Fridmani, a.k.a. Orchid Dottyback
 

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

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.

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

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.

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.