Maroon Clownfish

Orchid Dottyback Care Guide

Glossary:

  1. Care Guide & Requirements
  2. Reef Safe
  3. Prices
  4. Food & Diet
  5. Facts
  6. Tank Mates & Environment
  7. FAQs

For a colorful addition to your tank with a distinctive purple sheen, you may want to get the Orchid dottyback, or Pseuodchormis fridmani. Also known as the Fridman’s dottyback, this fish is a potentially great-looking addition to your tank, but keep in mind that it’s among the more aggressive species.

If you think you have room for a more aggressive fish, the Orchid dottyback is a great selection.

Is the Orchid dottyback reef safe?

The Orchid dottyback is a reef-safe fish for the most part, despite its aggressive tendencies. It won’t nibble at your coral, and it will only go after invertebrates that you’ll likely only want to include in your tank as food. However, it might go after some species of shrimp.

Orchid dottyback food and diet

The Orchid dottyback is pretty flexible when it comes to food. Although they lean more toward the carnivorous, you can also feed them herbivorous foods. Ideally, you should feed this fish a combination of meaty foods such as brine shrimp and plants in the form of pellets or flakes.

Keep an eye on the fish’s coloration to determine its health—any decrease in vibrancy could indicate that you need to feed the fish a hardier meal.

Orchid dottyback FAQs

Can Orchid dottybacks live together?

The Orchid dottyback is a particularly peaceful dottyback, making it a great tank mate for others of its kind. You can keep these fish in large groups or smaller pairs, but keep in mind that the more you have the more it will cost.

How long do Orchid dottybacks live?

The Orchid dottyback has a long potential lifespan if you provide it with sufficient care. They typically live for around five to seven years in captivity, but they can actually live much longer.

Are Orchid dottybacks hardy?

Yes, this fish is particularly hardy and won’t be susceptible to a lot of illnesses. They don’t have many demands when it comes to care, which is why they’re a great fish for beginner aquarists seeking a low-maintenance but beautiful-looking fish.

Orchid dottyback price

Orchid dottybacks aren’t very expensive on their own. You can find these on the market for around $30 to $50 at most aquarium stores. Look around for the right fish to find one at the best price.

Orchid dottyback facts

Here are a few key facts to know about the Orchid dottyback that might interest you:

  1. This fish grows to around three inches in size, making it a great little fish to add to a smaller tank. However, they do need some places to hide, so having coral and decorations will give this fish ample hiding space.
  2. The Orchid dottyback is from the Red Sea, where you’ll find them lurking in shallow reefs and spending a lot of their time hiding. Specifically, they tend to spend a lot of time along vertical rock faces.
  3. The Orchid dottyback may look purple when kept in an aquarium, but it tends to appear blue in the wild as the fish lingers in moderate to deep depths. The reason for this color change is the way seawater filters red light.

What other fish are the best tank mates for the Orchid dottyback?

As long as you keep the Orchid dottyback in a spacious tank with ample room to hide, you shouldn’t have to worry about this fish getting too aggressive on you. At the same time, you should ensure your dottyback’s tank mates can hold their own against it.

Other tank mates for this fish could include other fish of similar demeanor and size, but avoid more aggressive potential predators such as lionfish, eels, triggerfish, groupers, or snappers. Also, you shouldn’t keep more than one dottyback unless it’s part of a pair or if there’s enough room for all of them to claim their territory.

Where to buy Orchid dottybacks

You’ll be able to buy Orchid dottybacks at the following online stores, among others:

The Orchid dottyback can make a great choice with the right conditions and care. It may be aggressive, but the ideal environment for this fish can make it a worthwhile and very colorful addition to your saltwater tank.