Tank mates for a Damsel in a Nano System?

[Tristan Rogers]

Hey everyone! I have a 14 gallon Nuvo peninsula tank that is stocked with a single Azure Damsel. Are there any other fish I could potentially house? I was considering something along the lines of a bottom dweller like a mandarin but I would love to hear your thoughts.

System-
14 Nuvo Peninsula
Kessil A80 Tuna Blue
Sicce SyncraSilent 185 gph return
Hydor Koralia powerhead 240 gph

Livestock-
1 Azure Damsel
2 Blue hermit crabs
1 frag of WWC Lemon Chaser Zoanthids
and a healthy supply of spaghetti worms

This is my first post on R2R and I appreciate all feedback

 

[mta_morrow]

#WelcometoR2R Tristan!

We are happy to have you here!

The azure damsel is on of my favorite fish, I currently have a trio.

I think a pair of wheelers or hi fin red band gobies with a candy cane pistol shrimp would be great.

The damsel will not pay them any attention...…...I have a pair of each with 2 pistol shrimp myself and love them.

 

[Jesterrace]

Mandarin would be a really bad idea in a 14 gallon. They are picky copepod eaters and would starve to death in a tank that size, unless you are lucky and they adapt to frozen food AND are willing to feed them 3-4 times a day at least. Personally, I don't care for damsels and in a tank that small it could be tough to find a fish they won't bully. I do agree though that a bottom dwelling goby is probably your best chance of success.

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

The Mandarin would be alright just would have to keep up with the pod population and put in copepods frequently to supplement their diet and as said a pistol shrimp and goby pair would be pretty cool and interesting

If you wanted something different maybe a jawfish if you were willing to make a deeper sandbed

 

[LetItReef]

How about a rock dweller like a Barnacle blenny or a Two spot blenny?

 

[AC1211]

Azures are more peaceful so maybe a neon goby

 

[Fudsey]

Welcome to R2R ! ! !

 

[Geebs19]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[JumboShrimp]

Have had a Lawnmower Blenny in a 7 gallon nano with different kinds of Damsels without any problem. They love to ‘patrol’ the rocks—and depending on the individual fish, can help with algae. Very fun to watch—they seem to ‘smile’ when you feed them

 

[don_chuwish]

Shrimp-Goby pair are a fantastic nano addition.

 

[Jesterrace]

The Mandarin would be alright just would have to keep up with the pod population and put in copepods frequently to supplement their diet and as said a pistol shrimp and goby pair would be pretty cool and interesting

If you wanted something different maybe a jawfish if you were willing to make a deeper sandbed

You would go broke trying to keep up a pod population for a mandy. Just IMHO but I feel that a mandarin needs 75lbs of LR with a well estalbished copepod population to do well. I had a 36 gallon that I was dumping pods into frequently (every couple of weeks) in a 36 gallon and a mandy that learned to eat frozen foods and it still died within 3 months. I spent over $200 just on pods and it still wasn't enough.

 

[Ly78]

I have 2 tailspot blenny with my azure damsel trio. They dont seem to mind the blenny but when they do, the blenny can really hold their own

 

[PDR]

Welcome to R2R! +1 on the shrimp goby pair

 

[Tamberav]

I have a 22g with a damsel. I added the fish in this order:

Pair of perc clowns
Orchid dottyback
Starkii damsel
Sixline

Obviously your tank is smaller and I wouldn't put 5 fish in it... but I found this mix is working for me. They are all semi-aggressive, and no one seems to get the upper hand on the other, just posturing. Three fish total would be my recommendation for your tank.

Bottom dwellers like gobies should work too.