Possible feeding issue?

Ytsejam02

Ytsejam02

New member
Hi All,
I have a tank that is in the middle of its cycle. I'm also using two damsels to help it along (I know... not everyone likes this approach). I do care about their health, and plan to return them when I'm done. It's also something I did in the past with success.

At any rate, this time around, I have one damsel that has a frayed tail fin. He was also hanging out at the top of the water in the filter jet stream. Those are the only signs I have that he was not right.

My LFS originally told me to feed every other day. I fed them yesterday, and decided to feed them a very small portion today. The fish in question ate just fine, and proceeded to act normal afterward. I also noticed they were a bit aggressive towards each other.

So now I'm wondering... is it possible that they weren't eating enough, and took it out on each other? My research shows people's feeding patterns are really all over the place and depend on equipment, bio load, etc. So that didn't help to say if every other day feeding was good enough.

Thoughts?

Thx in advance!
Jay
 
Bad way to start with a tank, cycling a tank with fish. Bad thing about cycling with damsels is trouble of trying to catch them without tearing down your aquascape. Second, they will become establish and will be very aggressive to the newcomers of the tank. I feed my fish twice a day at 30-45 seconds each feeding.
 
scooter31707 said:
Bad way to start with a tank, cycling a tank with fish. Bad thing about cycling with damsels is trouble of trying to catch them without tearing down your aquascape. Second, they will become establish and will be very aggressive to the newcomers of the tank. I feed my fish twice a day at 30-45 seconds each feeding.
Click to expand...

I'm actually expecting to have to manipulate the aquascape to capture them, and expecting it to be a pain in the rear.
 
The reason people use damsels for cycling is that you can poison them (ammonia burns the gills) and they don't die as easily as other fish. It's not that they are suffering less than other fish, just that it doesn't always kill them.

What do you think happens when you return the fish? Pretty good chance of someone putting it through this again. Likewise, you may not be the first person to expose this fish to a toxic, painful environment for no reason. Sooner or later even a damsel is going to die if you keep poisoning it. This one might be giving up.
 
Very bad practice. If the fish ARE ill, so is your tank: many issues can take to the sandbed. And it's cruel and entirely unnecessary. It's not the fish that cycle the tank: it's the fishfood. Remove the fish and just feed the tank.
 
Sk8r said:
Very bad practice. If the fish ARE ill, so is your tank: many issues can take to the sandbed. And it's cruel and entirely unnecessary. It's not the fish that cycle the tank: it's the fishfood. Remove the fish and just feed the tank.
Click to expand...

So you recommend removing the fish and... returning them?

And what of the tank? Should I be treating it?
 
Ytsejam02 said:
55 gallons.

On a side note, I'm trying to find where to update my signature so that that info is in my posts... I don't see it in my profile.
Click to expand...

My RC (top)
choose 'Edit Your Details' (top left)
scroll to the very bottom, there's a spot to fill in your current tank details
 
jenjen said:
My RC (top)
choose 'Edit Your Details' (top left)
scroll to the very bottom, there's a spot to fill in your current tank details
Click to expand...

Thx jenjen. I already had my current tank info in there, but using your directions, I saw there was an Edit Signature. Hopefully that'll work. :-)
 
Why would you buy fish knowing your going to return them, pure ammonia is cheaper and you don't risk introducing disease into your aquarium. Just because it worked in the past, doesn't mean there are not new and better ways to do something.
 
Nick92515 said:
Why would you buy fish knowing your going to return them, pure ammonia is cheaper and you don't risk introducing disease into your aquarium. Just because it worked in the past, doesn't mean there are not new and better ways to do something.
Click to expand...

To be fair, there's a lot of conflicting advice on this. Obviously not on this thread, but it's not like I came up with this idea all on my own.

So at this point, i'm really looking for advice on where to go from here. I'd like to correct the mistakes I've made. If everyone is of the opinion I should remove the fish from the tank, I need to know:

1 - I assume the thought is to return them to the LFS?
2 - What do when when the tank is empty again. Leave it to finish cycling? Treat it?
 
Ytsejam02 said:
Thx jenjen. I already had my current tank info in there, but using your directions, I saw there was an Edit Signature. Hopefully that'll work. :-)
Click to expand...

Iirc you need to have something in your sig. Like, if the sig is blank then the tank info doesn't show up. It can be as simple as a period, or whatev you want.
 
Ytsejam02 said:
To be fair, there's a lot of conflicting advice on this. Obviously not on this thread, but it's not like I came up with this idea all on my own.

So at this point, i'm really looking for advice on where to go from here. I'd like to correct the mistakes I've made. If everyone is of the opinion I should remove the fish from the tank, I need to know:

1 - I assume the thought is to return them to the LFS?
2 - What do when when the tank is empty again. Leave it to finish cycling? Treat it?
Click to expand...

Personally I would remove the fish give them to the LFS, another reefer.

Then I would cycle the tank by putting in some ammonia or a raw deli shrimp or by ghost feeding the tank. I would get the ammonia level up to 2-3 ppm then let nature take its course.

while that is going on read the setting up sticky at the top of the forum. Just my 2 cents.
 
Many lfs's will take 'returned' fish and give you store credit if they're healthy. Just as a point of info, damsels take a hundred gallon tank. They're the principle species I keep. Space is the reason they're fighting. They're all about territory, and if they have a hundred gallons to move around in, they're fine, even tempered, even good neighbors, but in cramped quarters they'll kill each other or anything else that crowds them.

And if your lfs is not willing to take them even as a free return, I'd find a new lfs. A good one will take back a fish, and will help you out by selling old equipment, etc.

No fault of yours: some fish stores stuck in the last century are still giving out this advice about putting damsels in tanks. It wasn't even good advice in the 1980's. But we do have that sticky up top called 'SETTING UP' that will help out. If that store wants to sell you stuff---you might ask here, re brands that are good, what's the best practice, etc.
 
I really do appreciate the advice. I'll look into returning them asap. I already know they will take returns, just not sure what they'll say about the damaged damsel.
 
Frankly if they had you put two damsels into a tank less than 100 gallons, they ought to know why the tail got damaged.

Welcome, by the way. Just drop a few flakes of fish food in daily as if the damsels were still in there, and the tank will cycle just as if they were. Continue the ghost-feeding for about 4 days after the first ammonia spike, and if the tank continues to swallow it down with NO re-appearance of ammonia, you're cycled, and the next step is snails and micro-hermits, maybe a hardy coral. Few weeks on (be quarantining your first fish at this point) you're ready to introduce a fish who'll find the environment ammonia-proof and very friendly.
 
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