Stocking

[countyblue66]

I am currently converting a 65 gallon freshwater tank to saltwater. Tank dimensions 120cm long x 40cm wide x 45 cm high. I have kept African cichlids for a number of years and have what many may feel is a slightly crazy question! Would it be possible to fill the tank with a number of Azure Damsels and overcrowd them like you would with African cichlids to manage their aggression. Also what are everyone's thoughts on keeping a single Dwarf Angelfish with the Damsels. Any thoughts good or bad would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TX_REEF]

When you say “overcrowd”, how many damsels do you mean? An Angel would have no issues with damsels. You need to keep in mind that saltwater systems generally will support less “inches of fish per gallon” than freshwater systems.

 

[countyblue66]

When you say “overcrowd”, how many damsels do you mean? An Angel would have no issues with damsels. You need to keep in mind that saltwater systems generally will support less “inches of fish per gallon” than freshwater systems.

Good question. Perhaps 8-10 azure damsels plus the the dwarf angel. An alternative plan would it be possible to do a species tank with just the azure damsels and if so how many...

 

[TX_REEF]

I think that is doable, others may disagree.. You'd want to ensure your biological filter is well established to pull this off, and you also need to be sure you aren't lying to yourself and won't want to add more fish later, which would likely be a problem. If I were you, I'd set up the tank with some real live rock and sand supplemented with however much additional dry rock you would like which will be seeded by the live rock. Tampa Bay Saltwater is great for live rock and sand. Add the Angel first, and once you're sure everything is stable, you'll want to add the damsels together at once.

 

[Idech]

I’m not trying to be rude, just curious. Why are you attracted to saltwater if you want to keep managing your tank like it‘s a cichlid tank ?

Damsels are usually fish people stay away from, because they are very aggressive and don’t do well with others. It looks to me like you have what you like with your cichlids already.

I had an M’buna tank for a while and I truly hated it. Nothing relaxing about it. My reef tank is the most relaxing of any fish tank I’ve ever had in 40 years.

Just wondering about your goal.

 

[countyblue66]

I think that is doable, others may disagree.. You'd want to ensure your biological filter is well established to pull this off, and you also need to be sure you aren't lying to yourself and won't want to add more fish later, which would likely be a problem. If I were you, I'd set up the tank with some real live rock and sand supplemented with however much additional dry rock you would like which will be seeded by the live rock. Tampa Bay Saltwater is great for live rock and sand. Add the Angel first, and once you're sure everything is stable, you'll want to add the damsels together at once.

Many thanks for the considered response. Have spent a long time planning this and I am fully conversant with tank cycling etc. Fully aware that adding anything after the damsels is likely to be extremely risky. I am based in the UK but have a number of places nearby who can supply all the appropriate rock.

 

[countyblue66]

I’m not trying to be rude, just curious. Why are you attracted to saltwater if you want to keep managing your tank like it‘s a cichlid tank ?

Damsels are usually fish people stay away from, because they are very aggressive and don’t do well with others. It looks to me like you have what you like with your cichlids already.

I had an M’buna tank for a while and I truly hated it. Nothing relaxing about it. My reef tank is the most relaxing of any fish tank I’ve ever had in 40 years.

Just wondering about your goal.

Have no intention of managing my tank like a mbuna cichlid tank. Have spent a long time considering my options. Mbuna tanks are quite easy with a lot of planning and would only ever start a saltwater tank with the same considerations. I understand the risks associated with damsels but was questioning whether they could be kept in groups with the appropriate decor to add a decent level of activity to the tank.