Bullying issue

[Eleni18]

Hi all. I have a 150 gallon tank with everybody living happily except two black and white damsels who are real bullies. They have killed two firefish, and a diamond goby in the past. They bully every newcomer to death. So...as I wanted to get a few new fish, I partitioned the tank with a sheet of clear plexiglass into which I drilled a series of holes, to accommodate for flow. I have put the newcomers and peaceful oldies in one part and the aggressive damsel in the other. Everybody seems happy except for the damsel which tries to break through the plexiglass wall to get to the newcomers. My question is, when can I safely remove the partition? In the past and if the newcomers survived the first couple of days, things used to calm down. What now?

 

[dzfish17]

You'll probably end up removing the damsels. I had a pair in my 600 gal and when they had eggs they went bonkers... Even pushing around a 8" Powder Blue Tang and a 6"Emperor Angel.

 

[Eleni18]

You'll probably end up removing the damsels. I had a pair in my 600 gal and when they had eggs they went bonkers... Even pushing around a 8" Powder Blue Tang and a 6"Emperor Angel.

Mine calm down and get used to the new fish after a few days..if it survives. So I wonder....when can I remove the wall?

 

[dzfish17]

What I'm trying to tell you is they are nasty, mean fish and when you remove the wall you'll likely end up with more dead fish. Good luck

 

[Alaeriel]

I'd suggest setting up a tank just for the damsels so the rest of your fish can live peacefully.

 

[BlennyTime]

Yeah, I’m not sure the damsels are going to be satisfied until the new fish are dead. Then they will probably nip at you for good measure

 

[Eleni18]

OK, thanks. I have seen on this and other forums that many people suggest putting the new fish in a kind of clear "cage" so that the other fish can see it and get used to it before they come into free contact with it. I though the clear partition could work this way.

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

Maybe you could remove the damsels and put them in another tank for a month then reintroduce them after you’ve added your new fish.

 

[BlennyTime]

OK, thanks. I have seen on this and other forums that many people suggest putting the new fish in a kind of clear "cage" so that the other fish can see it and get used to it before they come into free contact with it. I though the clear partition could work this way.

That would work for semi-aggressive fish. For example, my dwarf flame angel likes to "welcome" new arrivals for a little while before losing interest. But most damsels have a reputation for being full aggressive, and it's possible no amount of introductions will help curb that.

 

[dzfish17]

ive kept quite a few damsels over the last 3 decades and from my experience the black and white striped ones as well as the dominos are more aggressive than regular damsels. They can get pretty good size on them as well. Probably better to just remove at this point. Good luck

 

[Eleni18]

Thank you all for your input. Last night, one of the two bullies-the nastier one- managed to cross the border and pass to the other side of the tank, so I had to remove the clear acrylic wall. I spent most of the night watching in dread....So far, the bully seems at a loss. It is as if coming back to the other half of the tank, she found it invaded by strangers. No sign of nasty bullying..she seems scared and nervous, as if she cannot cope with the new situation....all the other fish seem cautious but happy. Still waiting