Psycho Damsels

[cuda]

I purchased 2 damsels (domino/yellow tail) and a clownfish. They cycled my tank and were the only fish in the tank for about 2 months. I then could not resist the temptation of a Bursa Trigger. I bought the Trigger at about 3 inches. I did figure the Trig. might take advantage of the others but, was hoping they would all get along. Well, it went great for about 2 months all was well. Until recently, I noticed chunks missing out of my Triggers tail. My little yellow tail damsel is beating the **** out of the trigger. I constantly bites it everytime the trigger swims past the damsels coral (sleeping grounds) Has anyone ever seen a 1/2 damsel beat the living **** out of a 3.5 inch trigger. I find this to be rather ammusing but, its really starting to piss me off...I dont want to loose the trigger but, it just makes me laugh every day. Any suggestions??????
Thanks

 

[luckyboy7]

Yeah, damsels are very much territorial fishes, and as you see they will attack anything(even the your trigger) near their coral algae gardens... What I would do is maybe get rid of them, unless u really like them... All I can suggest... Otherwise you will probably be seeing this problem

 

[kris]

See my post titled don't try this at home...
Those things amaze me--mine(a good size jewel) seems to now be not just surviving, but actually thriving with tankmates that should have eaten her already. It has made for a very entertaining tank--with all their antics sometimes it's hard to tell who's chasing who
No damage has been done to anyone beleive it or not.
With the exception of getting rid of the damsels-I guess your only other option is waitng for your trigger to grow up and eat them <img src="graemlins//evilwhorn.gif" border="0" alt="[Evil Horn]" />
Good Luck

 

[puffermama]

my husband put his neon "devil" damsel in with my puffer fish because he was killing his smaller fish. well he started biting at my puffer <img src="graemlins//evilwhorn.gif" border="0" alt="[Evil Horn]" /> needless to say we found him a new home

 

[400galloncharlie]

I cycled one of my tanks with a blue damsel, which grew fairly large. I added a niger trigger, porc. puffer and snowflake eel after a while. The damsel made it for a long a while (I only kept him there because I thought he was thriving and seemed to be in no danger), but then one day the puffer (which had grown fairly large) casually found the damsel in the corner of the tank and chomped him--half of the damsel in the puffer's mouth, the other half out-flailing up and down. Pretty gruesome, needless to say. One way or the other, something's going to give in that tank if you do not separate those fish.

 

[blondenaso1]

I think that is the fate that should become of all damsels!! I have a blue, yellow tail, and one yellow damsel that thought they were the kings of the tank until we introduced a 3.5" sebae clown that lets um know who's boss. The tang also throws them an occasional tail flick or two to let them know where they stand. Now the only fish they can harass is eachother.

 

[njtrooper]

when damsels get too aggressive in my reef I keep them in check. I feed them to my shark!

 

[liosander]

I have a damsel in with my snowflake eel, i often see the damsel go up to the eel, and whip its fins in the eels face, brave little guy i say. He also enjoys trying to get a bite of the krill before my eel swallows it whole.