Starcki Damsel

[Rhygar666]

Hello,

im thinking of how to stock my ~30 Gallon tank (the tank is 95 cm length x 40 cm height x 33 cm height)
and consider a pair of Starcki Damsels and maybe a Midas Blenny.
anyway i got a few question about the damsel.
did i read right, does it change gender, so if i get 2 they will form a pair?
Is it alright to keep 2 of those in a 30 Gallon tank?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I'm unsure of the sex change, but I wouldn't put more than one in a 30gal tank. Also if you do get one I would consider all fish that you might want to get before you get the Starcki and add fish in order from least aggressive to most aggressive.

 

[Rhygar666]

I'm unsure of the sex change.

thats why im asking here, as i only read it and i dont just take that for truth
anyway other thing im thinking about it is a Longnose Hawkfish, is it possible to keep one or even a pair in a 30 gallon tank (my store has really good looking ones currently, dont know how to pair those, if its possible).
its more of a special tank i only want 1-2 interessting fish in and thats it.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

It's possible but IMO you would be better off with one of the possum or pygmy wrasses which are very similar in shape and appearance to the longnose hawkfish. With them you can have a pair easily.

 

[Rhygar666]

It's possible but IMO you would be better off with one of the possum or pygmy wrasses which are very similar in shape and appearance to the longnose hawkfish. With them you can have a pair easily.

i know but i got a pair of possum wrasses in my tank next to it, is there a better type of damsel etc. chromis that might work in this tank as well?

 

[ThRoewer]

All damsels start out as females. The dominant of a group will change to male.
Though I would rather try to get a male (larger and more elongated body) and a female (smaller and more roundish body) so that the roles are clear from the start. Otherwise you may go through a period of fighting until the dominant female turned male.

I had a pair in an 90 liter broodstock tank with a pair of percula and that worked out fine. So I think a 30 gallon tank should work if the rockwork provides enough shelter and structure. An established pair should even work in a smaller tank.

I have right now 2 males (couldn't get any small females) and had to separate them because they would try to kill each other.
The smaller male is now in my 100 gallon tank and tries to terrorize my four fridmani, but fails miserably. I'm still looking for some girls for him so he chills a bit.

The other one is still in a 10 gallon QT with a pair of neon dottybacks, a pair of banggais and a bicolor blenny. He is a bit the moderator for the neons to keep their fighting down (they are still in the bonding process and the larger one hasn't yet turned into a functional male).
I plan to pair this one as well as soon as I can find enough females.

In general, keeping them as pair (or harem group) will calm them down and channel their aggression inside their group instead of trying to terrorize all other fish in the tank.

 

[Naraku]

If I get a group of 3-5 (depend on price). Will they kill each other or just chase each other off the territory. Plan to do tank transfer in 10 gallon tanks.

 

[Naraku]

I thought that rule applied to dascyllus and clownfish only and not to chrysiptera.

All damsels start out as females. The dominant of a group will change to male.
Though I would rather try to get a male (larger and more elongated body) and a female (smaller and more roundish body) so that the roles are clear from the start. Otherwise you may go through a period of fighting until the dominant female turned male.

I had a pair in an 90 liter broodstock tank with a pair of percula and that worked out fine. So I think a 30 gallon tank should work if the rockwork provides enough shelter and structure. An established pair should even work in a smaller tank.

I have right now 2 males (couldn't get any small females) and had to separate them because they would try to kill each other.
The smaller male is now in my 100 gallon tank and tries to terrorize my four fridmani, but fails miserably. I'm still looking for some girls for him so he chills a bit.

The other one is still in a 10 gallon QT with a pair of neon dottybacks, a pair of banggais and a bicolor blenny. He is a bit the moderator for the neons to keep their fighting down (they are still in the bonding process and the larger one hasn't yet turned into a functional male).
I plan to pair this one as well as soon as I can find enough females.

