damsels in new reef tank???

skiper gre

skiper gre

Member
Ok I have read and heard adding a few damsels when the tank is cycling a reef tank will cause troubles ether catching them to remove or they will fight with your other fish when it comes time to add fish. I can’t stand it! I think I will add two just to have some fish to watch. Any suggestions on witch damsels would be the least aggressive or the easiest to catch and remove? And any tips on removing them when the time comes. My tank is 125g and will have about 200 pounds of live rock- lots of places to hide? Or any other less aggressive fish that will make it through the cycle?
Greg
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member

Originally posted by skiper gre
Ok I have read and heard adding a few damsels when the tank is cycling a reef tank will cause troubles ether catching them to remove or they will fight with your other fish when it comes time to add fish. I can’t stand it! I think I will add two just to have some fish to watch. Any suggestions on witch damsels would be the least aggressive or the easiest to catch and remove? And any tips on removing them when the time comes. My tank is 125g and will have about 200 pounds of live rock- lots of places to hide? Or any other less aggressive fish that will make it through the cycle?
Greg
What are you planning on adding?
a Few damsels won't be enough to cause a cycle in a 125g.
Your Live rock should be sufficient. How long has it been in there?
If it's been in there long enough...then You may be all set to just add a few fish that you want...
If you do it slow enough, you won't have to worry about an amonia spike in a 125g.
 
scotts

scotts

Active Member
If you would like to start the cycle on your tank you should do it with raw shrimp. This will get things going. Yeah I know not too exciting, nothing like spending $$$ and looking at a glass rectangle of water. But you really need to look at things in the long run in this hobby.
IMO there is no way in he&& that you would be able to catch those fish in your 125 if you want to remove them. At least not easily.
Scott
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member

Originally posted by Scotts
If you would like to start the cycle on your tank you should do it with raw shrimp. This will get things going. Yeah I know not too exciting, nothing like spending $$$ and looking at a glass rectangle of water. But you really need to look at things in the long run in this hobby.
IMO there is no way in he&& that you would be able to catch those fish in your 125 if you want to remove them. At least not easily.
Scott
You'd need a few shrimp if you did it this way.
125G is A LOT of water..
 
skiper gre

skiper gre

Member
I just put the live rock, 120 pounds, live sand 100 pounds about 3 inches and Catalina water from LFS yesterday. I plan on adding 100 pounds more rock this weekend. I plan on adding clowns, angles, and an assortment of gobies, and lots of coral over time. I just want something to start.
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member
You know, the more and more I think about it...
You really don't need to cycle a tank this big.
As long as you don't go and toss in more than 1 or 2 small fish at a time, wait a month and add a few more...
With 125g of water, I doubt you'll see a concentration of Amonia
The reason for a cycle on a small tank is that with the little amount of water, there is a chance of an amoina spike. But I don't see this as a problem on such a big tank.
Also with 200lbs of LR, I highly doubt you'll have a problem with not enough bacteria...
Just my .02
 
sw65galma

sw65galma

Active Member
Wait a week after adding live rock...And just monitor your levels, PH, Amonia, Nitrite, Nitrate.
Just because with that much live rock you could have enough die off to cause an amonia spike...
If they are all ok after a week add 1 or 2 small fish... or Maybe your cleaning crew instead.
 
blitz99

blitz99

Member
damsels... what a pain...
i am ok with cycling a tank using fish, but... damsels usually are a fish you want to net and get rid of after the cycle, unless you get some that are not too aggressive...
clowns are related to damsels and usually just as hearty. i cycled my tank (well, it never did cycle since i used a lot of live sand and live rock) with 2 clown fish...
i wouldnt see an issue if you tried the same thing.. like the other dude said, just add fish slow... 2 clowns, then maybe 2 gobies in a few weeks to a month... it's what i did, i went 2 clowns, then 2 firefish... no problems at all.
 
skiper gre

skiper gre

Member
Well I went with two damsels, not sure what type they are they are light/pail blue or turquoise they seem good. Just hid for the first hour or so seem to like it. After getting the second opinion on clowns I should have gone that way. The guy at my LFS was recommending I don’t add them but if I did I wouldn’t be able to get them out. He said the two he gave me are the least aggressive type and with hopefully will not cause a problem. I really dig the gobies, is there a limit to how many of them that can live tougher happily?
 
blitz99

blitz99

Member
what kind of gobies??? there are a ton of them..
i personally LOVE my 2 firefish... i'd like a purple one but they only do well alone.. while the regular firefish like to school.. you wont have many problems with aggression in a 120 since you'll have 200 lbs of rock to hide in.
your tank will be awesome.. i only have a 40 high and i really like mine... cant wait till i have full coraline coverage...
a 100 plus tank is just phenomenal... TONS of possibilities with fish. (i have 5... want 10 but just cant do it)
 
blitz99

blitz99

Member
popular opinion on them is... very difficult to keep..
i've avoided getting one due to their difficulty... the newest marine reef magazine has a nice article on them and how to help them survive... they need a ton of LR.. which you will have...
sometimes you could get them to eat cyclopese.... SOMETIMES... your best with having cope pods for them to eat... after your tank is going i'm sure you'll be able to support one.
i like the yellow watchmens... but worry if i get one he'll hide all the time...
 
debbie

debbie

Active Member
Just my opinion about damsels. I have a nano tank and started out with two green chromis. If you really want to have damsels then I would go with green chromis as they are beautiful nice little fish and could stay in your tank too.
They are less aggressive than other damsels, I never had a problem with mine and they should be in a nice school of the same kind. They truly look nice in a tank. Your tank is big enough to have a school of these along with the other fish you want too.
Good luck.....
 
smbuddy46

smbuddy46

Member
i put 6 damsels along with 100 lbs of lr when i set up my 125, it cycled within about 2 weeks. 5 of the 6 died. i had one striped one left. so i bought a couple of dwarf angels over a period of time and the one damsels i had left beat them to deth and ate at their tails. i had remove over half of my lr to catch him and get rid of him. the 5$ fish cost about 60$ in good fish. just an idea.
 
cresh1966

cresh1966

Member
i read somewhere about building a damsel trap, tried it and in two hours had caught them. Take a 2liter soda bottle, cut it in 1/2, remove the lid, glue the bottom to the top (so the damsel can swim into the bottom but not get out easily), add a piece of shrimp and wait
 
jon.316

jon.316

Member
I cycled my 155 a year ago with 4 damsels and 2 clowns. The clowns are awsome and as the damsels grow they are really nice to look at. I can tell you tho, it would be impossible for me to try to net the dang things. they're only about 2.5 inches big now so i dont mind keepin in there anyways.
Since your starting with all that live rock and live sand, You can just wait 2 weeks and start adding whatever fish you'd like. Just remember 1 fish per week to be safe for the first month.
 
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