Damsel or No Damsel?

[afilter]

So, my system has been stabile for sometime now which means it is time to shake things up.

I have always had a desire to add a small domino to my system as a final fish. LFS has some small healthy looking ones in right now and I am thinking about putting one in QT this weekend. It would be about 1/2 size of anything else currently in the tank including my chromis. Yes, I know they can get big and mean as I had one a couple of years ago.

In general dominos are considered reef safe. It comes down to a territory issue which should not be an issue since it will be the last fish and everything else is already established. When I had one before it schooled with the 5 chromis I had at the time.

So, how many are keeping damsels in their established reefs?

Thoughts?

 

[Scottm]

I've got a yellow tail damsel in my 55 gallon reef. he works great.

 

[roka64]

If it worked before, you might be able to get away with it, of course, there are no guarantees.

 

[melosu58]

I have one 4 striper in my tank. I`ve had him for nine years right now.

 

[Finatic]

I've got a yellow tail damsel in my 55 gallon reef. he works great.

+1

 

[DeathWarp]

I have 2 yellow tails in my 65 gal. and occasionally they chase something quickly, but they have never caused damage of any sort to any fish or reef in the tank. I find them quite funny to watch.

 

[afilter]

Thanks all, decided not to do anything right now and will think on it until this coming weekend. Something about if it is not broke do not fix it. Tank is doing so well now, I may not want to disturb it on second thought.

Maybe some more corals that are propagating in my frag tank.

 

[austinsdad]

Aren't dominos one of the meanest?

 

[afilter]

Yes, they have that rap, but of all the damsels they are my favorite. Yhey also can get huge 6+". Like any fish it just depends. Last time I had one is schooled with my chromis. Go figure.

I just like the jet black and white of the juvenals. Of course they turn a dirty grey when fully mature.

 

[fishrfreinds]

THERE EVIL! Them and four stripe damsel. anything smaller or and sometimes larger it wont stop them. They will bully its tank mates to death. No joke.

 

[loyalrogue]

THERE EVIL!

LOL

That sounds like me after my damsels killed my six-line wrasse... after they killed both lawnmower blennies.

I bought an established 125gal reef tank and 2 blue damsels and 1 yellow tail damsel came as part of the inhabitants.
They didn't seem to bother their current tankmates too much so I left them alone.
But whenever I added any new fish they harrassed them mercilessly.
They killed the fish I mentioned above and gave my Royal Gramma a nervous breakdown... she ended up jamming herself behind a powerhead, scared to bits to come out to feed until I trapped the damsels and moved them to a 10gal QT.

 

[afilter]

If one does want to keep a damsel the key is to make them one of if not the last fish you add to the system. The problem is they are so cheap and too many new SW aquarist use them to cycle the tank due to the bad LFS recomendation.

It is their nature to be fiercly territorial and thus get a bad rap because so many use them as starter fish or put them in tanks that are to small. Ideally they require at least a 30g tank or larger and that is if doing a species tank. Cannot tell you how many 10-20g tanks I have seen with damsels and then people wonder why they beat up other fish.

My experience is they can be kept in a community/reef tank if given enough room and added at the proper time.