Are these reef safe

[philly]

one of my friends is moving and he is giving me the following:

1 large tiger cowrie snail

2 coral banded shrimp

2 blue damsels

are these all reef safe????

 

[roka64]

Watch the damsels, they tend to be VERY aggressive, as for the others, I don't know...

 

[ogden10]

yes you should be fine as far as I know.... Cowrie for sure...be careful though mine died when it got sucked into a powerhead

 

[Fluff]

The tiger cowrie may pose a threat to soft corals in the tank and should be watched. The shrimp and damsels are reef safe but as mentioned, the damsels may pose aggression issues.

 

[Nøjo]

Are the damsels aggressive to everything or just certain fish? I was hoping to add two when I was adding the last fish because I was under the thinking that they are more aggressive with the newer additions to the tank. Are they ok with shrimp and crabs?

Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[AquaReefer]

Im sorry to say this but Flush the damsels. They will become aggressive towards everyone even themselves. I only use them to cycle tanks. You have better options for fish besides those 2 blue damsels.

 

[Fluff]

Im sorry to say this but Flush the damsels. They will become aggressive towards everyone even themselves. I only use them to cycle tanks. You have better options for fish besides those 2 blue damsels.

I don't even know how to comment on those statements. Damsels are wonderful fish for smaller tanks. They do get aggressive and need their space but they certainly don't deserve what you suggest. They deserve the same respect you would give any other aggressive fish. Tangs, puffers, angels, lots of fish are aggressive but damsels take an unfair beating. And I won't even get into the cycling with fish. This mentality is just sad. Sad.

 

[Fluff]

Are the damsels aggressive to everything or just certain fish? I was hoping to add two when I was adding the last fish because I was under the thinking that they are more aggressive with the newer additions to the tank. Are they ok with shrimp and crabs?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Your right. I would add them last after everyone is established. And some damsels are more aggressive then others so research the damsel you are interested in. They are ok in small species only tanks but probably are better for larger tanks. Some damsels get to a nice size as well. Damsels get a bad rap. They may not be the best community fish but most are ok with other semi aggressive fish. They are fine with crabs and shrimp. They are reef safe.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Aquareefer, I hope you take some heed of what Fluff said and rethink your opinion on damsels. They are beautiful fish. Its a shame almost that they are so hardy. If they were more delicate, then maybe people wouldn't treat them as badly...

philly, keep an eye out on the cowrie and damsels like already said, but please do not flush them if you have agression issues. There is many a lfs that will take them off your hands.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Im sorry to say this but Flush the damsels. They will become aggressive towards everyone even themselves. I only use them to cycle tanks. You have better options for fish besides those 2 blue damsels.

You're right that damsels can get aggressive and cause a lot of problems in tanks. They're sold to beginners who don't know how to set up a tank so that the damsels don't cause frustrations. But the fish themselves are beautiful and graceful.

What makes me feel sad is that you would think that it's ok to "flush" any kind of fish. If you need to destroy a fish, do so in a humane way (e.g., freezing water, clove oil, etc).

My 2 cents.

 

[philly]

ok moving on from the damsels now

what about the tiger cowrie and the banded coral shrimp

 

[Fluff]

The tiger cowrie may pose a threat to soft corals in the tank and should be watched. The shrimp and damsels are reef safe but as mentioned, the damsels may pose aggression issues.

The tiger cowerie will need to be watched around soft corals, the coral banded shrimp should be fine in a reef.

 

[jasno999]

Wow. Can't beleive you are a reef/fish/aquarium person and you can stil lsay somethign liek flush the damsels.... That is crazy talk. If a fish ever becomes and issue it should be returned to the store, give away or sold but not killed jsut because. I guess if nobody was willign to take a fish from you and it was destroying your tank and killign all the other inhabitants then maybe I could possiably see destroying it. But use common sense.

I have only a small 10gallon reef tank with several pieces of coral. I knew the tank was not good for keeping fish and my interest was in coral anyway. But I wanted somethng that woudl creat movment and be catchy to the eye. So i added a 4 strip damsel. I love the little guy. He is an aggressive fish but I know not to add any other fish to the tank. He is a scardy cat when I am near the tank and he hides. But when you are not nearby he is out swimming and looking for food.

So basically what I am sayign is that damsels are cool fish. Basicall all fish are cool. And when you look at saltwater all of the fish are jsut incrediable. So don't put the damsel down.

 

[Nøjo]

If you need to destroy a fish, do so in a humane way

Isn't that why God invented cats?

 

[Nøjo]

How are damsels as opposed to pseudochromis? I tried two of those in my tank and they were a handful to say the least. I had to take my tank apart completely to catch them and get them out of there, they were a complete nightmare to deal with.