F
flashzg
Guest
In my 20 gallon on tank I had 2 3 striped damsles but I just recently added a blue devil damsle and it is being picked at by the other to. What should I do!?!!?!?!?!
F
flashzg
Guest
Someone please respond.. its lookin pretty bad. 
mn1467
Member
The problem is that damsels are very territorial and aggresive If the 3 stripes have been in the tank for a while they will be aggressive towards any fish you put in there usually after a couple days they will calm down but there is a chance that you will lose the blue devil. IMO I would not add damsels to a tank that already has damsels in it unless the tank is very large
F
flashzg
Guest
Alright thanx. What fish can I add to teh tank? Will most larger fish be fine????
X
xnikki118x
Guest
I had a three-striped damsel that grew to be--no lie--5 inches long. He was beautiful and he was my favorite fish, but he was a monster. He killed any fish put in with him except the slightly smaller blue damsel that lived with him since they were small.
How big is the blue devil in comparison to the three-stripes? The biggest problem I've experienced with damsels is if they're bigger than another fish, the smaller fish is going to get picked on and possibly killed.
If the blue devil is about the same size, here's what I'd do... put the two three-stripes into a QT tank for the time being. If you don't have one, turn a pasta strained upside-down in the tank with the three-stripes trapped underneath it. This will indeed stress them out a bit, but damsels are incredibly hardy, and I'd be really surprised if this killed them.
While they're quarrantined, rearrange the rockwork in your tank. Give your blue devil a few hours to try and devleop his own territory within the tank. If the three-stripes are in a QT, I'd give it a few days, but if they're under a pasta strainer or something like that you don't want to keep them like that for more than a few hours, or it'd be cruel. Then release the two three-stripes into the tank again, and hopefully the blue devil will have the upper hand this time.
If you try something like this and the blue devil still gets picked on for more than a few days, I'd look to either trade in the blue devil or the three-stripes, especially if the three-stripes are substantially bigger.
As far as other fish go, I'd get something bigger than your damels. I lost a coral beauty to a larger damsel, and I had a friend who lost a green mandarin, a coral beauty, a purple pseudochromis, and some other fish to the monster three-stripe I mentioned earlier. So if you plan on keeping the damsels (or even one of them), make sure whatever other fish you purchase are at least the same size--the bigger the better--and aren't incredibly shy fish. A maroon clown or a royal gramma would be a good candidate, IMO.
Hope everything works out!!
How big is the blue devil in comparison to the three-stripes? The biggest problem I've experienced with damsels is if they're bigger than another fish, the smaller fish is going to get picked on and possibly killed.
If the blue devil is about the same size, here's what I'd do... put the two three-stripes into a QT tank for the time being. If you don't have one, turn a pasta strained upside-down in the tank with the three-stripes trapped underneath it. This will indeed stress them out a bit, but damsels are incredibly hardy, and I'd be really surprised if this killed them.
While they're quarrantined, rearrange the rockwork in your tank. Give your blue devil a few hours to try and devleop his own territory within the tank. If the three-stripes are in a QT, I'd give it a few days, but if they're under a pasta strainer or something like that you don't want to keep them like that for more than a few hours, or it'd be cruel. Then release the two three-stripes into the tank again, and hopefully the blue devil will have the upper hand this time.
If you try something like this and the blue devil still gets picked on for more than a few days, I'd look to either trade in the blue devil or the three-stripes, especially if the three-stripes are substantially bigger.
As far as other fish go, I'd get something bigger than your damels. I lost a coral beauty to a larger damsel, and I had a friend who lost a green mandarin, a coral beauty, a purple pseudochromis, and some other fish to the monster three-stripe I mentioned earlier. So if you plan on keeping the damsels (or even one of them), make sure whatever other fish you purchase are at least the same size--the bigger the better--and aren't incredibly shy fish. A maroon clown or a royal gramma would be a good candidate, IMO.
Hope everything works out!!
clarkiiboi
Active Member
IMO, return all of the damsels. I had a group of blue devils and they were just as mean to any new fish and themselves. Mine started picking on their own school (had a big bully in there, went from 5 to 3 (or was it 2), in a fast amount of time). A fish that looks similar to them are chromis and their temperment is much more laid back. Just a thought........
murph145
Active Member
damsels are mean lil fishes.... the ones i have left now are the only peaceful ones that exist in the world lol j/k
no but seriously they are a pain if u wanna add new fish they will chase them around non stop until the other fish dies... i had a huge domino damsil that i had to get rid of too because he owned the tank anytime i put anything else in there no matter the size he would chase it non stop
i have a three stripped damsil 2 yellow tail damsils and a blue damsil and all of those seem very peaceful dont bother with any of the other fish or each other barely.... only time is when the male yt damsil is watching over there eggs he will attack my hand non stop when im tryin to clean the tank.... he did this today bitting my hand non stop those lil suckers arent scared of anything
if u wanna keep adding fish id trade the damsils in then get whatever else u want then add damsils last so they dont get all territorial
no but seriously they are a pain if u wanna add new fish they will chase them around non stop until the other fish dies... i had a huge domino damsil that i had to get rid of too because he owned the tank anytime i put anything else in there no matter the size he would chase it non stop
i have a three stripped damsil 2 yellow tail damsils and a blue damsil and all of those seem very peaceful dont bother with any of the other fish or each other barely.... only time is when the male yt damsil is watching over there eggs he will attack my hand non stop when im tryin to clean the tank.... he did this today bitting my hand non stop those lil suckers arent scared of anything
if u wanna keep adding fish id trade the damsils in then get whatever else u want then add damsils last so they dont get all territorial
F
flashzg
Guest
Thanks everyone. I put the 3 striped damsle under this water/ coffe strainer thing. (Great detail). Ill tell you all how it goes. My blue devil had amost all its fins bitten off!!!!!!!!!!