In general, keeping them as pair (or harem group) will calm them down and channel their aggression inside their group instead of trying to terrorize all other fish in the tank.

 

[ThRoewer]

It applies to a lot of fish. As a rule of thumb, fish that live in harem groups are most likely capable of sex change.


juvenile -> male -> female
- Anemone fish

juvenile -> female -> male
- Damsels
- Angel fish
- Butterflyfish
- Basslets
- Anthias
- Wrasses
- Tangs & Surgeon fish
- Plesiopidae
(Rabbit fish may belong to this group as well)

juvenile -> female <> male (bidirectional - males can change back to females if needed)
- Dottybacks
- Hawkfish
- Gobies

juvenile -> female/male (some can even create offspring without a partner and fertilize their own eggs)
- Groupers

Fish that are born either male or female
- Blennies
- Pipefish and Seahorses
- Cardinal fish
- Dragonets


Not sure about
- Jawfish - depends on if they belong to the Cardinals or the Plesiopidae.
- Puffer, Boxfish, Filefish and Trigger (may be fixed sex.)
- Lionfish and Scorpion fish
- Batfish
- Squirrelfish
- Dartfish (may be fixed sex)
- Grunts & Sweetlips

This list is for sure not complete, but a very large number of the fish wee keep can change sex one way or the other

 

[Naraku]

I'm going to try to order tiny ones

 

[Naraku]

Maybe I'll try to buy two Moorish idol that still have the spine cheek then.

It applies to a lot of fish. As a rule of thumb, fish that live in harem groups are most likely capable of sex change.


juvenile -> male -> female
- Anemone fish

juvenile -> female -> male
- Damsels
- Angel fish
- Butterflyfish
- Basslets
- Anthias
- Wrasses
- Tangs & Surgeon fish
- Plesiopidae
(Rabbit fish may belong to this group as well)

juvenile -> female <> male (bidirectional - males can change back to females if needed)
- Dottybacks
- Hawkfish
- Gobies

juvenile -> female/male (some can even create offspring without a partner and fertilize their own eggs)
- Groupers

Fish that are born either male or female
- Blennies
- Pipefish and Seahorses
- Cardinal fish
- Dragonets


Not sure about
- Jawfish - depends on if they belong to the Cardinals or the Plesiopidae.
- Puffer, Boxfish, Filefish and Trigger (may be fixed sex.)
- Lionfish and Scorpion fish
- Batfish
- Squirrelfish
- Dartfish (may be fixed sex)
- Grunts & Sweetlips

This list is for sure not complete, but a very large number of the fish wee keep can change sex one way or the other

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I've decided to get a Stacki for my last fish in my 40b. I got on the email alert at LA for any of them that become available. They're such a beautiful fish IMO. I would even go as far as to call them "striking"

Now are any one of the starcki's more colorful from one region to the next, or all they pretty much the same?

 

[Naraku]

There are two variants. One has more blue on the tail and ranges from Philippines to Japan. The other has more yellow on the tail and come from Melanesia, Fiji, Australia. I like the ones with more yellow personally.

I've decided to get a Stacki for my last fish in my 40b. I got on the email alert at LA for any of them that become available. They're such a beautiful fish IMO. I would even go as far as to call them "striking"

Now are any one of the starcki's more colorful from one region to the next, or all they pretty much the same?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Thanks! I'm not so sure that I can be too picky since they're not all that common. I'm hoping for an Aussie one.

 

[Sk8r]

I would expect aggression from two starckii in a 30 gallon. One, alone, is pushing the size considerably. Chrysipteras are fairly mildmannered, but they need room.

 

[ThRoewer]

I would expect aggression from two starckii in a 30 gallon. One, alone, is pushing the size considerably. Chrysipteras are fairly mildmannered, but they need room.

Only if they are both males. I had a starcki pair in an 80 liter tank (~21 gal) and they got along fine.

Though I'm not sure 2 males would be able to coexist even in a 1000 gallon tank.