Damsels

[catherine]

When I add another fish to my 20 gallon tank, are my two damsels going to attack it for sure? Or do I just have to try it and see. I didn't know they were aggressive fish when I got them.

 

[thewolfman777]

i added 2 scissor tail hogs to my tank with 3 damsels. the hogs are very shy and seem non aggressive thus far. the damsels have not once bothered with these guys. they seem to be aggressive toward each other though. the hogs are a little bigger than the damsels so this might be the reason they get left alone.

 

[beecher]

Damsels are EVIL!!!! I once saw a quote that if Damsels where the size of sharks, the sharks would run away.

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

My damsels are at the point wherre they tip over the hermits just to be annyoing.
Get 'em outta there if you can.

 

[jodeman]

If you don't want to remove them, be sure to get something that can hold it's own against them. I put a bicolor psuedochromis in my 45 hex, and after a couple of attitude adjustments, the damsels steer clear of him. He's small, but has a great personality and I really like him.
[SEE HIM] <a href="http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&albumID=29051356&photoID=29054215&security=XfMsJBPwbA" target="_blank">http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos .fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&albumID=29051356&photoID=29054215&security=XfMsJBPwbA</a> [/CODE]

 

[moby da goby]

I'm blaming the death of my juv coral beauty on my one damsel. No reason for a perfectly healthy fish to turn into hermit crab food overnight. No other aggressive fish, no suspect starfish or shrimp, just one neurotic psycho damsel who knows how to stay well hidden from my net.

 

[hillbilly]

My 2 damsels, a Domino and a Yellow tailed blue harrass each other but not seriously. Seems more of a game between them. Chaseing but no nipping.
They were my first tank occupants. I added a firefish goby which is pretty peaceful and the damsels gave it the same chase treatment for about a day and left it alone to concentrate on each other after that.
I know many of You are not fond of damsels, but the Domino damsel is one of my favorite fish.
To each his own....
Hillbilly

 

[aquarius]

I just recently added a small hippo tang to a 70 gallon that already contained 2 same-sized damsels and an atlantic blue tang, and a coral beauty. Immediately, the damsels attacked the hippo and he is still all stresses out almost a week later. They refused to lay off him so I through them in the little 29 downstairs with a school of chromises. They are fine and I'm going trying hard to revive the hippo who has since come down with some type of disease/parasite.

 

[sven]

DAMSELS ARE EVIL!!!!!!!!!
ALL THEY DO IS GIVE U GRIEF,THEY ATTACK NEARLY ALL FISH AS LONG AS THE FISH THEY ATTACK ARE SMALLER THEY DONT CARE.

 

[broomer5]

The way I see it ... certain damselfish are by nature aggressive. It's too bad that many books, most every lfs recommends using them for "starter" fish. Then you're stuck with them when you want to add other non aggressive fish.
Catching them can be tricky in a tank with live rock.
Chances are you'll have some aggessive behavior, but as tk2020 mentioned, there are exceptions.
Our yellowtail damsel is quite peaceful and knows it's place in the "pecking order".
So Catherine ... to address you question, depending on the size and species of fish you want to add, and that you have 20 gallon tank, I would say most likely the 2 damsels will attack it. The outcome is usually not pretty, and it can be a real shame to lose a new fish.
I'd suggest removing them - then you need not worry about it - and move on with stocking your tank with other fish.
Don't blame the damsel for it's aggressive nature or if it attacks another fish.
It's just doing what damsels do -
Brian

 

[thewolfman777]

As i watch more and more, my damsels are turning into little devils. i posted earlier that they aren't bothering my scissor tail hogs, which they still aren't, but they are wreaking havoc between each other. I have 3 blue damsels, one you can't even find anymore, the other just hides in the corner, and the dominant damsel just opens a can of whoop @@@ on any one of the 2 if they show themselves. i am afraid that if the 2 other damsels die off that the scissor tails may become a new targets. we will soon see, it may be time to take a trip to the lfs and return them...

 

[madd catt]

They do that,even green cromis.

 

[souljah]

I have a 12 gallon tank thats been running successfully for 1 year...in it I have
a yellow tang, maroone clown, half/half
pygmy basslet,a humbug damsel, domino damsel
star poylups, and a yellow anemone with purple
tips (forgot what its called)and lots of live rock...I used to have an electric blue damsel but the two whipped his ass....now that hes gone..my two damsels and all the tank mates get along well
and have been living disease free...water quality
is excellent. I wouldnt reccommend putting anymore
than 2 damsels in a tank unless it is huge...
funny because...nobody messes with my tang...not even the damsels...the tang is my dominant fish
and keeps them all in check