Why all the Damsel hatred?

sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
I'm new - just set up a Marineland Instant Ocean, 12 gallon, and I'm in the cycling process. Live sand is in there, live rocks are in there. Taking daily water tests to watch for the cycling so I can start stocking. Yes, I'm trying very hard to be patient. So I've been reading day and night for a week now trying to absorb as much info as I can and I see that most people consider their Damsel purchase one of the worst mistakes they've made. I understand they can be territorial and aggressive and become destructive and hard to catch when you've had it with them, but I'm still not totally sure that a damsel purchase would be so wrong for my tank. It's only an experimental 12 gallon.... if I can manage to keep such a small tank stable and healthy and find that I'm as addicted as I think I'll be I will then go for a bigger system in the winter and incorporate everything I learn from my mistakes on this small tank. Since this one is only 12 gallons I realize I can only have two small fish in there, total. So would it be so horrible if one (or both of them) are damsels? I can see the nightmares of having them in a big tank with expensive fish and coral but if I'm only keeping two in here, wouldn't that be OK?
Your thoughts, please.
 
kevin mcrae

kevin mcrae

Member
I see it this way.
I got two for my tank because I didn't want to get a expensive fish as my first saltwater fish. They are hardy and very pretty colors. I want to try and add some clowns eventually and some other fish. If they become a problem a person or store will always be willing to take them.
Some species of damsels are more calm then others. I have a azure and a blue tail damsel which both seem quite calm together. Time will tell what they are like with other fish. Dominos are very aggressive I'm told.
The more live rock will help, more tunnels etc.
Good luck!
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Thanks for the input. Ideally I would like to have a damsel and a clown. I can't add anything yet since the tank is so new but I'm trying to learn before I buy.
Sue
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
I think that because damsels are so hardy and pretty; many new hobbiests buy them before they realize how aggressive (not just territorial) they can be. A damsel can terrorize a much larger fish to the point of actually killing it. "How to get damsels out" is a VERY common topic on this forum. Getting any fish out of an established tank is a real pain and lots of us have learned not to put them in the first place. Recommendations from LFS, without warnings, don't help either. Personally; I'll never buy or suggest another damsel, chromis are good alternatives.
 
paintballer768

paintballer768

Active Member
Actually, damsels and clownfish are a part of the same family, so damsel-damsel aggression could also be seen in the damsel-clown situations. Just make sure that the damsel will have enough space to where it wont have many altercations with your other fish.
 
cedarreef

cedarreef

Member
Now, I would not go with domino, 3 stripe, or 4 stripe damsels at all because they are probably the most vicious damsels out there. I have 2 yellow-tail damsels, and they are perfect together. I love these little fish. My only suggestion would be that if you buy some damsels, make sure they came from the same tank, and seem healthy and happy with each other there first.
 
subielover

subielover

Active Member
Not much experience with them but currently I have a yellowtail and a six line wrasse in a 14 with no problems
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Can you imagine these fish the size of a clown trigger?
I've never kept a nano tank. But, if all the "rules" follow; I would expect any damsel to eventually go after any tankmate. Small quarters=stress=aggression. Small tanks are harder to keep that larger ones; mainly because all problems are multiplied by the small capacity.
I'd post this on the nano tank forum and get some advice from the folks that hang out there.
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Thanks for all the input. I guess that also explains why they are the least expensive fish in the LFS. SO tempting, but I will try to resist, at least for a while.
 
mustangcaleb

mustangcaleb

Member
i had two 3 stripe damsils in my 125g along with a clown, an eel, and some inverts. they kept the clown up in the top frontside corner and if he ventured to far out, theyd nip at him. then one day i was aquascaping and my eel came out of his normal cave. the two of them were all over him, i thought someone was going to get hurt. but eli found another cave to hide in. thats when i really started thinking about removing them. then a few days later i had some fresh squid, feeding eli. when he stopped eating, i gave a piece to my hermit crab. i put the crab up on the rockwork so i could watch him munch. the damsils came and snatched the squid from him, took it across the tank and spit it out, then went back and knocked him off the rocks. the next day i pulled out 75% of my LR and caught them. i gave them to my LFS.


