Damsel Not Reef Safe

[Reef Jeff]

So I have had this Blue Velvet Damsel that I cycled my tank with 20 years ago. He's still in there. I did a system reset quite a while ago and started shifting from soft corals to LPS and SPS. All has been fine other than his aggressiveness toward any new peaceful fish. I just resigned to the fact that I cannot add any fish that cannot fight back.

Well all the sudden, he started eating my Palys. Had no idea why they were there one day and gone the next...and this were big Paly's. Once they were gone, I noticed a zoanthid colony started disappearing one at a time. I finally found the cause...caught him eating a polyp...gulp...gone!

This morning, he started on another colony. He's gone as soon as I catch him since I have no idea what he will eat next.

Its odd that he just started this behavior...he is very well fed and otherwise no problem over the years. I always had softies and never had an issue with him. Had I not seen it for myself I would have never suspected him.

Hate to end his reign after 20 years, but can't have this!

Anybody ever heard of a Blue Velvet Damsel eating Paly's and Zoanthids?
Anybody in PA, NJ or MD that want a fat healthy 20 year old Velvet Damsel for a FOWLR tank! Free! I'll even deliver.

 

[Krzydmnd]

So I have had this Blue Velvet Damsel that I cycled my tank with 20 years ago. He's still in there. I did a system reset quite a while ago and started shifting from soft corals to LPS and SPS. All has been fine other than his aggressiveness toward any new peaceful fish. I just resigned to the fact that I cannot add any fish that cannot fight back.

Well all the sudden, he started eating my Palys. Had no idea why they were there one day and gone the next...and this were big Paly's. Once they were gone, I noticed a zoanthid colony started disappearing one at a time. I finally found the cause...caught him eating a polyp...gulp...gone!

This morning, he started on another colony. He's gone as soon as I catch him since I have no idea what he will eat next.

Its odd that he just started this behavior...he is very well fed and otherwise no problem over the years. I always had softies and never had an issue with him. Had I not seen it for myself I would have never suspected him.

Hate to end his reign after 20 years, but can't have this!

Anybody ever heard of a Blue Velvet Damsel eating Paly's and Zoanthids?
Anybody in PA, NJ or MD that want a fat healthy 20 year old Velvet Damsel for a FOWLR tank! Free! I'll even deliver.

I was thinking about this last night after watching a video on angelfish. If I walked by a stack of hamburgers all day having never had a hamburger before, and finally decided to try one, I would definitely start eating all of the hamburgers all of the time lol!

He must not have realized tasty those paly were, and now he can't help himself.

 

[Reef Jeff]

I was thinking about this last night after watching a video on angelfish. If I walked by a stack of hamburgers all day having never had a hamburger before, and finally decided to try one, I would definitely start eating all of the hamburgers all of the time lol!

He must not have realized tasty those paly were, and now he can't help himself.

Lol...great analogy! I'm sure your right! No more hamburgers for Hugo. That's what my mother-in-law calls him.

 

[Huskymaniac]

20 year old fish. I woukd rather keep the fish than the palys.

 

[Reef Jeff]

20 year old fish. I woukd rather keep the fish than the palys.

Truthfully, me too. He's been with the family a long time, but it's not just the Paly's and Zoas. He has become more belligerent over the years. Every coral frag I add, he grabs the frag plug off the rock and knocks it into the sand unless I use a bunch of glue to hold them down. Then he pokes at it to push it into the sand bed. He beats on every new fish and bites me every time I have to put my hand in the tank. He steals food from all the LPS and actually took a nip out of one of my SPS.

His next birthday will be eating hamburgers in some another place...lol


Now I have to catch him. Let the games begin.