damels with a bad rap

[burnz]

are damsels really as bad as people make them out to be, i have three but they have never caused a problem with other fish they may bicker amoungst themselves but have never hurt each other, does anyone else have stories good or bad about them and there opinion on weather they are that bad?

 

[smokingreefer]

they are bad at first, but as they get older they'll become increasingly agressive.

 

[aquaknight]

I think it depends on the speices. The more exotic speices like talbots, jewels, orange lines, etc, seem to be a tad bit more peaceful. As where, the Domino damsel, IMO, deserves every bit of the rep. Boss around fish many times large then themselves. Blues, yellowtails, blue devils, seem to be somewhat better then domino's, but can easily boss around/beat small fish (clowns, firefish).

 

[burnz]

i have three line damsels and clowns and firefish, but they still dont bother any of them maybe its because they are in a group because they only like to chase each other but they are actually very afraid of the clown and will flee if he comes near them

 

[morval]

i had 5 green chromis... now i got one they constantly picked on each other. the group would peck the smallest untill all were dead but 1. now its getting bigger and has not attacked anyone else YET if i could catch it i would get rid of it but hes tricky

 

[gmann1139]

Just search the site for 'damsel removal' and 'removing damsel' threads.
They're like a little finned time bomb.
I had two 4-stripes that were perfectly docile for months, until I added a Fridmani. A day or so later, they flipped out, and I had to fish them out and send them back to the LFS.

 

[shroomie2u]

i had a 4 stripe damsel and that thing was mean! he would get the royal gramma in the corner of the tank and shove it so far down that the gramma's mouth would be open!! he was a mean lil bugger and i won't be buying anymore of them!

 

[blkmonday]

i have had a couple of blue devils a few years ago that where horrible, i gave them to my fish store. i still have a domino damsel that ive had for about 5 years hes huge and hes evil. hes in a 75g with a huma huma and a niger trigger. he still thinks he runs the tank...but the huma is getting much bigger and holding his own. he is a good looking hardy fish even though hes mean.

 

[oceanlover]

I've had two Yellow Tailed Damsels for over a year now. They have not bothered anyone and are very pretty and hardy.

 

[kellidix]

I've had 2 blues and 2 yellow tails since I cycled my tank almost 4 years ago and have not had a problem with them at all. One of my blues died a couple of months ago, so now I only have 3. They pretty much mind their own business.

 

[mr_x]

yellow tails are monsters! they killed alot of fish in my first salt tank until i removed all the rock to get them out.
after all the rock was out of the tank, the damsels were gone!
put the rock back in..and out they came!

i edned up freshwater dipping the rock to remove them.
never again.

 

[xtreeme]

My clown just gives a nudge if one is stealing food. The two green chromi dont bother each other or the clown. Once and a while the larger chromi will nip the little but he doenst go after him.
I only have those 3 damsels so far.

 

[sepulatian]

I have had yellow tails and a domino. They were bad news. They don't just claim a single spot in the tank, they claim as much of the tank as they can. They spent all day just defending it from each other.

 

[texasmetal]

Moved all the fish from my first tank to a larger tank, once I had tested it with a damsel. It harassed everyone and my twinspot gobies hid until they died of starvation/stress.
Never again shall I own a damsel.

 

[mustangcaleb]

my damsils were raising hell in my tank, so i had to remove them. i had 2 four striped damsils. they were picking on all other tankmates, even an eel. heres a thread i started about the little sob's:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/327619/stupid-damsils

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by burnz
http:///forum/post/2695999
are damsels really as bad as people make them out to be,
No, they're worse

 

[bgbdwlf2500]

Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/2700672
No, they're worse
yep that says it all, yellowtails are the ones i had. very nasty fish.

 

[b-diddles]

You know what? I have also heard a lot of negativity on the damsels but have yet to see it. I have had a yellow-tail damsel for about three months now and he is about an inch and a half. I believe that they get up to three inches. He kind of mimics my clownfish in staying by the plants. When it is time to eat he always eats last because the clownfish is the regulator.

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by B-DIDDLES
http:///forum/post/2700714
You know what? I have also heard a lot of negativity on the damsels but have yet to see it. I have had a yellow-tail damsel for about three months now and he is about an inch and a half. I believe that they get up to three inches. He kind of mimics my clownfish in staying by the plants. When it is time to eat he always eats last because the clownfish is the regulator.
I had the same situation. Saddleback Clownfish ran the tank, and the pair of 4-stripes pretty much behaved.
Then I added the Fridmani...

 

[xtreeme]

Well I will say many are mean. Ocellaris Clown and True perc arent too bad.