Yellowtail Damsel on his side?

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Todd Skiles

New Member
Newish 29 gallon tank. We filled it a month ago. Added live rock. Ph, temp, salinity, ammonia, nitrite/nitrate all stable and normal. So we got two yellowtail damsels to finally start.

One is out and about - swimming, eating, curious and alert.

The other is bright blue, but laying on his side on the bottom - attempting to swim. But can't get up.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Can you describe the process you used to cycle the system?

What are the current water parameters? "Normal" isn't sufficient to diagnose a problem.

"Bright Blue" can indicate being caught by cyanide. Not a common problem these days but it does still happen.

How did you acclimate the fish? What was the PH and Salinity of the water in the bag compared to your tank water?
 
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Todd Skiles

New Member
Salinity is 1.0235. Store is 1.024. Ph is 8.2. Ammonia-Nitrate readings are right about zero. We floated the fish for 15, then did a slow water addition to the bag over another 40 minutes. Then released them. Both fish were taken from the same tank at the store. Store is a well-established local place - not a big box. Tanks are always clean, clear and staff are very knowledgeable. It's been around forever.
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
My guess is it was aggression. Damsels are notoriously aggressive. In a small tank 1 is the max you can safely keep. Even in bigger tanks they often will pick each other off till only one is left.
 
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