Too many fish in 44gal?

[MohrReefs]

Current stock:

2 juvenile clowns
1 diamond goby large
1 small mandarin dragonet
1 very small lawnmower blenny

Looking to add 1 last fish, a splendid dottyback.

Would I be okay?

 

[Afterburner]

My opinion would be to watch your nitrates to see if they are in line (low), so the tank has had time to build up a good enough biological filter to take on additional loading. I also would check phosphate levels. It is a matter of a lot of factors (maturity, sand bed, live rock, filtration, size of fish, water flow, etc.) that will determine the number of fish your system will support, but testing your water regularly will help you figure it out with what you have now. My advice is get the smallest fish you can to add since a lot of people talk about fish inches loading. My bangaii had 17 babies and it did not really effect my 90gal heavily loaded tank because they amounted to about 1 fish inch and as they grew out, the 8 that survived slowly loaded the tank with no noticeable elevations in nitrates.
Good luck and think slow additions, or replacements. After your tank matures you will find it easier to add lots of fish without too many issues. I use an 8 gal nano system as a quarantine and just added 8 small fish (about 8 fish inches) I caught diving with no issues due to the tank being really old and pretty ugly (full of waving hands and algae that eats the nitrates). Pic here. Don't know what they are, but there was a huge school of them and it looked like they stay small. I wanted some schooling fish for my DT.

 

[SPR1968]

I think you will be fine, provided your nutrients are all ok, nitrates and in particular phosphates, infact your probably under stocked with just 5 fish.

 

[MohrReefs]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Pbh-reef]

I would not add a dottyback with a dragonet in a tank that size; the dottyback is too aggressive imho

 

[MohrReefs]

I would not add a dottyback with a dragonet in a tank that size; the dottyback is too aggressive imho

Even if it's the last fish added? I was under the impression , most aggressive fish last.

 

[MohrReefs]

I would not add a dottyback with a dragonet in a tank that size; the dottyback is too aggressive imho

I'll also add that my mandarin eats frozen so she doesnt hunt on the rock work very often and she also avoids things she knows will hurt her ie certain corals.

 

[Pbh-reef]

Even if it's the last fish added? I was under the impression , most aggressive fish last.

Yes that’s true but it depends on how aggressive the fish is. Dottybacks can be hyper aggressive and defend territory in the rock work, which is where the mandarin lives and hunts. The splendid isn’t as bad reputation wise as the royal or purple, but it gets big in comparison and can be very aggressive. A mandarin in a 44 is pushing it in terms of Pod consumption, even if it does eat frozen. Avoiding corals that don’t move isn’t the same as avoiding a fish that is attacking it. What are the dimensions of the tank? If 2’ cube and you want a fish similar to a dottyback consider a royal gramma (may still be an issue with aggression but much more peaceful) a rubre or swales basslet. Cardinal fish can also work. If it is 3’ then you could get a flasher wrasse, like a mccoskers, which won’t compete for pods with the mandarin at all and be a lot more active.

 

[Pbh-reef]

Yellow assessor is another option

fang blennies can also work

 

[MohrReefs]

Yes that’s true but it depends on how aggressive the fish is. Dottybacks can be hyper aggressive and defend territory in the rock work, which is where the mandarin lives and hunts. The splendid isn’t as bad reputation wise as the royal or purple, but it gets big in comparison and can be very aggressive. A mandarin in a 44 is pushing it in terms of Pod consumption, even if it does eat frozen. Avoiding corals that don’t move isn’t the same as avoiding a fish that is attacking it. What are the dimensions of the tank? If 2’ cube and you want a fish similar to a dottyback consider a royal gramma (may still be an issue with aggression but much more peaceful) a rubre or swales basslet. Cardinal fish can also work. If it is 3’ then you could get a flasher wrasse, like a mccoskers, which won’t compete for pods with the mandarin at all and be a lot more active.

Thats why I have a copepod farm which I dose the tank with often. So if the main concern is copepod competition I think I have that covered, at least I hope so. It's a corner tank so it's like a 2' x 2' x 2' home plate shaped tank.

 

[MohrReefs]

Heres the full tank view

 

[joec]

Mccoskers as suggested if you want something front and center and always out in the open or a pink streaked wrasse if you want something smaller and cryptically cool, I have both. Mccoskers should probably be in a 36" tank IMO

 

[MohrReefs]

Yall are really making me consider cancelling my order on this dottyback

 

[Pbh-reef]

I’m sorry i know it isn’t the nicest thing to hear, I do think the dottyback is risky. If you’re dead set on a dotty the orixhid and it’s captive bred hybrids are more peaceful. As is the elongated dottyback. But in a tank that size I would choose a different fish

 

[MohrReefs]

I cancelled my order. I have too much invested in the mandarin to risk her life on a new fish

 

[Pbh-reef]

Do a quick search for splendid dottyback on r2r - while obviously there’s selection bias (it’s less likely for folks to post that they have a peaceful fish than an aggressive one) there are plenty of posts noting how aggressive their splendid is.

I get it btw, I saw some small splendids At my LFS and they are beautiful and full of personality

 

[joshyross70]

McCoskers or some type of dwarf angelfish

 

[MohrReefs]

McCoskers or some type of dwarf angelfish

Arent dwarf Angel's coral nippers? I would need reef safe.

 

[MohrReefs]

Do a quick search for splendid dottyback on r2r - while obviously there’s selection bias (it’s less likely for folks to post that they have a peaceful fish than an aggressive one) there are plenty of posts noting how aggressive their splendid is.

I get it btw, I saw some small splendids At my LFS and they are beautiful and full of personality

Its disappointing but I literally wanted a salt tank to have the mandarin so its definitely worth finding good tank mates.

 

[joec]

A pinks streaked wrasse will be GREAT in that tank