Indigo Dottyback Murderer??

[MariahP]

Okay team - I’ve had an indigo dottyback for some time now named Bandit. I got him super tiny and he’s now a big boy. I’ve also noticed that he has maybe become kind of evil. I believe he’s responsible for the loss of my peppermint shrimp (RIP Pepsi) because I’ve now seen him picking at hermits and my very large emerald crab who is now too scared to come out and eat the bubble algae I need him to get rid of. Any way to reprogram him away from being a crustacean killer? I’m quite attached but I also need a properly functioning clean up crew.

Help?

 

[KrisReef]

You left the comma out of your title so I took a look to see what killed your dottyback. They are born killers and

 

[littlefoxx]

Dotty backs are aggressive, if he is doing that he wont stop. I have my neon dottyback in with more aggressive fish than him to keep him chill

 

[MariahP]

Dotty backs are aggressive, if he is doing that he wont stop. I have my neon dottyback in with more aggressive fish than him to keep him chill

Darn. Thanks for that feedback. Sounds like I should explore sending him back.

 

[Tired]

That'd be standard dottyback behavior, yeah. They go after invertebrates, particularly after molts, and they're aggressive to other fish. You can't make them not do that, same as you can't make a lionfish not eat other fish.

 

[Kiboshed]

I had an Orchid Dottyback (also named Bandit lol) who would murder any crustacean in the tank. Shrimp, would even tear hermits out of their shells. Also any fish that had a similar shape was targeted.

Going to have to make a choice between Bandit or crustaceans/chill fish.