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Damsel attacks Clownfish...


ALexpsycho

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I have my 15,8 G + 8 G sump running about a year now..I have a yellow tail damsel since 25/2 some shrooms an orange sponge some zoanthids polyps feather dusters( They breed every day!) some aptaisias that I want to get rid of and a little blue tip sabae anemone.Two days ago I added a clown fish about the same size as the damsel.My little damsel can`t eat even a hole mysis shrimp and he is baby sized.When I added the clown became dominant about the tank.When the lights are off the damsel doesn`t attack,but when all lamps are on he swims everywhere in the tank and with speed bites the clown.Of course he can`t damage the clown so far.The clown fish just swims over a rock full of shrooms and he is not interested in the anemone so far,when the lights are off he just explores the tank step by step.Should I wait to see how this relationship will turn out or I should seperate them now?If I want to catch the damsel is there any clever way to just it or should I remove all the rocks and get him out?This way the clown acts like crazy(bad memories?Does salt water fish have memories or just reactions?).I droped some snails(I breed snails in my sump!.The red legged hermit crabs are eating snails for breakfast) inside today just to clean the crystals(after they clean a bit I will remove them).

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In the gallery I saw a lot of tanks keeping damsels and clownfish together.So I thought that it is posible for a damsel and a clownfish to leave peacefully in a tank.

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:( This also happened with my 5 gallon, I waited for about 2 days and it seemed to get worse. I even tried switching around LR but as soon as the YT got comfortable he was back at it again. I ended up having to trade my yellow tail in :( .
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I'd remove the damsel to the sump/refugium tank for a couple weeks to let the clownfish establish its territory and feel comfortable in the tank. After that time, you can add the damsel back into the display and see if he plays nicely.

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PieNinja I like your tank!I also like your idea.I think I`ll give it a try.I just got my new T5 lighting upgrade kit(2x36W 50-50).I like the damsel to give it away.Thank you for your advice.

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In the gallery I saw a lot of tanks keeping damsels and clownfish together.So I thought that it is posible for a damsel and a clownfish to leave peacefully in a tank.

 

Agree with you !

 

My 5 fish in the tank. clown fish and damsel keep peace.

 

Getting the fish to your tank in proper order is important. If there are only 2 fish in a small tank ,the old one has lived alone for a long time. He will continue attacking his new neighbour. So we should buy a stronger fish than the older one,the older one would not dare to attack the new stronger neighbour.

 

But only two fish, Sometimes fight between them can't be avoid.You need luck.Maybe they will keep peace one week later. Maybe they will continue attacking until one of them dead.So it 's not a bad idea to give the damsel away.

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DementedLullaby

Running a reef tank on luck has to be one of the stupider idea's I've yet to hear. Kinda like gambling. Can have okay pay offs but you're bound to get f'ed over at some point.

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Running a reef tank on luck has to be one of the stupider idea's I've yet to hear. Kinda like gambling. Can have okay pay offs but you're bound to get f'ed over at some point.

 

Two fish in your tank attacking each other does not mean the same thing will appears in others tank .In fact,many people can keep their fish peace in one tank.they are not gambles.

 

You can't keep your fish peace while others can.There must be something you don't know.(just like type of fish, getting differen't fish to the tank in proper order,etc.These are all helpful to keep fish peace).But if a fish's Personality is the same as you ,nothing can be helpful to keep peace.

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Um yeah, it is gambling. I know, I live in Louisiana :D

 

But realy, each fish has a different temperment regardless of spec. and class. Damselfish are notoriously known for being super aggressive. Buying one and placing it in tank with other fish is gambling, you are taking the risk and hopeing it is docile when infact you have know idea whether or not the fish will be aggressive of passive.

 

But then again, this is America (if he lives in America?), and if the answer is simple enough to understand and makes common sense, it's no good. :lol:

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Damselfish are notoriously known for being super aggressive. Buying one and placing it in tank with other fish is gambling.

But then again, this is America (if he lives in America?), and if the answer is simple enough to understand and makes common sense, it's no good. :lol:

 

It is triggerfish,not damsel,which is notoriously known for being super aggressive. Even clownfish is more aggerssive than damsel.

 

Maybe only American said: Buying damsel and placing it in tank with other fish is gambling.

