Fridmani, a.k.a. Orchid Dottyback

[ILIKECOUGARS]

Hi,
I would like to add a Orchid Dottyback to my 150 gal. reef tank, and I was wondering how safe this would be. livestock that I have now are, tangs, dragon goby, lawnmower benny, percula clowns, cleaner and pepperment shrimps and snails. I have read that, they may go after shrimps

Thanks,
Ed

[white sand]

Off all the dottybacks, the orchid is the most reef and fish friendly. You should not have a problem with it in a 150. The strawberry dottyback is one to be cautious with.

[marie]

I had a pair of orchid dottybacks, they kept to themselves pretty much never bothered anything. I just wish they would come out more they are such a stunning colour

[Snaz]

My Orchid Dotty is my favourite fish. She can be a little skittish if your moving around outside the tank but sit still for a second and she is out and about very lively. Pod population has certainly gone down but not extinct. She eats anything you put in the tank.

Look for the eyestripe.

[Delphinus]

Only thing I would add is, if you hope to have a pair, make sure you have a male and a female. I'm not 100% of the way to tell them apart but there is, apparently, a way. The shape of the eye "pupil" or something? If they do not know each other and if you have two of the same, they won't necessarily get along.

I bought a "pair" from a Canreefer shutting his tank down a couple years ago. When I got to his house, he was .. well, a bit disorganized. He couldn't find one of the pair in the tank, but he was insistent on sending me home with a "pair" and he had one in another tank he was shutting down. My instinct was to just go with the one we had caught but he insisted, .. in the end I should have trusted my instinct. The two fish from different tanks did not get along and eventually one did kill off the other.

So two orchid dottybacks does not a pair, make. My advice is make sure they are a known pairing if you attempt more than one, or play it safe and stick with one.

The remaining survivor that I have, has been a great fish otherwise. No problems with other fish or invertebrates.