Livestock ideas?

[Elude82]

Hi everyone! Hope you’re having a wonderful day. I recently purchased a Steene’s Dottyback aka Lyretail Dottyback. There is very little information about them, and I guess they may not be in the aquarium trade often. I have a tank which housed a Cherry Louti Grouper, a Huma Huma Triggerfish, a Bi-color Foxface, a Freckled Hawkfish, and a Ebili Angelfish. The Steene’s Dottyback is wrapping up his quarantine. I moved the Foxface, Hawkfish, and Angel to a newer tank. The LFS I got it from had the Dottyback for months, I purchased it as I felt bad for the little guy. They said he is very aggressive. I confidently left the Trigger and Grouper in the tank, as they are fish I feel won’t be bullied by the Dottyback. Two questions:
1. Has anyone here ever had this type of Dottyback?
2. What other tank mates do you feel would be able to go with him, if he is as aggressive as the LFS speculated?
I thought a full grown Maroone Clown, Fu-man Chu Lionfish, or a Lunar Wrasse.
Any guidance or education would be appreciated! Thank you in advance.
Pictures for reference, the Dottyback is about 3.5 - 4 inches.

 

[Elude82]

Hi everyone, originally I was going to request to delete this post, but we are all here for lessons learned.
Here’s the lesson: though there is very little information about the Steene’s Dottyback, o will say this now from experience.
The Steene’s Dottyback (or at least this specific one) is by far the most aggressive fish I’ve ever owned! More than an Undulated Trigger or Clown Trigger I’ve owned. I tried placing him with a Huma Trigger and Louti Grouper. First I vacated and placed the Hawkfish, Foxface, and Angel in another permanent tank. Then I did a lights out for 30 minutes while putting the Dottyback in an acclimation box. The Trigger showed no interest and just swam aimlessly as he normally does. The grouper kept biting at the tank, than just hid in a cave. I fed them prior a big breakfast.
I released the Dottyback, and the first few minutes were peaceful. The trigger being carefree. The Dottyback exploring. The grouper stalking the Dottyback. The grouper nipped at the Dottyback, and that’s when the grouper’s life changed. The Dottyback latched onto him quickly and wouldn’t let go. He let go. And the two kept facing off. Back and forth they taunted the other, and one or the other would latch onto the other. This when on for a few minutes while I was taking rock out to get to the Dottyback. No wide open wounds, more of discouraging from the bites of the Dottyback. Where the white bottom half of the grouper is, is now a war painted look from the bites. No eyes or fins torn, as they both went for the gills and lower body.
I managed to get the Dottyback out. The Dottyback with no visible wounds.
So, in the future if anyone thinks they want a Steene’s Dottyback, my advice is only if you want a fish that is in their own tank. The grouper was twice his size, and the Dottyback handled the grouper like he was a 1/4 of his size. I have had an Undulated Trigger and Clown Trigger, Lunare Wrasse and mean Maroon Clown’s but the Dottyback topped out on the aggression level. I’ve owned predator tanks, but this was the first fish that I saw interact with other’s and just said Nope! Though this all happened in a brief moment, I knew that the Dottyback would kill the grouper if no intervention would occur. I don’t believe this is a fish that would eventually lower its aggression once in the tank for a while. Luckily the Huma is built like a tank, because the Dottyback bit the Trigger on its stomach, didn’t phase the Trigger, Dottyback let go, and the Trigger stared down the Dottyback, ending up with the Dottyback swimming away. The Grouper should recover, and I think his ego may be the most hurt. The Dottyback has to be one of the most beautiful fish I’ve ever seen(in my opinion), but he’s not worth the health and lives of my other fish. Lesson learned.

 

[Gjedde]

Too bad, its a beautiful fish.