning, ha had been beaten up quite badly. The only fish in the tank is the fire fish or the hi fin goby, and we rarely see the goby as it lives underneath a big rock. Anyway Lfs took if back and going to try to nurse it back. I got a black sail fin blenny instead. Still very cool looking fish, I have a soft spot fir blenies.

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04/26/2018, 08:29 AM	#1
gareth.hubbarde Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 719	New addition So after some advice and consideration I have removed the clarkii clown from my tank, I coukd not trust it with my purple firefish. I believe it had already killed its mate and my bi color blenny. That left the tank a bit empty looking. I added today the most amazing looking fish a black neon Dotty back. Truly stunning to look at. Will post a pic once it has settled in and come out from its cave. Does anyone have experience with this captive bred hybrid fish? Apparently they are really great in the tank, full of movement etc. In a few weeks the local Lfs is getting in a load of small anemone, thinking of getting one followed by either a sail fin blenny or flasher wrasse to finish the livestock off. Opinions would be welcome. I did see a falco Hawk fish today very cool looking. Hmm? 94litre (24g)kent marine bio reef 13kg live rock 4kg sand, 2kg as live. Filter floss 250g rowaphos 100g carbon 1000 l/pH return pump 100w heater Hydor 3200 wave maker 2800 lph Tmc aquabar t series leds: Fiji purple Reef white 1 turbo snails 1 blue legged hermit 2 cirrith snails 2 super nassarius 1 Emerald crab 1 red fire shrimp 1 hi fin goby (lives under rocks) 1 purple firefish (stunning) 1 Black neon Dotty back Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

04/27/2018, 11:55 AM	#9
kevin21 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 2,208	Agreed with the above. Sadly, some of the fish you love the most just won't work in a smaller captivity environment. I suggest trying to research online and in books what fish you may be interested in and their needs, before you purchase them. Can save you a lot of headache. __________________ Kevin Current Tank Info: Waterbox 50g, Tunze 9004 dc skimmer, Vortech mp10, Kessil ap700

04/26/2018, 09:45 AM	#2
AboutToBeReefin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 40	the dottyback will probably get territorial and torment your firefish. i got rid of my royal dottyback recently for the same reason he was ok with the clowns but when i added a purple firefish the dottyback went nuts. they get very territorial. the fact he is the last fish recently added by you means he might be cool for now but give it time and espedcially after adding fish after him he will almost assuredly go nuts and torment other fish especially those that hide in the rocks like him

04/26/2018, 09:57 AM	#3
AboutToBeReefin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 40	to answer your question though i would reccomend getting a pair of ocellaris clownfish instead especially if you are thinking of getting an anenome. I would reccomend a bubble tip(easiest to take care of that the ocellaris could potentially host. the ocellaris come in all kinds of cool morphs too like the "midnight ocellaris" and they are extremely peaceful and a good match with the firefish. other species of dartfish of the Ptereleotris variety also reportedly make good tankmates like the zebra barred, scissortail, and blue gudgeon. They reportedly can pair up with your firefish but because they are Ptereleotris and not Nemateleotris like the firefish is your firefish wont someday flip out and kill it like it can with other Nemateleotris. wrasses can be aggressive and not the best match for your firefish. I would be wary of adding any wrasse

04/26/2018, 10:00 AM	#4
AboutToBeReefin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 40	your sailfin blenny idea was a great choice. i dont know enough about hawkfish like you asked but one thing i have learned the hard way is to research fish before adding them. Even seeing a "peaceful" tag doesnt mean it will be a good fit for your fish/corals

04/26/2018, 10:16 AM	#5
Tripod1404 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,821	If I am not mistaken, black dottyback is a hybrid of neon dottyback and Springer’s dottyback (the picture you have looks more like Springer’s dottyback to me). Both are extremely territorial and aggressive fish. They are known to kill fish larger themselves by relentlessly attacking. Unless the hybrid somehow got less aggressive then both parental species, it will also be territorial and aggressive. Not to mention fish are more aggressive to other fish that look similar, and purple fire fish looks similar to the dootyback. Dottyback can also be a hit or mis with shrimps, hermits and snails, if you have any. It can eat those as that is what they eat in the wild.

04/27/2018, 11:04 AM	#7
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	IMO, the only sane dottyback I have experience with the a captive-bred purple orchid. Dottybacks can be jerks.

04/27/2018, 11:35 AM	#8
Cliving1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 1,923	Agree with scooter. I would rehome.

04/28/2018, 08:39 AM	#10
gareth.hubbarde Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 719	Dotty back went back the following morning, ha had been beaten up quite badly. The only fish in the tank is the fire fish or the hi fin goby, and we rarely see the goby as it lives underneath a big rock. Anyway Lfs took if back and going to try to nurse it back. I got a black sail fin blenny instead. Still very cool looking fish, I have a soft spot fir blenies. Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk