2 damsels in sump/refuge w/....

[sdr209]

Hello there, I have a 29gal with 45lbs of LR and 30lbs of LS. I have a 10 gal sump/refuge with about 20-25 lbs of LR. Will 2 yellow tail damsels be fine in there for a while to help cycle my tank? I have skimmer setup, and a bio wheel mechanical filter. There is only a small starfish, and 2small and one lg snail in the main tank.
thanks

[toddpolish]

I think that it should be ok.
probably easier to grab the damsels after the cycle - if you wanna get rid of them

[yunkeraj]

It is not a good thing to cycle a tank with fish, I would use a shrimp from the store. works great!!

[sdr209]

already did the shrimp thing, for two weeks, levels spiked and then leveled off, so now just been waiting to add anything else, and setting up my sump system. besides this, do you reefers think I have enough filteration, and will those fish be happy in that tank, if they can survive, I wouldn't mind housing them there.

[jimsta]

you definately have enough filtration for your 29g you might wanna ditch the bio-wheel and jus use the filter for circulation(without cartride) and just throw in some carbon when you need to polish up your water. If your tank is cycled and you want to use the damsels to make sure its cycled b4 you add any xpensive fish,then by all means do it. But if your tank still isnt cycled then why waste the money and the life of the fish.

[bertoni]

I agree that the damsels don't seem to be a useful addition unless you're worried that the tank is not really ready or safe for more expensive animals. They'll be a pain to catch and unless you like them you're likely to want to spend your fish quota elsewhere.

I, too, would ditch the biowheel, although removing it might cause a minor cycle.

[sdr209]

The damsels are not a bad color fish, and the tank is only 10gals, so not worried about catching them, I didn't intentionally mean to use them as guineas, but would want them to survive because I built my setup so that the sump tank will be lit for night time display, while the main tank is off. I just want to make sure the little guys will be fine in that size tank. I'm beginning to notice that one is getting a little bit bossy! please more input