Help, Blue Velvet Damsel

[NaughtyGeek]

So, having fallen prey to LFS advice, I now have a Blue Velvet Damsel in my tank and can't get it out. It's already killed my Royal Gramma and I believe my Blue Neon Goby will be gone soon. Since I can't get the dern thing out of my tank I need a new stocking plan. If a fish is labeled "semi-agressive" and has the same tank size requirements will it likely make it or is there really nothing that's going to make it with this monster? My Banded Sleeper Goby seems to be holding his own and my Yasha Goby just stays in his hole.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

#fishmedics

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So, having fallen prey to LFS advice, I now have a Blue Velvet Damsel in my tank and can't get it out. It's already killed my Royal Gramma and I believe my Blue Neon Goby will be gone soon. Since I can't get the dern thing out of my tank I need a new stocking plan. If a fish is labeled "semi-agressive" and has the same tank size requirements will it likely make it or is there really nothing that's going to make it with this monster? My Banded Sleeper Goby seems to be holding his own and my Yasha Goby just stays in his hole.

Sorry to hear. Blue velvet damsels are really bad tank inhabitants. They may attack and kill many smaller fish, and then, as they grow, they just get uglier and meaner. In the wild, they'll even rush out and bite SCUBA divers (grin).

Your best bet will be to rehome the fish...but LFS rarely will take them back (ugh). Catching them is tough; you can try netting it at night, or you can try using two nets, and use one net to chase the damsel into the other net.

Back in the 1970's when I managed a pet store, we would tell the shippers not to send this species, but they kept sending them as "substitutes" for other species that we had ordered.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

Well hell, this is not ideal.

 

[dedragon]

time to start removing rock to catch that mf. damsels are super annoying to try to catch in a tank with rock. get it out asap

 

[DarthRaiderBob]

Oddly enough, I have a blue velvet damsel in my tank and he is a model citizen. Of course I put him in long after everyone but my tang so. But I had one before who was also a model citizen. I think the key is adding them later in the stocking process.

 

[dedragon]

Oddly enough, I have a blue velvet damsel in my tank and he is a model citizen

interesting any pics? has it started to change colors yet? ive been attacked by a few damsels before while scuba like jay said. it just feels like someone is lightly poking u but i always use a suit

 

[DarthRaiderBob]

interesting any pics? has it started to change colors yet? ive been attacked by a few damsels before while scuba like jay said. it just feels like someone is lightly poking u but i always use a suit

I'll see if I can get a picture. He's still quite small, maybe a little over and inch or so.

 

[dedragon]

I'll see if I can get a picture. He's still quite small, maybe a little over and inch or so.

that is probably why it hasnt started to become a menace just yet

 

[DarthRaiderBob]

 

[dedragon]

yea still a juvenile. they get meaner with age

 

[dedragon]

hopefully he stays as peaceful, i wudnt evict it unless u have to. super pita to catch damsels

 

[DarthRaiderBob]

hopefully he stays as peaceful, i wudnt evict it unless u have to. super pita to catch damsels

I really only have one rock in my tank that I'd have to pull out to catch it. I had to catch my old one to switch tanks, not a good time but probably one of the least stressful fish I had to move. I also had a porcupine puffer and I have a magnificent foxface and a long spine sea urchin. Those are a real treat to relocate.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

Nyos floating fish trap to the rescue. He's out and off to the LFS tomorrow after work.