My tank has been fully cycled for about 2 weeks now and the first fish I put in it were yellow tail damsels, I kept them for about a week and then got some fire fish and now the damsels are nipping at the firefish. My question is if I put the damsel in quarantine and move around the rock and let the fire fish adapt first would the damsels still show aggressive behavior towards the firefish. I have a 35 gal octagon tank
yellow tail damsels!!
- Thread starter mallery8p
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Loves2Reef
Community Member
Yes. unless the other fish is quite a bit bigger and more aggressive then the damsel it will always bully other fish. They are just mean as hell and dont go well in a peaceful tank.
tyler1503
2500 Club Member
I've kept yellow tails with corals without issues before. I've never heard they're not reef safe :S
I would personally take the damsels out and either pass them onto a local reefer or ask the LFS for store credit for them. Who knows, your wife may find a fish more suitable that she likes even better for exchange for the damsels
3dees
Well-Known Member
yellow tails are one of the most peaceful damsels, but they are still damsels. I have two in my 120 gal. reef and other than a little aggression between each other they are no problem. not reef safe? never heard anyone having problems with corals and damsels. your mistake is adding them to the tank first. should be last or close to last. fire fish are timid fish which may never feel safe with damsels.
PatW
2500 Club Member
Yeah damsels can be really cute. But as stated most of them are mindlessly aggressive. I scuba dive. I have been with sharks, barracuda, Goliath grouper the size of mini coopers and the only fish that have ever attacked me are pesky little damsels. If they will attack a diver, they will attack anything.
racin2438
Active Member
A really good reef safe damsel is the Kupang. Damsel.
I did a lot of research online, books, calling many LFS, my fish guy - guru. ..
These are blue/yellow, but the yellow starts underneath belly and goes into the entire tail.
My lfs has since started to stock them and have sold many.....
I did a lot of research online, books, calling many LFS, my fish guy - guru. ..
These are blue/yellow, but the yellow starts underneath belly and goes into the entire tail.
My lfs has since started to stock them and have sold many.....
Unfortunately I had to get rid of my damsels, they just wouldn't leave the firefish alone, I caught them and out them in a quarantine tank and thought about putting them back in and realized that I didn't want to have to catch them again so I took them back to my lfs for a credit and got a clown fish
racin2438
Active Member
You you likely had the common blue damsel which as many and I already said are big bullies, , fire fish, bar gobbies, and the like ant tolerate those find nipper blue damsels. Glad you got them out..
NinnJinn
Well-Known Member
Congratulations on catching them without destroying your tank. A lot of them are extremely fast and you pretty much have to destroy the inside of your tank (rock work) just to catch the little boogers.
