Splendid Dottyback
Manonichthys splendens
| Stock | Variations | Price | Quantity |
|---|
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Full guarantee terms →Ships Monday – Thursday for next-day arrival at your nearest FedEx Hold location — typically ready by 9 AM. We monitor every delivery.
Shipping details →
Monday – Friday 8 AM – 9 PM
Saturday 12 PM – 4 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 9 PM
Healthy, stable animals from vetted suppliers — inspected before packing, shipped overnight. Decades of experience built this model so we can deliver premium livestock at 30%+ less than you'd pay elsewhere.
| Care Level | Easy |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Semi-Aggressive |
| Reef Safe | Yes |
| Functional Benefit | Ornamental Only |
| Diet Type | Carnivore |
| Mininum Tank Size | 30 gallons |
| Max Size | 5 inches |
| Temperature | 72–78°F |
| pH Range | 8.1–8.4 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.022–1.025 |
The Splendid Dottyback (Manonichthys splendens) is a blue dottyback with fine light spotting, a yellow tail, and a small yellow mark between the eyes. It’s an Indo-West Pacific species often associated with Indonesian reef habitats, and it spends most of its time weaving through rockwork.
What You’ll Observe:
- Short, fast “patrol” swims between caves, ledges, and overhangs
- Regular perching at a favorite entrance while watching the rest of the tank
- Quick, confident dashes into the open at feeding time
- A consistent routine of staying low and close to structure throughout the day
Provide a reef with plenty of rockwork cracks and multiple hideouts so it can choose a home base and settle in quickly. Offer meaty frozen foods and other carnivore-focused options on a steady schedule, and maintain open swim lanes around the rock so it can move between territories comfortably.
Will it spend a lot of time hiding at first?
Many settle in by picking one “home” area and showing up in short bursts, then staying out longer once they learn the tank’s routine.
Is it okay to keep two Splendid Dottybacks together?
Most hobbyists treat them as a one-per-tank fish unless the aquarium is large and the pair is introduced carefully, since they tend to focus on territory.
Will it bother snails or ornamental shrimp?
It’s often fine around corals, but small mobile invertebrates can be viewed as food depending on the individual fish and how the tank is stocked.
Will it take pellets or only frozen foods?
Many learn pellets, but they usually respond fastest to small meaty frozen foods at first; once it recognizes the feeding spot, it often broadens its diet.
Is an acclimation box useful when introducing it?
An acclimation box is commonly used to help existing fish adjust to a new dottyback’s presence before it starts claiming a specific area of rockwork.
We work with trusted suppliers who keep our specimens healthy and well-fed before shipping.
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