blue velvet damselfish

[n00bfishtank]

anyone had problems with this specific breed of fish?

basically this is what im doing. i'm saving up money for a 55-65g tank. i wanna do salt-water due to the beauty of the fish (I HATE GOLDFISH). i saw at a hydroponics convention where they had salt-water tanks on display and they had the damsels in there. they had some sort of light shining on them which made them glow. can someone help me out on the fish and that light? thanks :)

[Aaron1100us]

It was probably an antinic light. They make things fluorece. By the way, I think most people would suggest not getting damsels, they are evil little fishies and terrorize other fish.

[Aaron1100us]

Oh yeah, welcome to RC :) What size of tank do you want to get? Do you know if you would like a fish only with live rock, fish only or a reef tank?

[n00bfishtank]

55-65gals, a few fish and some coral

[n00bfishtank]

2, Pygmy Angelfish (http://www.saltwaterfish.com/ikopygmyangel.html)
1, Royal Gramma (http://www.saltwaterfish.com/ikoroyalgramma.html)
a flame scallop
2-3 blue velvet damsels

unless you recommend some fish you've had experience with that you like

[JennyL]

Well, I can't help myself. I just have to come to the defense of the damsels.
Damsels are just doing what is natural to them just like every water creature . But "evil", I think is stretching it a bit.

Yes, Damsels are aggressive fish therefore if you are not looking for aggressive fish, don't purchase one.

I have one Blue Velvet in a 125g reef and I enjoy him very much.

Plenty of research will give you the information needed on compatibility of different species.
I hope I have not come across too strong but I think the poor Damsels are getting an unfair rep.
JMO

[EdKruzel]

Jen,
How old is your damsel? Have you seen a fully grown Blue Velvet?

They are one of the largest and most drab in the damsel family.
They reach well over 4''s (I've seen them hit 6''s) and lose all that beautiful black velvet and neon blue which is replaced with a brownish-grey.
Even in a 125 it can (and probably will) become a terror.

Take Care,
Ed

[JennyL]

Hi Ed,
I have had him just a tad over two years and no, he has not become a terror. He is about 3" in size.

Yes, they do fade with age just as the Domino will lose those pretty white spots with age.
When I buy a fish, I usually have the knowledge of what size and color they will be with age.

I get very attached to my little charges and if they become not as attractive as when they were young, so be it. I love them anyway and will continue to care for them until their lifespan is over.

[EdKruzel]

Jen,
You are a true hobbyist. We need more like you.

Congratulations,

Ed

[JennyL]

Well, thank you kind sir.:)

[Snail Guy]

I'm in agreement with Jenny. Why are damsels consistantly looked down upon?

Their behavior is extremely interesting, they are very hardy, and with proper setup, make for an interesting display. I liken them to freshwater Cichlids yet that group is extremely popular. So what gives?

I kept a blue velvet damsel for a long time (way back when in the 80's, in a 100 gallon tank) and it behaved just fine in the company of Centropyge bispinosus, a small Acanthus lineatus, and a Chaetodon ephippium. Just be sure you provide them the space they need.

As for the flame scallop...you may wish to do a little more research there (just do a search here on reef central, there is quite a bit of discussion about them). Their survival rate is low, generally last no more than a few months.

Cheers,
Bob

[wrasse777]

i'm going to quietly admit that my favorite fish i have is my domino...

[n00bfishtank]

nice, i think im gonna drop the scallop, however the rest of the fish are OK in a 65gal tank, right?

[Morbo]

The 2 Dwarf angels will fight. One to a tank that size is best.

[EdKruzel]

Depends on the species. Pygmys and Flames pair very easily even in a tank as small as a 40 breeder.

Now I wouldn't mix species unless the tank was huge.

Ed

[n00bfishtank]

no mix species :( hrm
hey i saw a crab reacting to the attinic light (he sorta had a blue halo around him) at the hydroponics convention, any ideas?

[n00bfishtank]

what is considered huge, EdKruzel?

[n00bfishtank]

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/424354.html
orange tail blue damsel, they say peaceful. i think im gonna drop the blue velvets.

[n00bfishtank]

ok ok, 4 orange tail blue damsels and 4 blue reef chromis, however i feel a 65 gallon tank is gonna be really really huge with just 8 fish in it

blue reef chromis - http://www.marinedepotlive.com/423874.html

[ally]

I've owned 4 of those orange tail damsels. They all had to be seperated to different tanks becasue they pick on each other. Once they are the only orange tail in the tank they became fine. We only have 3 tanks and 4 of those damsels so two had to stay paired... one killed the other within a day.

[n00bfishtank]

damn :( why do all the fish i like are aggressive? what are some fish that stay together in a group that are bright and colorful?

[JennyL]

Hi noobfishtank,
May I make a suggestion? Since you are saving your money and have not purchased your tank yet, start doing your research now.
You have plenty of time to throughly research every fish you are interested in.

As we have stated here in this thread, Damsels are aggressive fish. That means they are also aggressive toward their own species.
I have a little school of 5 Green Chromis. They do well together. but even the occasional green chromis will pick on a smaller one.

There is a wealth of information on this site right at your fingertips. Take advantage of it.

As far as a 65g tank being "huge" for 8 fish, just stop and think how huge the ocean is and you may change your mind on that.

HTH:)

[n00bfishtank]

ah good idea :) i'm gonna go to work but when i get home i'll measure the area i would like to put the tank in and i'll look online to find an accomidating tank size to go by.

[Khonsudius]

I have a friend that has a 10 year-old blue velvet damsel in a 55 gallon tank. Fish is over 6 inches long and really is the only surviver in the tank.

[Jen13]

I have a velvet damsel for a year now with no problems. He is one of my favorites. Well he can be agressive to smaller fish. He did kill my royal gramma that I had for two days. Other than that he is cool. He is almost full grown. He is about 4ins.

[n00bfishtank]

dammit i don't need a fish killing fish that cost $20 :(

Jen13, hows your tank setup?

[Jen13]

I have a 100 gallon tank. Well the reason for the killing is at the time we didn't have a lot of LR in the tank. Royal Gramma's need lots of places to hide. If you would like to see pictures of my tank you can look at my husband profile. He has pictures of our tank. His name is mmcheeto. Velvet's do fine in a tank where it is one of the smallest in the tank.

[lilswanwillow]

you know, maybe look at another type of damnsel... a pair of clownfish

and whatever someone says: they do NOT need an anemone to host

oh, and make sure you read up on cycling a tank!!!! I know, I know, you mighta done all your research already, but sometimes it good to be reminded!!! (and don't cycle with damnsels)