 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/2716461
Thanks for all the input. I guess that also explains why they are the least expensive fish in the LFS. SO tempting, but I will try to resist, at least for a while.
Actually, they're one of the biggest selling fish at any lfs. I think they're inexpensive because: They are very plentiful & easy to catch, they're small and ship well, and they're very hardy. Loss by divers, holding facilities, in transit, wholesalers, lfs, are major contributors to the price of many fish. I think most damsels could live on the floor for a few days.
 
gmann1139

gmann1139

Active Member
Originally Posted by MustangCaleb
http:///forum/post/2716489
i had two 3 stripe damsils in my 125g along with a clown, an eel, and some inverts.
I believe those are 4 Stripes... 3 Stripes have one less black stripe (obviously), and their stripes aren't parallel.
I know because I also possessed a pair of the little jerks.
Also, srfisher, I thought damsels were cheap because they were one of the first and easiest fish to breed. I can't imagine at $5 a pop that 'wild caught' can be very economical. Oh, and I was at the NY Aquarium today and did see damsels as big as clown triggers.
 
N

nemo_66

Guest
personally, i dont like them because i added a blue tang to my fish tank, and all i had in there was a damsel and a niger trigger. i was worried about the niger ripping it to shreds, but low and behold, the damsel got to it first.
they arent to bad though, if you have a tank dedicated just to damsels.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Also, srfisher, I thought damsels were cheap because they were one of the first and easiest fish to breed. I can't imagine at $5 a pop that 'wild caught' can be very economical. Oh, and I was at the NY Aquarium today and did see damsels as big as clown triggers.
All the damsels on this site are wild caught. I don't think I've ever seen captive bred (aquacultured) damsels for sale. Its cheaper to catch them than to breed them. The actual person catching the fish gets only a few cents for a damsel, maybe a nickle for a clownfish. But most come from 3rd world countries where a nickle is a big deal. Prices of clowns, that are commonly aquacultured, tend to be about the same as wild caught.
Yes, there are a few giant damsels, like the Pacific Garibaldi and the Giant Mexican damsel can reach 12" or so.
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
OK, so they're not just territorial and aggressive, they also have lousy personalities? What little creeps! WHen I read the post about them stealing the food from the crab only to take it away and spit it out and THEN to go back and knock him off I wanted to strangle the little boogers! I guess I better not get one - I will be so upset if I see him picking on another living thing. I may be too emotional for this hobby.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/2716621
OK, so they're not just territorial and aggressive, they also have lousy personalities? What little creeps! WHen I read the post about them stealing the food from the crab only to take it away and spit it out and THEN to go back and knock him off I wanted to strangle the little boogers! I guess I better not get one - I will be so upset if I see him picking on another living thing. I may be too emotional for this hobby.

A coral reef is not only a thing of beauty; its also a prime example of "survival of the fittest". If you don't want to see any example of dead animal life, please don't look at the ingredient list on your fish food container.
 
robdog696

robdog696

Member
Originally Posted by paintballer768
http:///forum/post/2716406
The blue devil damsel is the most aggressive fish pound-for-pound in the deep blue


Originally Posted by CedarReef
http:///forum/post/2716394
Now, I would not go with domino, 3 stripe, or 4 stripe damsels at all because they are probably the most vicious damsels out there. I have 2 yellow-tail damsels, and they are perfect together. I love these little fish. My only suggestion would be that if you buy some damsels, make sure they came from the same tank, and seem healthy and happy with each other there first.
Actually, I believe the jewel damsel is the most aggressive. Such a pity, because it is the prettiest damselfish too. The yellow tail damsel is the least aggressive. I don't hate damsels, they make great lionfish food!
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/2716748
A coral reef is not only a thing of beauty; its also a prime example of "survival of the fittest". If you don't want to see any example of dead animal life, please don't look at the ingredient list on your fish food container.

(sigh) Yes, intellectually I know and accept the harsh reality of the food chain and survival of the fittest but when you spend your time caring for and getting attached to a living creature and then watch it perish, it still hurts. Heck, I breed earth worms to feed to my turtles and frogs and find myself feeling badly about their fate now that they are creatures that I care for. Soon I will be raising stuff to feed to the earthworms and will end up getting attached to them, too! Do I see a pet amoeba in my future? LOL
 
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