Damsel fish

[myselfandme2]

I just started an aquarium about a month ago. I had put in two damsels to cycle the aquarium and yesterday I ended up putting some shrimp in as cleaners and another damsel. I woke up this morning with one shrimp dead and the new damsel that I had gotten was dead and it's back tail fin was destroyed. I had known that they were aggressive before this. What should I do with them? I want to have other fish in the aquarium. This is my first saltwater aquarium.

 

[bribo12]

Catch the damsels and remove them. They're menaces imo, how large is the tank? I'll never put a damsel in a tank I own.

 

[myselfandme2]

It is a 56 gallon. It also has lots of hiding spots for them.

 

[Sniperhank]

It sounds like you cycled the system with livestock in there. Most likely died from ammonia/nitrite poisoning.
I'd remove the fish if it is cycled, which is typical for any 'fish in' cycle. I wouldn't do that until you know what you are doing with the system and are going to replace the 'cycle fish' with at least one of the new livestock.

 

[myselfandme2]

I have tested for those and I had came back with 0 ammonia and nitrite

 

[myselfandme2]

His back fin was torn up so I think it was from aggressiveness

 

[idol1]

I'm not going to tell anyone go buy damsels. I just have good luck keeping them together. They keep my QT tanks going. 1 tank bluevelvet,fijidevil,three stripe,1 stripe. 1 wolfgoby. If I added another damsel they would kill it. I can add non related fish without a problem. Another tank 6 dominoes 4 sgt.majors,1 yellow damsel,1 green damsel,1 rock damsel,1 Moorish Idol,1convict tang and 2 mullet. no problems. I set the tanks up for the fish not what looks good to me! Even my QT tanks. My tanks are ugly But my fish are happy.

 

[myselfandme2]

Dang. Well congrats. I know dominos are really aggressive so I don't you how you do it.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, in reality MOST people that own saltwater tanks have damsels. They are just clownfish and not as aggressive.
I almost added a damsel to my newest system. The fiji blue devil. Beautiful fish...awful reputation. I'm glad I didn't fall into my own lack of thinking. It is hard to overlook beauty in this hobby sometimes...and why people have such poor luck with creatures that are simply gorgeous, but have such specific needs that are hard to replicate in our closed systems.

 

[idol1]

I have a maroon clown and a percula that stay together just like there a pr. they never leave each others side. Now dominoes need a lg.tank. My favorite damsel. you need a rock base with a lot of caves and a lg. coral head not sharp coral on top of it. can be made out of coral pieces. It should be the talllest peak in the tank. The dominoes should be able to hide in it. 6 dominoes min. 90 gal min. Dominoes get lg. and they will pair off that's when you will have problems. As long as my dominoes have there baby colors I have no problem with them. This is how you see them on the reef 100 or more together in a coral head. On the side of the coral head will be a lg. Pair..

 

[idol1]

I have 2 Fiji devils one in with morish Idol,3 redbar cardinals,2 coral banded shrimp. The other one is in a damsel only tank.