Blue Damsels

[Stormvillefish]

Hi ... my 38 gallon is now fully cylced and I have had two damsels in the tank the past few weeks just to make sure everything was okay before I invest in a little more expensive fish. The one damsel is a blue devil ... very mean and has kept the blue yellow tail damsel up in the corner. I am about to go and pick up two ocellaris clowns .... before I do I am taking the blue devil out and bring him back to the lfs ... question is should I also take the blue yellow tail damsel back to the lfs? Will he become mean once I take the blue devil out ... don't want him to beat up on my clowns or any other fish I may put in the tank in the future. Thanks for your opinions ... really nice for someone new to sw to have a place they can get great advice.
-Mike

 

[brdracing]

I have 2 damsels in my 55gallon tank one is a 3line and the other is a blue. The 3 line always picked on the Blue damsel. I put in 2 Tomato Clowns and he has stopped picking on the blue damsel. He doesn't pick on any fish now. I think it all depends on the fish’s personality.
But for the most part I think all Damsels try to pick on other fish or just aggravate others.
Only reason I didn’t take my Damsels out to start with is that I couldn’t catch them when I was ready to take them back to the LFS
Hope this helps
Brooks

 

[kathainbowen]

Many people are of the opinion that damsels (as we generally think about them, in regards to the blue, humbug, domino, etc, not clownfish persay), aren't generally suited to smaller reef tanks. They are a schooling fish by nature and belong in larger groups than smaller tanks can offer, otherwise they can be nippy with one another. Think of them like the saltwater equivalent of the tiger barb. Beautiful fish with fun behavioral patterns of establishing a schooling pecking order, but with a terrible reputation because very few people give them the sort of social structure and space they need to do well in a tank.

Personally, I would remove both damsels, but that's because I'm not really a damsel fan. You may find opposing opinions and thoughts, but to each there own, amiright?

In addition to that, in a 50 gallon or smaller tank, I am much more likely to recommend removing the damsel to free up space for specimens that may be more desirable to your tastes.

 

[danielc316]

i started with 4 damsel. 1 was really mean and chased everyone around. well back he wen't. then other became mean, we'll he went away also. now we kept 2 they are awesome, they get along with everyone. fish have different personalities and it's hard to tell how they will react. damsels get along with my 2 clowns with no problem.

 

[fatdaddy]

It really depends on what you want to do with your tank in the long run. I, personally, enjoy my damsels. Sure they are cheap and easy, but that doesn't diminish their beauty or charm.

I'd recommend against keeping individuals. All mine are pairs or triplets and they definitely know their group.

 

[Sk8r]

Kathainbowen, I second that recommendation.
I've successfully kept quite a few damsels in a 100g, with no nipped fins, including a blue velvet, blue devil, yellowtail, 4-stripe, (or was it 3), domino, and 7 chromis. It was a beautiful and busy tank---but it was a long 100g.
Reefers are so generally agreeable to the notion anthias need room to run, and yet have no sympathy for the colorful, easy-keeper damsels in general. They're really not that much different in behavior, imho: give them space and let them rush and run, and they're beautiful and do all the schooling behaviors you could ask. Pen them solo in a corner and they'll fight with all the grit and guts of an anime hero. I have a lot of respect for the maligned damsels.

You DO need 100g or more to keep them well.