Normal Damsel behavior?

[carmen7]

Hi yall!
Just started my tank cycling 3 days ago (20 gallons), and I have 3 damsels. 1 Four Striped Damsel, and 2 Yellow-Tailed Damsels. This morning the striped damsel was acting strangely, sweeping the sand around with his tail, rubbing himself up against the glass... It looks like he's marking his territory. The yellow ones arn't doing it. Is this normal damsel behavior?
He's been doing this all day now...
~~C.7~~

 

[surfnturf]

could be the onset of ich, or not, maybe he just got a wild hair.

 

[mossad327]

My yellow-tailed chromis do the same thing. When my brittle snuck into one of the chromis' hiding places, the chromis spent twenty minutes just rubbing himself into the starfish and all over the rock. I have crushed coral and the chromis also enjoy picking up pieces in their mouth, swimming up to the top of the tank, and then dropping the piece of coral. It's really weird, but they dig themselves little holes and hiding places all over the tank.

 

[carmen7]

Thanks guys for the feedback! Never knew that damsel fishes were such characters. Each fish has a different personality...
Well, bye!
~~C.7~~

 

[col]

Hi Carmen
Cycling your 20G tank with 3 damsels??????
Do you know what is happenning when you cycle a tank?
The fish is probably distressed due to the strain of rising ammonia.

 

[holacanthus]

Col she only has 3 damsels!

 

[col]

oops, yer right there Hola.
Think I'll edit the post so i don't look a bit soft in the head.
Still, it doesn't need ANY damsels to cycle. Looks to me like LFS are keen to sell them.

 

[carmen7]

The LFS call Damsels recyclable fish. If they do live through the cycling, you can either add more fish, or return them to the store for half of their original price ($3.99)... Seemed like a pretty good deal to me! And they don't seem distressed, only territorial. Well, thanks for all your opinions.
Bye!
~~C.7~~