o2manyfish
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- Jul 19, 2012
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- Encino, CA
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- California
This is such a question for the uneducated and unprepared. A whole group of fish dismissed because of the behavior of some.
Some damsels are a no win situation - 3 Spot, Blue Velvet, 3 Stripe, Blue with a clear tail, Beau Gregory, and the list goes on.
But in the right environment Damsels are a great addition to a community tank. I have been keeping damsels for almost 40 years in all my salt water tanks. Now to be fair in the last 40 years my smallest tank was a 40g and that only lasted for a year or so till I moved up to a 100g.
Damsels are bright colored, highly active, and make sure that you don't overfeed your tank.
But you have to know which ones to pick - Kupang, Springeri, Starcki, Talbot, Surge are great choices.
Blue Damsels with a clear tail are trouble - Blue damsels with a solid blue tail adjust better.
Blue with orange tails are tough on their own - But add a few more and they pair up and become model parents.
Damsels in the wild are found in large groups or schools. Even when they are protecting a coral colony there are many of them tucked into all the little crevices.
Putting a fish - which naturally gaurds and defends its home, a coral colony - in a small tank with only a few other friends - Your asking the fish to ignore it's natural behavior.
Now put the same fish - in a larger tank - with a group of damsels and a group of fish and within chaos you have peace.
In my 400g there were over 40 damsels - amoung 140 fish. They didn't pick or bother any of the other fish. They added an abundance of character and flash activity to the tank. They were spawning and providing natural food for the inhabitants.
But I would never add a 3 spot, or beau gregory to that mix - It's a guaranteed issue as the fish grows.
Don't dismiss a whole classification of fish because there are some pricks which are found at every LFS. Know your damsels and your environment and they can become a wonderful addition to your community aquarium.
Dave B
Some damsels are a no win situation - 3 Spot, Blue Velvet, 3 Stripe, Blue with a clear tail, Beau Gregory, and the list goes on.
But in the right environment Damsels are a great addition to a community tank. I have been keeping damsels for almost 40 years in all my salt water tanks. Now to be fair in the last 40 years my smallest tank was a 40g and that only lasted for a year or so till I moved up to a 100g.
Damsels are bright colored, highly active, and make sure that you don't overfeed your tank.
But you have to know which ones to pick - Kupang, Springeri, Starcki, Talbot, Surge are great choices.
Blue Damsels with a clear tail are trouble - Blue damsels with a solid blue tail adjust better.
Blue with orange tails are tough on their own - But add a few more and they pair up and become model parents.
Damsels in the wild are found in large groups or schools. Even when they are protecting a coral colony there are many of them tucked into all the little crevices.
Putting a fish - which naturally gaurds and defends its home, a coral colony - in a small tank with only a few other friends - Your asking the fish to ignore it's natural behavior.
Now put the same fish - in a larger tank - with a group of damsels and a group of fish and within chaos you have peace.
In my 400g there were over 40 damsels - amoung 140 fish. They didn't pick or bother any of the other fish. They added an abundance of character and flash activity to the tank. They were spawning and providing natural food for the inhabitants.
But I would never add a 3 spot, or beau gregory to that mix - It's a guaranteed issue as the fish grows.
Don't dismiss a whole classification of fish because there are some pricks which are found at every LFS. Know your damsels and your environment and they can become a wonderful addition to your community aquarium.
Dave B
