Damsel advice

[Newbie727272]

Hi everyone,
I have a 30 gallon fish-only tank, with plenty of rock work with caves and hiding spaces. Fish in the tank are a pair of clowns and a royal gramma.
I want to add one, maybe two, more fish.
I'm a sucker for anything blue, so I have a bit of a fixation on the deep blue damsels; eg yellow-tailed, sapphire, azure, Starki etc. I know their reputations for trouble, but I've also read if they're added last in an uncrowded tank with good hiding places they can be suitable community tank mates.
Can I please get some advice from the experienced among you on whether I should add a blue damsel to this tank or am I asking for disaster? If I added one it'd be the last fish added, and only a single fish. I also love my fish and don't want to put them at real risk.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

IMO the tank is too small, it will try to claim half the tank as its own territory.

Sure there is a chance it might play nice and I could be completely wrong, but I would not bet on it. I've tried several times over the years, it never works out.

If you really want a blue damsel, then get a 10 gallon tank and keep it as the only fish in the tank. Thats what I did with a talbot damsel.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I would get something like a filefish, blenny, or goby instead. They are more peaceful fish and won't give you issues that a damsel would give you.

 

[Newbie727272]

Thanks both for your advice. I'll heed it. Does anyone have any reservations about my getting a single blue-green chromis instead?

 

[BriDroid]

I have two Chrysiptera damsels in my 11 gallon cube and they get along just fine. I added the Chrysiptera springeri first to help combat some flatworms and about 6 months later I added a Chrysiptera hemicyanea. I did take it slow, and added the azure into an acclimation box for a few days just to keep them from fighting. Everyone told me that there is no way you can have two of them together, but they seem to tolerate each other just fine. I have plenty of hiding places, and they each have their own areas scoped out. I've read that the Chrysiptera damsels are the most "peaceful", and for me so far they seem to be....

 

[Science/G]

I have an Azure Damsel with a Pajama Cardinal and a Sunburst Anthias living in harmony for years now in a 30 gallon reef packet with rock.

 

[Science/G]

Thanks both for your advice. I'll heed it. Does anyone have any reservations about my getting a single blue-green chromis instead?

Azure Damsel is a better choice. IMHO

 

[Jasonak]

Im going to have to go with most have said already, I have a ton on damsels in my tank but its 330 gallons with 100s of pounds of live rock for them to stake out as there own. Like others have also said maybe go with a different fish. Jump up to a 75 maybe ??? I could see having a couple damsels in a 75. I've got azure, yellow tail , humbugs, lyretail and sapphire in my tank right now and seems like the sapphire/springeri are the least aggressive.

 

[Jasonak]

Thanks both for your advice. I'll heed it. Does anyone have any reservations about my getting a single blue-green chromis instead?

Ive never had any luck with chromis, your milage may very :)

 

[Newbie727272]

Ive never had any luck with chromis, your milage may very :)

Luck with keeping them alive, or luck with their behaviour?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Thanks both for your advice. I'll heed it. Does anyone have any reservations about my getting a single blue-green chromis instead?

A chromis is a species of damsel, very similar to damsel, they swim around a lot and also stake out a territory and defend it. IMO a 30 is small for these fish and might be issue.

This is all just generalizing, you might end up with a good peaceful fish, who knows. We can only give the benefit of our experience but your experience might be different.

 

[skiergd011013]

Hit or miss with them. Ive seen nightmare ones, and fully peaceful ones. I have a yellowtail blue damsel, a gramma, and a percula clown in my 20, and just added a chromis a few weeks ago. Guess who was harassing the new chromis? My percula clown. I setup a small mirror against the glass for a few days and the clown became obsessed with his reflection, and forgot about the chromis. No issues now.

 

[Tamberav]

A springer damsel will probably be fine. They are less problematic than clownfish and when mine tried to intimate a new blenny, it was just tail slaps.

Neon goby is also blue if you want a guaranteed peaceful addition.

 

[kevgib67]

Just my two cents, I have a yellow tail damsel in a 32 gallon with 6 other fish for years without a problem. It was added second to last.

 

[Jasonak]

Luck with keeping them alive, or luck with their behaviour?

Keeping them alive. Ive been told that they are agressive towards each other but never witnessed it myslef.

 

[Newbie727272]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Has anyone ever had a problem with a Springer?