Im a Bad Aquarium Person

[ImLookinForNemo]

Ok I got interested in saltwater aquariums a little over a year ago and got one setup with Christmas money, its only a 30gal and all it has is live rock, sand bottom, and one fish. I got him (a yellow tailed damsel) to start out with, planning on sending him back to the LFS and getting other fish later but...I just really love him So I pretty much forgot about updating the tank and for about a year ive just had this one damsel, and as you all know these guys are practically impossible to kill, so i havent been exactly...."on top of things" as far as water quality. Ive been busy, OK? Anyways, I'm starting to pay alot more attention to my tank again and was just wondering if I can add more fish without getting rid of my little blue damsel (I really do like him) even though he is so accustomed to having his own tank all to himself. (I know they are kind of territorial.) If so, how do I go about adding new fish when my damsel is so used to the tank, and what can I get that has fairly easy maintenance?

 

[mjvincent]

You just have to look at what you add. I ended up adding a carpenter's wrasse to my yellow damsel and blue damsel... And I have a 32 gallon hex too...

 

[flame82]

a percula clown fish would be good. i had a damsel and clown the same size together when i started my tank. or some gobies or firefish lots of character i think their pretty easy i have never had any problem with them.

 

[ImLookinForNemo]

Well I have looked at what fish are compatible, I'm just worried that my damsel will have already established his "territory" and be really aggressive...is it safe to just add a clown or whatever when my yellow tail is just swimming around in there or should I take him out first and then put him back in after the new fish??

 

[Fluff]

I think I would be worried also. I would rearrange the tank to confuse him when adding another fish. Sometimes that is enough.

 

[fishfirst]

your yellow tailed blue damsel is definately one of the more passive damsels, you may have good luck.

 

[RMPD109]

If you are able to put the damsel in a sperate container(some use plastic spaghetti strainer floated in main tank) while you acclimate the new fish. As Fluff said move the aquascaping around.

This will allow the new fish to find its way around in peace. Then when you do release the damsel back into the tank he will need to get accustomed to the landscaping and will leave the new fish alone(at least for a little bit)

 

[taz291819]

My first fish was a yellow-tail damsel also. He had the tank to himself for a while before I added other fish.

He is the smallest fish in the tank and I didn't have a problem adding the other fish in my sig. But as you can see, most of my other fish are semi-aggressive and territorial themselves, but they all get along. The YT keeps them all in check whenever they act up.

 

[ImLookinForNemo]

do you think a pair of percula clowns could hold their own?