neon dottyback in 40b
- Thread starter Sweetaz
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It would fit fine.
My issue with them is they are really aggressive. I had one once and I had to remove him and they are pretty hard to get out since they can fit into any little hole. This fish can be relentless.
The other issue is when it decided to go after another fish thy can not hide from it because they fit through any little spot.
They spend most of their time in the rock so you do not see them much either.
Personally I would pass on the fish unless kept with other aggressive fish.
My issue with them is they are really aggressive. I had one once and I had to remove him and they are pretty hard to get out since they can fit into any little hole. This fish can be relentless.
The other issue is when it decided to go after another fish thy can not hide from it because they fit through any little spot.
They spend most of their time in the rock so you do not see them much either.
Personally I would pass on the fish unless kept with other aggressive fish.
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In my experience its going to be tough adding more fish. I had a neon dottyback and had to get rid of him bc he was soooo aggressive and he was the last fish added to a 40b. Anything is possible but history with this particular fish tends to be true.
Sweetaz
Community Member
To clarify, the neon dottyback is already in the 40b and its the only fish in there. My question is, is there another fish that would be tough enough to be added to the tank now that the neon is already established?
Adding another fish is risky. Even adding in something aggressive and bigger is risky. Those little guys can ambush attack and then pop back in a small hole with the quickness. If you could catch it, place it in a temp tank, rearrange some rock and then add the new fish, you might stand a chance at getting past the territory thing.
Sorry Read the title, my bad.
There are fish that would be ok..
Mainly stay way from wrasses, basslets, similar shaped fish, shy fish like firefish or anything that would compete with it for food. As in food I mean other fish that hunt for pods.
The real problem is getting aggressive fish small enough for a 40 breeder.
I have had luck with other aggressive fish like Clarkii clowns. I also had luck with dwarf angels.
ZsWithTheFishes
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I have a dottyback, flame angel, o. clowns, and chromis in a 75 with no issue. It works, but you are going to be limited in a 40b:
- the flame angel holds his own, but the major factor is that there are 2 rock structures in mine. The dottyback has the bigger one and the two don't really cross the line. A 40b is too small for the flame angel and I have no doubt mine would get into it in less than 4 feet of territory.
- my clowns stay in the nems, but I would not bank on them being hosted to a nem. I only added the dottyback because they were already hosted. You might want to look at some of the pushier clowns.
- chromis stay high in the water column. In a 40b that won't be possible. The other 2 of them "mysteriously" disappeared after the dottyback was added. It might work, or you could try a similar fish.
- most importantly, in my view, is that the dottyback was added last when territories were already established.
I'm quite sure that if the last bullet wasn't the case that the dottyback would not even coexist in my 75g. I got him from a friend (probably because he could not coexist in that 60-80 gallon...).
You could always go through the extreme hassle to fish him out, add a couple chromis or clowns or something, let them get settled for a few weeks, and add dotty back in (har har) but in a 40b the odds will likely still be stacked against you (enough to not justify trying anything too expensive, at least).
- the flame angel holds his own, but the major factor is that there are 2 rock structures in mine. The dottyback has the bigger one and the two don't really cross the line. A 40b is too small for the flame angel and I have no doubt mine would get into it in less than 4 feet of territory.
- my clowns stay in the nems, but I would not bank on them being hosted to a nem. I only added the dottyback because they were already hosted. You might want to look at some of the pushier clowns.
- chromis stay high in the water column. In a 40b that won't be possible. The other 2 of them "mysteriously" disappeared after the dottyback was added. It might work, or you could try a similar fish.
- most importantly, in my view, is that the dottyback was added last when territories were already established.
I'm quite sure that if the last bullet wasn't the case that the dottyback would not even coexist in my 75g. I got him from a friend (probably because he could not coexist in that 60-80 gallon...).
You could always go through the extreme hassle to fish him out, add a couple chromis or clowns or something, let them get settled for a few weeks, and add dotty back in (har har) but in a 40b the odds will likely still be stacked against you (enough to not justify trying anything too expensive, at least).
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An established Dottyback is never a good thing IMHO. The odds are greatly stacked against your adding another fish while it's in there.
