New aquarium livestock plan: are these compatible?

[Murftoo]

My pair of biota orchid dottybacks get along great. Anecdotal, but I think captive bred are less temperamental. Two in a 40G might be pushing it though! If you're looking for another alternative, a captive bred Azure damsel might pair well with an orchid since they have roughly the same temperament. Mine do well together.

 

[Raplapla Ananas]

Neon and orchid dottybacks are 2 completely different levels of aggression. Neons are one of the more aggressive. Orchids are the most peaceful.

Fwiw, my old orchid dottybacks were from ORA, and the breeding pair was less aggressive than my breeding pair of black cap basslets.

Well you're absolutely correct. The neon is much more aggressive. I've had other dottybacks but I have never owned an Orchid so I shouldn't speak for all of them! I just hate getting attached to certain fish and then get a bully. I think I'm just too risk aversive lol. I think an Orchid could do just fine with the right tank mates

 

[dvgyfresh]

My orchid has never shown aggression , lived with domino damsels , six line , clowns , blenny and shrimp

 

[dvgyfresh]

Just make sure it’s captive bred so buy from petco or ora

 

[Bear Claw]

Hello R2R! After 20+ years away from the hobby, I am setting up a 40 gallon tank "for my kids." The tank has so far been running for 7 weeks. I started the tank with fishless cycle (I think it was API quickstart) and 22 pounds of live rock and about 1-1/2" of dry sand. When I started to see a decent amount of algae growth, I added a clean up crew of 5 astraea snails and 5 red legged hermit crabs. My LFS guy has said that my water parameters look good and that I am more than ready to add fish.

Tomorrow I am going to make a bunch of artificial live rock from concrete. I have found a number of youtube videos and articles about how to do this. None of the sources completely agree on how to do so, so I need to do more research on this, but I plan to eventually have a ton of rock and hiding places in the aquarium.

I do not plan on adding corals to this tank. However, I would like to encourage as much coralline growth as possible. I have a hang-on-the-back filter but eventually will add a protein skimmer and may also transition to a sump refugium.

So now that you have the details, here is my question: will the following fish work in my tank?

Oscellaris clownfish
Orchid dottyback
Dragonet of some sort, preferably a mandarin

I would prefer to have all captive bred livestock.

On Wednesday I am going to get the Oscellaris clownfish. I planned on getting two, but could I put 4 in this tank?

Further down the line when I have all of the rock in place and it has turned into live rock, my kids want an Orchid Dottyback. I have read a lot of people suggesting a pair added at the same time. Could I have a pair in a 40 gallon tank?

And is a dragonet compatible with the dottybacks?

So maxed out, if they will play nicely, I would have 4 Oscellaris Clowns, 2 Orchid Dottybacks, and a dragonet. Is that too much?

Don’t know about the pairing, but with Mandarin Dragonettes make sure you are supplying copepods as they will not usually eat prepared foods. Clowns and dottybacks will though.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Just make sure it’s captive bred so buy from petco or ora

This is really good advice for how to get captive fish, but I can’t stop laughing as it’s the first time I’ve actually seen someone advertise buying from petco lol.

 

[dvgyfresh]

This is really good advice for how to get captive fish, but I can’t stop laughing as it’s the first time I’ve actually seen someone advertise buying from petco lol.

I always will , most of the fish are captive bred and all my petcos have good selection , never gotten a disease from petco but local lfs is another story lol

 

[Sharkbait19]

T

I always will , most of the fish are captive bred and all my petcos have good selection , never gotten a disease from petco but local lfs is another story lol

That is a pretty sweet petco. I have one good one by me but nowhere near as nice! You are lucky!
I have noticed they are a lot better recently compared to even a few months ago.

 

[stephydawn]

I have two clowns , a pajama cardinal , a green chromis and a neon dottyback in a 32 gallon. I added the dottyback as the third fish which was a mistake. He claimed all the rock structure. I was going to add a watchman and blenny but with the dottyback my tank is full. It is a very entertaining fish, it moves gravel to make caves under my rocks as well and swims through all the little holes; it’s pretty active. All mine get along just fine. If one of the other fish gets to close to an cave it likes he swims out and pecks at it once and swims back to the rock but that’s about it; it doesn’t really attack anything. If you add a dottyback make sure to add it last so the more docile fish can claim territory first.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

1 clownfish.
Chalk bass are kool.
Dartfish siccorfish
Add more cardinals.
Hths
D

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

Don’t know about the pairing, but with Mandarin Dragonettes make sure you are supplying copepods as they will not usually eat prepared foods. Clowns and dottybacks will though.

I forgot about that aspect of the dragonettes. That might be more difficult than we want to attempt at this time. Are there easier to keep fish with similar temperament/habits and bright colors?

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I always will , most of the fish are captive bred and all my petcos have good selection , never gotten a disease from petco but local lfs is another story lol

That's interesting. Where do you live? I don't think I have ever seen a petco with marine livestock.

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I have two clowns , a pajama cardinal , a green chromis and a neon dottyback in a 32 gallon. I added the dottyback as the third fish which was a mistake. He claimed all the rock structure. I was going to add a watchman and blenny but with the dottyback my tank is full. It is a very entertaining fish, it moves gravel to make caves under my rocks as well and swims through all the little holes; it’s pretty active. All mine get along just fine. If one of the other fish gets to close to an cave it likes he swims out and pecks at it once and swims back to the rock but that’s about it; it doesn’t really attack anything. If you add a dottyback make sure to add it last so the more docile fish can claim territory first.

That's what I was afraid of. I may have to find a more passive alternative to the orchid. Thank you.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I forgot about that aspect of the dragonettes. That might be more difficult than we want to attempt at this time. Are there easier to keep fish with similar temperament/habits and bright colors?

Many gobies/blennies will have similar looks and behaviors.

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

Alright then, looks like I am back to the Goby/Blenny drawing board.