Damsels? Good or bad idea - Page 2

Weatherman · 01/23/2006, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by know-it-all
just got 3 more,
(black-cap from Vanuatu)
but it is a damsel only tank

I bought seven of them for my 120 (no other fish in the tank at the time). Within two weeks the three weakest ones had been beaten to death. I still have the other four, and they bicker and nip fins all the time, but don't seem to do any permanent damage to each other.

At least they're smart enough to leave my Foxface and Virgatus Rabbitfish alone.

ACBlinky · 01/23/2006, 08:48 PM

I love my damsel, but agree they can be trouble. I think they sometimes get a bad rap but can be manageable if they're in larger tanks or kept alone, as JENnKerry said. Mine is a South Seas 'devil' (Chrysiptera taupou) and she's a sweetie, but that may have something to do with the fact that she's the only damsel and her tankmates are all larger and/or semi-agressive. She actually got a good butt-kicking by my halfblack angel today when she went for the nori clip; she's definitely not the most agressive thing in the tank!

I agree that if you want to add more, rearranging decoration beforehand might help.

As a side note, unless a tank is really big it's fairly easy to catch a difficult fish by draining most of the water into Rubbermaids and digging a hole in the sand where fish will collect as the water level gets low. Traps and barbless hooks are also supposed to work for damsels, but I've never tried that method myself.

know-it-all · 01/23/2006, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Weatherman
I bought seven of them for my 120 (no other fish in the tank at the time). Within two weeks the three weakest ones had been beaten to death. I still have the other four, and they bicker and nip fins all the time, but don't seem to do any permanent damage to each other.

At least they're smart enough to leave my Foxface and Virgatus Rabbitfish alone.

Great pic,
I usually turn the lights out for at least 24 hours after I introduce any new fish
and it's at least 3 at a time
(Learned that one the hard way)
2 seem to be fairing very well, but they won't let the third into the group
so, it's getting it's butt kicked as we speak
I can hear the teeth from 3 feet away

All should be good by the afternoon tomorrow.

know-it-all · 01/25/2006, 10:23 PM

well after 48 hours, the bickering has stopped.
I think I lost 1 to the fighting and 1 to the power heads.
(stupid fish)
but the last one is doing very well

so, to answer the original question,
yes, damsels will cause WWWIII and WWWIV for a couple days
and then, good luck adding anything else after the dust settles.

01/23/2006, 08:48 PM	#27
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I love my damsel, but agree they can be trouble. I think they sometimes get a bad rap but can be manageable if they're in larger tanks or kept alone, as JENnKerry said. Mine is a South Seas 'devil' (Chrysiptera taupou) and she's a sweetie, but that may have something to do with the fact that she's the only damsel and her tankmates are all larger and/or semi-agressive. She actually got a good butt-kicking by my halfblack angel today when she went for the nori clip; she's definitely not the most agressive thing in the tank! I agree that if you want to add more, rearranging decoration beforehand might help. As a side note, unless a tank is really big it's fairly easy to catch a difficult fish by draining most of the water into Rubbermaids and digging a hole in the sand where fish will collect as the water level gets low. Traps and barbless hooks are also supposed to work for damsels, but I've never tried that method myself. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

01/25/2006, 10:23 PM	#29
know-it-all Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: in my now frozen chair (aka Wisconsin) Posts: 1,488	well after 48 hours, the bickering has stopped. I think I lost 1 to the fighting and 1 to the power heads. (stupid fish) but the last one is doing very well so, to answer the original question, yes, damsels will cause WWWIII and WWWIV for a couple days and then, good luck adding anything else after the dust settles. __________________ current tank 94 corner, SPS/LPS basement sump