Mixed Damsel tank in a 29 gallon

[Rugops]

Hi!
So, I am having to get rid of my striped blenny pair because of this really bully of a damsel (Princess/Ocellate Damsel at 3 inches) and I thought "Why not just make it a damsel tank". So I would like to run it sort of cichlid style with aggression being dispersed among them.

I have an offer for a lemon drop damsel that is similar in size. I just don't know how many damsels would work and what species I could have in it.

@MoshJosh I saw you had a similar question, did you follow through?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi!
So, I am having to get rid of my striped blenny pair because of this really bully of a damsel (Princess/Ocellate Damsel at 3 inches) and I thought "Why not just make it a damsel tank". So I would like to run it sort of cichlid style with aggression being dispersed among them.

I have an offer for a lemon drop damsel that is similar in size. I just don't know how many damsels would work and what species I could have in it.

@MoshJosh I saw you had a similar question, did you follow through?

That species is fairly aggressive. While I have used the "crowding" trick to keep mbuna cichlids together with no issues, I have not had good success doing that with multiple damselfish species, especially Pomacentrus, like this one.

Jay

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

A 29 gallon tank can only hold maybe 4-5-6 fish, if you add the damsels at the same time it might work. But if the damsels go in one at at a time, they won't let new additions in later. I've never seen an established damsel accept a new fish in the tank (smaller tanks)

If you add the lemon damsel, it will get jumped as soon as you put it in the tank good chance to be dead in 24 hours. (of course I'm just guessing and could be wrong)

 

[saltnut]

Last year I decided to add damsels to my 20L nano. It has a pair of clowns that after a tank mate passed were alone for months. They host a toadstool and a Moai head. I added a golden damsel in Sept 2022, a couple weeks later a blue velvet regal demoiselle and in Oct. 2022 a common blue damsel. Each time I was adding new fish I changed the scape, so everyone had to reestablish their territory.

 

[MoshJosh]

I ended up adding 5 yellowtail damsels, 2 larger and 3 smaller (all that was available). I added them all at the same time, and things seemed to be going well despite the size difference, but then the 2 larger ones paired up and started to breed. The breeding pair did not kill the others, but would not let them freely swim the tank and would chase them back to their corner. I took the smaller 3 back to the LFS and am going to try to breed the large 2.

Note sure what this info means for trying to add different types of damsels, though my initial success makes me think it could be possible if the damsels are added at the same time and aren't compatible for breeding. . .

 

[Rugops]

Right now, the only option given to me if I were to trade the blennies are the lemon drop damsel along with a 6 inch domino damsel (they live in the same tank). The domino is big. I don't know if the domino could live long term in my tank.

 

[Rugops]

bump

 

[saltnut]

At 6" the domino is a mature fish and shouldn't get much larger than that. Recommended tank size on Live Aquaria is 30-gallon min. so your good there.