dead newbies

[saltytom2]

i recently set up a 55g and everything was going well for a while. my lfs rep came to my house and said it was okay for me to put in some damsels to help w/the cycle. long story short, the little fellas are killing one another like wildfire. the lfs guy said they are very territorial, but this is rediculous. i started w/6, down 2. added two more, down four. throughout this week- 15 day period, the levels have been fine. i re-arranged my tank a bit when adding newbies to keep the territory thing at a minimum, but to no avail...
any suggestions?:notsure:

 

[reefer44]

return them
i never get damsels they always fight no matter what
if you really don't want to return them try putting a mirror on the sides of the glass to make them fight with there reflection (keeps them distracted fro real damsels)
but i would return them

 

[tony detroit]

Damsels suck. Get rid of them.

 

[saltytom2]

i agree whole heartedly as far as damsels biting the big one, i just want to cycle my tank so i can proceed to bigger and better things.
:yes:

 

[gdamador]

I must really have lucked out with damsels... I have three blue damsels (one is a Blue Devil with yellow and blue, the others are all blue in color) in my 80g reef tank since the beginning with all the inhabitants and they have always gotten along and continue to get along with everything and each other :notsure: !
I am setting up my new 180g and have three different types of damsels in there (blue/green chromis, 4 stripe, and another that I don't know what kind it is) and they all get along too! I don't know but I'm glad that I haven't had any damsel problems.
Just leave the ones you have and see if they can settle down and learn to live together. Maybe they will learn to live with the other inhabitants you add later on too. Good luck!

 

[bdhough]

it really depends on the damsel. green chromis, blue and yellow tails, and blue chromis are all relatively tame damsels and will tolerate other fish. 4 strip/humbugs and domino damsles will not. not to mention they get big and nasty. in addition to this there are some nice showy damsels such as the jewel damsel which not only looses its brilliance but gets big and nasty like the 4 strip and dominos. if you put any kind of live rock in the tank it will establish the tank eventually bacteria wise. if you are then patient and add one fish every 2 weeks then you should never have to use damsels to cycle a tank. there is also a product called biozyme which is bacteria you can place into a saltwater tank. i have seen it work well enough to help establish a tank.

 

[tony detroit]

I've always seen tame chromis, they school too.
As said before domino, blue, and tigerstripe damsels are usually the nasty ones.

 

[reef_magic]

but their pretty

 

[sweetdawn]

the damsel I had in my tank to cycle it got returned, big bully. was the blue one with the yellow tail.When I got my clownfish and the damsel tried to harass it to death. swam at it sidewise with its fin spread out trying to stab my poor clownfish. so i got the clownfish an anename(sorry for spelling) but the damsel would lie in wait for the clownfish during feeding. and enough is enough. took him back only got half credit for him but at the point I would have given him back for nothing.

 

[gdamador]

You're very nice to not have flushed him down the toilet for being such a mean fish! You will be blessed for your kindnes!! :happyfish

 

[kmsrn]

:jumping: You don't have to cycle your tank with the damels! or the raw/dead shrimps. Have some fun while you cycle! I cycled my 90 gallon fish-only tank with 3 percs, 1 spanish hogfish and a sf eel. All survived the nitrogen cycle!

 

[saltytom]

you don't think it will hurt to put lr in during a cycle?
i am all ofr it if it will work, you guys hit the nail on the head. the damino is satan and it killed the yellow tails and my yellow chromis and the stripe. i will try to find some of that chemical you are talking about. saltytom/saltytom2 are one in the same, just two pc's, one@ home & one @ work.