I HATE my Domino!

[spiderwoman]

Why on earth did we buy it when we started this hobby. It was cute and small 2 months ago and now it's a *bit* bigger. That )#$(*&#(& is pestering everybody else in the tank and I've pretty much put a bounty on his head. I tried to hunt him down yesterday but that

[hr]
is too fast for me.
Can anybody lend me a mini dart gun?

 

[renogaw]

erm...
someone actually made a mini harpoon to catch one of his damsels...
speared it, the thing lived, and is now in its own little home LOL.
good luck!

 

[renogaw]

https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/295330/mission-damsel-has-to-go

 

[spiderwoman]

I might try to siphoning approach tonight when we clean their tank up. Unless he starts behaving... at least in a month or so we'll be able to get rid of him or keep an aggressive tank and a reef.
I can't believe I'm standing in front of the tank and pointing my finger at him and cursing him up

 

[tenacious]

I myself like dominos because they are the a blackfish that school. But they can be pests as they get bigger. Try building or maybe your LFS has a fish trap you can use for a day.

 

[srfisher17]

Getting rid of damsels; once again, the most common topic on this forum. If your lfs suggested this as a "cycle starter" fish, I'd insist they come out and catch the little monster.

 

[nycbob]

lol so many people hv this problem. i also hv a 3 striped damsel in my 150. i quit trying to catch mine a long time ago. he'd already killed 3 tangs i bought in the past. so far, he is sort of behaving with his existing tankmates.

 

[srfisher17]

Here's a copy of what I've posted many times:
"This may have been me, I always suggest this; but most people think its
silly...until they try it. Tiny hook (hair hook, used to catch bait. Flatten the
barb and bait with a bit of raw shrimp..after the little monster has been eating
it for a day or two. A lfs called me several times, when I I lived in another
state, to help them get unwanted fish out of customer's tanks (almost always
damsels). I never failed, nor hurt a fish (much). I think this one of the most
common questions on this forum. I suspect it is often the result of lfs selling
damsels as "cycle starters".. I'll bet I've posted this reply 20 times; I'm
going to copy & save it...I type very slowly. BTW, I never heard from anyone
that tried this and failed, but have heard several success stories. IMO, it is
no big deal on the fish, far less stressful ,(on the damsel AND tankmates),than
tearing a tank apart. "

 

[spiderwoman]

I gave up on trying to catch him just because I didn't want the others to be stressed out. I know he can't understand me, but the cursing and shaking my fist at him last night has calmed him down today. He can stay as long as he behaves. Next time he is a dead fish. He is going to stay in the 55g when our 135g is ready, that's for sure and I'll then get him some fiery little friends <evil laughter>

 

[renogaw]

honestly, an all damsel tank would be quite stunning!

 

[spiderwoman]

Hmmm something to think about! What type and how many would you put in it? I love the look of the Domino, it reminds me of a piranha
I haven't really even thought about what to put in that tank once the bigger tank is ready.

 

[srfisher17]

Damsels are pretty little fish. They're also quite inexpensive, I'd use them as occasional lionfish treats, if I didn't have to QT them first.

 

[bjoe23]

Originally Posted by renogaw
http:///forum/post/2459684
honestly, an all damsel tank would be quite stunning!
Yeah every time I go to a LFS i see the damsels, they are really nice fish and inexpensive, think about getting it, I think of all these threads

 

[1journeyman]

Damsels tend to lose their color as they get older and bigger though. Even in the wild they get pale as they grow.
I've said this before. I've dove on the GBR, I've dove in the Caribbean and had a school of 5 foot Tarpon bump and push me around. I've had a Barracuda draft off of me not 3 feet away; and the only fish that ever has bitten me was a damsel..
Try a fish net. Prop it up in your tank where it is near the surface. Leave it in the tank. When you feed the tank put the food in the net. What you probably will find is the more timid fish, used to being out-competed for food, will actually be the first ones to get used to feeding in the net. Eventually though the more aggressive damsel will decide the net is no longer a threat and will go into it to feed. It may take a week or two. Just leave the net in the tank so the fish get used to it 24 hours a day.

 

[alh]

I used to have a Domino in an aggressive tank years ago. I liked it. It made an interesting "whirring" noise periodically.

 

[sean48183]

I keep 2 damsels in my tank and have had as many as 4 before. I like them. You have to match up their tank mates right but as long as you do their fine. Mine are 3 years old an have kept all their colors and just got bigger. I would just get tank mates for your domino that can challenge him. I keep dwarf angels, psuedo chromis, tangs, a wrasse, chromis, an eel , a tomato and all in all I would say my damsels are the wusses of the tank. Also I like to add fish in 3's. Helps alleviate the aggression among all the fish. Good Luck.

 

[debbie]

Give him a maroon clown to swim with and see who is the boss of the tank then.....

Damsels are nice in the right tank, maybe you can find him some friends and have a nice tank.