my newbie FOWLR is almost up
- Thread starter Eel Steve
- Start date
- Tagged users None
The initial plan was snowflake moray, small sharpnose puffer, yellow tang, dwarf lionfish.
I got more damsels than I meant to (I have 3 drip acclimating currently, long embarrassing story that ends with them spending 24 hours in a home depot 5 gallon bucket with a rock and a powerhead...also I bought 4, so one didn't make it obviously lol) and it's my understanding they will pick on the puffer.
So I think now it's Snowflake, bristletooth/koleye/yellow tang, dwarf lion, and 3 hardy butt survivor damsels (2 yellowtail, one azure)
(I guess it is kinda slanted - nothing is glued together yet - I may reef putty some stuff in the month I'm cycling it before the snowflake is added as next inhabitant as I understand they like to be amatear aquascapers)
Cleo642
2500 Club Member
You have the damsels already?
Those first are meanest, most aggressive fish. As they mature, the meaner they get. Those little first pack a punch. They will stress out your other fish. Maybe you'll have one that acts cool but can bet most those damsels won't.
Those first are meanest, most aggressive fish. As they mature, the meaner they get. Those little first pack a punch. They will stress out your other fish. Maybe you'll have one that acts cool but can bet most those damsels won't.
mr.reeferman
Active Member
i made the damsel mistake if you put them in you will have to take them out and rearrange rockwork put new fish in put damsels in a breeder box for a week to let them think they cant get the other fish .... just alot of trouble .... but after i did this my damsels killed each other except for my blue velvet he was a sweetheart ... rip flash ....
Cleo642
2500 Club Member
Awe, poor babyi made the damsel mistake if you put them in you will have to take them out and rearrange rockwork put new fish in put damsels in a breeder box for a week to let them think they cant get the other fish .... just alot of trouble .... but after i did this my damsels killed each other except for my blue velvet he was a sweetheart ... rip flash ....
I have come to terms with the fact I have 3 jerkhead fish in my tank. I will either plan around them, or get a coarse net and remove them eventually. I dont think they'll bother the snowflake. He will try to eat them I'm sure but I think they are too fast / darty.
I'm not sure how I will kill these yet. Plus they are kinda cool looking, and having been total badmofos through a bunch of ignorant newbie mistakes that REALLY should have killed them, I almost think they earned a place in the tank for being survivors, ya know?
Seriously they went in saltwater that had only been mixed for 30 mins.
How long do they live? 90 days only right? (im kidding)
Cleo642
2500 Club Member
They probably think the whole tank is theirs now. Lol.
I have come to terms with the fact I have 3 jerkhead fish in my tank. I will either plan around them, or get a coarse net and remove them eventually. I dont think they'll bother the snowflake. He will try to eat them I'm sure but I think they are too fast / darty.
I'm not sure how I will kill these yet. Plus they are kinda cool looking, and having been total badmofos through a bunch of ignorant newbie mistakes that REALLY should have killed them, I almost think they earned a place in the tank for being survivors, ya know?
Seriously they went in saltwater that had only been mixed for 30 mins.
How long do they live? 90 days only right? (im kidding)
They are probably gonna ultra hard to catch with a net.
Hey on LiveAquaria it says Damsels and eels aren't compatible. I am planning on a snowflake.
Are the damsels gonna pick on the snowflake??!?!?! Cuz ill take those things out NOW if thats the case.
If its just the snowflakes gonna try to eat the damsels, I don't care at all about that.
Are the damsels gonna pick on the snowflake??!?!?! Cuz ill take those things out NOW if thats the case.
If its just the snowflakes gonna try to eat the damsels, I don't care at all about that.
Also maybe there will be a wild deathmatch and 2 will kill eachother in a Max Max esque struggle for live or death on the sandy rocks, and I'll only have to worry about murdering the last one efficiently.
Cleo642
2500 Club Member
Idk how they'll react to the eel. Damsels stake out their territory and are mean to protect their space. If they think the eel is in their territory they might. You might have to wait and see how they react to the eel but you don't want the damsels to stress the eel either.
melypr1985
totally addicted
I would just move the rocks so that they aren't touching the front glass. It will be very hard to clean that glass and keep the detritus off the sand with the rocks on the front glass like that. Just a suggestion 
You just want to make sure you have good enough flow to keep fish poop and left over food from collecting on the sand around the rocks. Good luck!
You just want to make sure you have good enough flow to keep fish poop and left over food from collecting on the sand around the rocks. Good luck!I would just move the rocks so that they aren't touching the front glass. It will be very hard to clean that glass and keep the detritus off the sand with the rocks on the front glass like that. Just a suggestion
That's just an illusion with the bowfront - I specifically did rock placement so I can get a scraper between the rocks and the glass if needed
You do have me rethinking my powerhead placement though
Ian, it's my understanding you can use a single damsel to cycle your tank. I'm a newbie so I'm def not an expert - I accidentally got pressured / impulsed into getting 3 damsels for the cycling.
I like them, they are colorful and cool, but the most expensive one was 10 dollars and I don't care if they die. This is for my eel-son I will get soon lol.
So, I'm actually going to cycle the tank for a month with just them + the bio-spira I added before I add the eel, because I care if he lives or dies.
Also I guess I have to get an adolescent or adult snowflake, cuz I think the jerk-damsels will screw with a baby too much.
**EDIT* I initially bought 4 damsels for the cycling but one didn't survive the transition from petstore bag to home depot bucket with powerhead and heater they were stuck in for 24 hours
Also worth mentioning Ian, the damsel cycle method is considered antiquated now too, really you just need Bio-Spira and a pinch of fish food every 2-3 days
Oops forgot to list my equipment.
So its a 72 bowfront
29 or 30 gallon sump below
Right now the only filtration is the dead rock with bio-spira so hopefully it becomes live, and I have the water flow running through a sock filter.
I OWN a Super skimmer 125 but I've been told not to use it for the first month while I'm cycling.
Definitely not the first 48 hours anyways says the Bio Spira bottle
Oops forgot to list my equipment.
So its a 72 bowfront
29 or 30 gallon sump below
Right now the only filtration is the dead rock with bio-spira so hopefully it becomes live, and I have the water flow running through a sock filter.
I OWN a Super skimmer 125 but I've been told not to use it for the first month while I'm cycling.
Definitely not the first 48 hours anyways says the Bio Spira bottle
