Tank full of damsels
- Thread starter liver
- Start date
sedor
New member
You most certainly can keep an entire tank, but keep in mind damsels are aggressive, competitive, hardy fish. Due to their availability they are very cheap and because of that make them very unattractive to most people in this hobby. As far as keeping other fish with them, I don't think it would be a good idea unless the tank was very large.
davocean
Active member
I think it depends on what type of damsels you keep, some are much more aggro/territorial than others.
This is a good read.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/hcs3/index.php
This is a good read.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-11/hcs3/index.php
jasonrp104
New member
It would be kind of neat to see a larger tank with 20-30 yellowtails or 3 stripes
Wasn't trying to start a love um or leave thread!
Just wanted to hear from someone who has experience keeping a lot of them. When I see the dealers tanks where they are packed in (at much higher stocking levels then you can keep at home), they don't seem nearly as aggressive as they do when you have 1 or 2.
Just wanted to hear from someone who has experience keeping a lot of them. When I see the dealers tanks where they are packed in (at much higher stocking levels then you can keep at home), they don't seem nearly as aggressive as they do when you have 1 or 2.
elegance coral
They call me EC
What you don't see is all the dead damsels they pick out of the tank every morning, before the store opens.
palmer373
New member
sometimes they wait till after they open lol.
There's usually a lot of turnover at these stores, and cheap fish like damsels don't stay in the tank for long enough to claim a territory. Also, without much in these tanks in the stores, there isn't much territory to claim. And when there's 30 little damsels in a 20 gallon tank, it's so packed the fish can't pick on 1 fish without getting stuck in traffic trying to chase 'em. Most fish which die in the store aren't getting bullied to death, they're dying because of stress from overcrowding, poor conditions, and the stress from being in a plastic bag for a few days.
I can't see the "if its not a rare fish then it's I dont' want it" attitude being so prominent here, but I suppose some people keep fish as a status symbol (even just in this thread there's quite a few guilty of this).
The way I see it is, anytime you get a larger aquarium, you'd rather get some larger fish than many smaller fish, as you could have used a smaller aquarium if you were to keep damsels in the first place.
The way I see it is, anytime you get a larger aquarium, you'd rather get some larger fish than many smaller fish, as you could have used a smaller aquarium if you were to keep damsels in the first place.
0rbital
New member
Springer's and Talbots are great looking fish, not very aggressive, and cheap. I like them and they compliment the other fish in my tank. That's why they are in my tanks. Springer's will eat flatworms too.
SkyPapa
Premium Member
I bought 5 yellow tail/blue damsels a few months ago to go in my 45g shallow frag/reef tank.
One jumped almost immediately and passed.
One rode to the sump and I put it in my 180 with 10-11 anthias,a couple of potter's dwarfs, a hogfish, CBB and foxface and a couple more i think.
He has his coral head but uses about 1/2 the tank.
In the frag tank 3 the remaining are doing good. 2 seem to have paired and have a large branched digita for home and the other one uses a stag.
The are gorgeous fish I think.
Here is one.
One jumped almost immediately and passed.
One rode to the sump and I put it in my 180 with 10-11 anthias,a couple of potter's dwarfs, a hogfish, CBB and foxface and a couple more i think.
He has his coral head but uses about 1/2 the tank.
In the frag tank 3 the remaining are doing good. 2 seem to have paired and have a large branched digita for home and the other one uses a stag.
The are gorgeous fish I think.
Here is one.
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Cody Ray
New member
It would seem to be similar to how African cichlids are kept. Aggressive filtration and water changes would be a must. Full fish tend to be less aggressive fish so frequent feedings would also be good. They are also less likely to be territorial if the fish are all added at once which in a saltwater system is inadvisable. Overall it would be difficult at best and a crashed system at worst. A large aquarium with plenty of liverock/hiding spots so that individuals could stake out a territory would be the best bet.
