Advice on my new True Perc

[Tron87]

Hooray. I juat got a great looking True Perc. About 1.5".

Here's where I might be stupid. I've got a 50 with two Blu-Finned Damsels. One is 3" and ancient. He owns the tank. He has had roomates before and been fine with them. His croney the littler guy(1.25") gan be a bit of apain too but niether are murders. so far.

I love my perc already so I took some measures to help him out on his first day. I trapped the big damsel and sent him to fishy jail. His home for the next few days is a five gallon bucket with a powerhead and some live rock (he's terminator fish, he'll be fine.) After acclimating the Perc i netted him and let him loose.

At this point the little guy begins his bullying. He starts with some charging and retreating. No big deal. Then he does some tail wacking that is more amusing than worring. He runs right up in front of the Perc, turns around and fluters his tail in my my clowns face.

The clown does not seem too worried about any of this and acts normally. I turned off the lights and he has gone to a low flow spot and smims near the bottom.

Sorry for the novella. Anyhow. Does anyone have tips on what i might doo with the big guy in a few days(move rock around etc.)
Any tips in general.

I think my Perc looks great so I'll try to get some pics up.

 

[Tron87]

Also, what is normal sleeping behavior for this fish?

 

[littlefish72]

let the perc get acustom (sp?) to the new tank before introducing the damsel again........percs are pretty tough and should be able to hold his own against a damsel.............re-doing the rock would be a good idea as well

 

[lildraken]

i have a 1.5 in perc with two large domino damsels. they live in peace together. I notice the damsels attack anything that is new (including the algae scraper) but after a while they mind their own business and chase each other. that's just my experience.

 

[Tron87]

Yeah, they give everyone a hassle in the beginning. I think Perky will be OK.

 

[JR719]

You might try removing the damsel again and move some of the rock around. Change his habitat so when he returnes, it's new.

 

[Tron87]

He's come to an agreement with the little damsel. He is acting normally, eating and his color has come back after a slight fade in the first two days. Boogey down.

Cross your fingers for big damsel indroduction in T-Minus two days.

 

[cl2ysta1]

i had a large damsel that caused 2 clownfish to jump.. than we got a larger mated pair....

and guess what that stupid damsel got!!!!

hahah

 

[Tron87]

He spends all his time right up in the front middle of the tank. He is already my favorite fish that I have ever had.

 

[cschweitzer]

I don't like to be a downer, but damsels do not like clowns usually. Not to say it can't work, but they can get really mean to each other. They are of the same family, just different genus and species. The damsels can have immunities to anems and my damsels kicked my first pair of saddlebacks out of their anem and proceeded to beat the anem to death. Stressed the clowns enough to kill them also. Needless to say, I took those damsels out. The only damsel I have now is one of those blue devils. He is well-behaved after being beaten around by his big buddies(the domino damsels and tangs...he's the smallest fish in the tank) and stays in the shadows. If I had to do it over again, I would have rid myself of damsels before putting anything else in the tank.

 

[cl2ysta1]

damsels are the devil. thats my story and im sticking to it

 

[Tron87]

So far the Clown and the little damsel aregetting along swimmingly. I'm still a bit worried about the big damsel but hopeful.

I've kind of been waiting for the big guy to die so that i can finally getsome nicer fish. I would have donated him to a pet store already but we have just had him for so long. It has been at least six years that he has been the master of this tank. He was there before i was given the tank.

Is it wierd that i feel obligated to be loyal to a fish? and a damsel at that?

 

[cschweitzer]

Clowns can live for well over 20 years and I'm sure that damsels, being from the same family, would have similar lifespan...waiting for him to die might be a few decades off. I have never seen a hardier fish than a damsel, so it may even be able to outlive a clown...

 

[Tron87]

That is one of my fears. I am getting pretty tired of waiting. He'll be at the pet store soon if i find another True Perc to pair mine with.

Heres mine now.

That whitish stuff is only in the photo. Probably something floating the the water since I can't find it one him when I look now.

 

[Tron87]

On a semi-side note. I've heard that damsels and the like will be more agressive towards fish of the same shape. More rounded damsels will be more agressive toward dominoes and B/W striped damsels rather than say a yellow tail damsel.

How true is this? I think it makes a little bit of sense.

 

[Slakker]

I think it depends on a lot of factors, but from what I've read it seems like the more a fish resembles another one, the higher the chances that they will have "arguments."