 

In fact ,Plenty of damsels are sold by American every year.Don't the buyers place them in tank? or eating the damsels instead of feeding them?

 

Maybe only a few American are not able to place damsels in tank. Why?because of their knowledge?or ignorance?

 

Only an idiot looks on something out of his knowledge as gambling.

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PieNinja I like your tank!I also like your idea.I think I`ll give it a try.I just got my new T5 lighting upgrade kit(2x36W 50-50).I like the damsel to give it away.Thank you for your advice.

Give the damsel a couple days to establish its own territory after you add it back into the display tank. If the damsel is still super aggressive towards the clownfish after these first couple of days (clownfish suddenly sports torn/ripped fins), you'd be better off in returning the damsel. Not everyone will have success in getting these two types to get along.

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It is triggerfish,not damsel,which is notoriously known for being super aggressive. Even clownfish is more aggerssive than damsel.

 

Maybe only American said: Buying damsel and placing it in tank with other fish is gambling.

 

In fact ,Plenty of damsels are sold by American every year.Don't the buyers place them in tank? or eating the damsels instead of feeding them?

 

Maybe only a few American are not able to place damsels in tank. Why?because of their knowledge?or ignorance?

 

Only an idiot looks on something out of his knowledge as gambling.

 

 

Um...who the heck said anything about a triggerfish? Damselfish are only sold to Americans that don't know how aggressive these fish are. Most of the people that buy them are new to the hobby and are making uneducated purchases. I think you are way off base by saying that damsel fish are semi-aggressive, they are/can be verry aggressive.

 

Now, as I said before, each INDIVIDUAL fish is different, but the fact is, and what I thought was common knowledge in the hobby, was that damsel fish in general are very aggressive.

 

I have heard and read countless stories of damselfish being so aggressive that they killed off their tank mates (in a nano-reef that is).

 

These fish are small, but need a large territory to control. That is the reason why damselfish do better in a larger aquarium and not so well in a nao-reef environment.

 

And yeah, it is gambelling. Gambelling is when you take the risk of loosing something (tank mates) so that you can gain more/something better (haveing more colorfull fish in the tank).

 

It's simple realy...

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amen travis, teach this boy a thing or two!!!!!

 

look up damsels on any given online retailer site and they will have AGGRESSIVE labeled under temperment. the reason so many people buy them is because 1. they are usually newbies, and damsels look pretty cool 2. they are uneducated about what will happen when they add other fish 3. they are CHEAP!!

 

in america you cant find cheaper fish. the LFS here will sell them for $3-4 bucks to cycle your tank and then tell you to get them the hell out.

 

they are known for being aggressive...........why the hell are we talking about triggerfish on a nano-site. if you want to go there i heard that great white sharks are really aggressive and shouldnt be kept with clowns....but maybe if you throw it in the sump for a week or so things will work out!!!!!! you never know!!!!!

 

ignorance is bliss to those uneducated!!!!!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

My 2 cents: Damsels are super territorial, not necessarily inherently aggressive. However, your damsel and clown are the same size, and might start taking chunks our of each other's tails. Clownfish are a type of damsel and can be equally territorial. It just depends. Many people here buy damsels because they are cheap and are hardy for cycling, very few people keep them in mature tanks. My friend has an adult Sgt Major that kills everything in her tank and she is desperately trying to get out of the tank.

 

That said, I had trouble locating your sebae...is that it kinda upside down/sideways on the right?

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clowns are related to damsels. very few tanks under 20 gallons will have success having any kind of damesel and clown mix. they ususaly fight a lot and never stop. in a bigger tank, there is more room so there are more territories. in a tank as small as yours, there is little hope. damsles will protect their territories to the death. if you are set on having a clownfish damsel pair, try a green cromis. they seem to do the best from what i have seen.

 

good luck!

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So far so good...After saparating my 2 little friends for about 20 days they seem much more friendly now.The clown has established his teritory and is hosting the sabae and feeds it... The damsel has his own space and together they seem to be going well.In feeding I didn`t had any problem.I hope they don`t start those fightings again.For everyone who has the same problem it is a nice method that you should try.

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  • 10 years later...

I got a damsel just until my tank cycled, then took him back and got the fish I wanted.

Although, he was really cool and watched me as much as I watched him. Hope you find a nice big tank, Zoom!

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