Blue Striped Damsel is on crack

[fishinchick]

I just purchased a lawnmower blenny and periodically my blue striped damsel goes up an inch or so above the blenny, points his nose up toward the top of the tank and fans the blenny with his tail. I was thinking he was being the territorial little fart he always is with the domino but fanning is all he does. Its very bizarre! Other than the fanning he basically ignores the blenny.
Any ideas?

 

[dugan]

He's just being the territorial little jerk that damsels can be. Not too unusual.
Katie

 

[me]

FLUSH THE DAMSEL...

 

[vinnie t.]

He might be trying to eat him

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Your little blue

[hr]
is challenging the Blenny - and your blenny in not attacking!!! Which means your little blue meanie will begin to harass him pretty regularly. I know becuase I've spent the last three days trying to get a couple of those

[hr]
out of my tank!!

 

[dugan]

Don't flush him... there are humane ways to remove a damsel from your aquatic environment that don't involve fish murder.

 

[dugan]

Don't flush him... there are humane ways to remove a damsel from your aquatic environment that don't involve fish murder.
Sorry but I have a problem with anyone that advocates killing fish that are being an inconvenience. The fish didn't ask to be put into the tank, it's just doing what it does. We are not in this hobby to kill fish.
Please don't listen to that advice. You can net the damsel and return it to your LFS.
Katie

 

[fishinchick]

Never fear, I do not give up that easily. I will not flush him he is settling down now that he sees the blenny couldnt care less what he thinks.
I have found, and I try to use this as a last resort, if you have a territorial fish if you move the rocks around a little (nothing too major, just shift a few) it helps. In this case it did, losing his hiding spot humbled my little hot shot ever so slightly. I would rather not flush a fish unless he was floating funny.
I have never seen agression carried out in that way by a fish before so I was just curious.
Go easy on those poor little damsels!

 

[craigj]

FLUSH HIM

 

[denisec]

I agree with the earlier comment about not flushing him, that is cruel to a fish that is only living in our tank cause we brought him there. Bad enough to use him and take him back to the LFS but at least that is better than MURDER!

 

[fishinchick]

really guys try moving the rocks, it works in several cases of territorial fish. He is awfully pretty, i really dont want to take him back. I bought him because I wanted him there. Kind of pointless to return him dontcha think?

 

[pat]

hey fishinchick, what part of so cal are you in, im looking to see more LFS's and check what they got. we got 1 in Valencia

 

[goober]

i know that when i had a mean damesal he was killed when i put in my live rock because he liked to hide and when my dad was moving the coral around he squished him on accident oh well

 

[fishinchick]

pat give me an email
fishinchick69@yahoo.com
I am on the bordr of Riverside/SanBernardino
I know of a few good ones

 

[oceanblue]

Adrienne,
Don't worry, I never moved my rock (though I'm a believe in that philosophy) and he stopped doing it after a couple of days. I believe it is based on the territorial behavior, but after strutting his stuff to no avail he gave up. I've had these two together for about a year, and just very occasionally ole blue will swim up and kinda bend his body around toward my scooter and then just swims off. Now, I have noticed this "bending" behavior mostly in the eve when blue is about to retire to his favorite "dugout" and scooter happens to be nearby. None the less though, he's never laid a fin on him, so don't worry too much...it's just fun to watch!

 

[me]

hey u guys r 2 up tight the "flush him" comment was a joke, but good luck w/ that damsel i had a domino kill a ausie tusk, the damsel mush have been less then 2"inchs and the tusk was a good 5"....