starting with a damsel or 2

[TigerBarbs]

starting my first sw tank very soon. I want to start with damsels since its my first sw tank. its a 29 gal. damsels are aggressive though right? I want a pair of clowns in about a month. will having damsels limit the fish I can have?

 

[TigerBarbs]

could I just start with clowns?

 

[Jaden]

Don't use the clowns do it with one fish

 

[Jaden]

No fish*

 

[TigerBarbs]

I don't mean to cycle it. I'm using live sand and rock. I might throw in a grocery store uncooked shrimp to help cycle a lil more. but I was asking if a damsel should be my first fish so I could get the hang of sw?

 

[Sergie]

If you're going to want clowns I would just start with clowns. They're about as hardy of a fish as you can get. I wouldn't mix clowns and other damsels together in a 29 at all. A clown is a damsel fish and they all get pretty territorial.

 

[uh.oh...]

Its depends on the species of damsel, and what your eventual stocking might be. Damsels can be very stressful roommates.

 

[TigerBarbs]

I've heard that blue damsels are a lot more laid back then other species. is this true?

 

[Sergie]

Not true. I had a pair of blues and they would go around together and "flex" on all their tankmates. Flexing eventually turned to nipping and killing. And then the larger one turned on his sidekick and killed him too.

 

[TigerBarbs]

jeez!! okay

 

[Sergie]

I don't mean to scare you away from damsels. I think they're gorgeous creatures and kept trying to keep them. I've tried blue, yellow tailed, three stripped, dominoes...all have turned territorial and went on rampages. I've learned the hard way. Even now, my pair of clowns are bullies and wound my coral beauty constantly. They harass all my fish except for my foxface.

 

[TigerBarbs]

maybe the damsels you got were mean. Different ones could be nicer. maybe. im going to see how other people's experience with damsels are. Not saying your lying AT ALL. just saying i wanna hear other opinions.

 

[TigerBarbs]

what kind of clowns do you have

 

[tetrajoy]

I don't mean to scare you away from damsels. I think they're gorgeous creatures and kept trying to keep them. I've tried blue, yellow tailed, three stripped, dominoes...all have turned territorial and went on rampages. I've learned the hard way. Even now, my pair of clowns are bullies and wound my coral beauty constantly. They harass all my fish except for my foxface.

It sounds like you are keeping your clowns in a tank that is too small. What's the size of your tank?

 

[Sergie]

90 gallons.

 

[Sergie]

what kind of clowns do you have

Ocellaris Clowns

 

[joy13]

Damsels get aggressive with age they get old and cranky. If you want a pair of clowns go for it try to get tank bred ones since they are a little hardier but a little more costly usually. Be prepared to watch the fighting and the fussying when they decide who is going to be the female. Usually it looks a lot worse than it really is. A pair of clowns alone is fine in a 29 gallon but don't expect to get any other fish since clowns like to be bullies once they are mature if they are a true pair.

 

[tetrajoy]

90 gallons.

That should be plenty...are there a lot of hiding spots? Rockwork holes?

 

[Sergie]

Yes. There's nothing wrong with my tank. It's what adult clowns do. They're territorial in nature.

 

[TigerBarbs]

so clowns is all I could have???! are there fast fish that would be okay with em?