My damsels don't like the new clown.

After checking a few compatibility charts, I decided it would probably be OK to add a clown and an Anenome to my small live rock tank. I currently have two yellow tail damsels, snails and hermit crabs.

The damsels didn't agree. They have been chasing and biting at the poor clownfish. It got so bad I put the clown back in the bag floating in the tank until I figure out what to do.

Will the damsels get used to him if I let the bag float for a while?

If not, how should I go about catching the Damsels to give them away, they're much cheaper than the clown, but they are really difficult to net.

 

I had Yellow Tails and they are one of the less aggressive of the Damsels, along with Chromis'! Clowns are a member of that family however, so I guess anything goes unfortunately! Do you have alot of live rock?
You could try to place the net in your tank and just let it stay there for a while so the Damsels can get use to it being in there. Then offer food to the damsels, and hopefully you can get them out that way!
Good luck and welcome to 3reef!

 

I learned that it is less stressfull to add new fish a little while after lights out then when they wake in the morning they dont fight as much.
I have also used a small hermit crab cage with the vented tops and put the fish in there and leave them there for a few days then release them. By then the Damsels are used to seing them.

 

Yeah they carry those and similar types at PETCO for starters!

 

Most Damsels you find established in a tank can be really agressive toward newcomers-

 

Is also not a big fan of damsels. They harassed my sailfin tang until it died. It probably would have gotten too big...but that's no excuse for their actions. You might want to try feeding them before you place the clown in the tank too see if that decreases the aggression.

 

It will probably stop in a few days. What kinda clown did you get. I have an ocellaris that I put into a nano with a damsel and the clown didnt take crap, lol. I guess I just have a mean clown. Ive noticed with the yellow tail, that they give up fast. As long as your clown dosent get beat up bad, it will make it. Clowns are tuff little guys, and when they are healthy they will not back down from a fight. Mybe your clown is just weak from the store, and needs a few days to get bad up to speed. Putting the clown back in the bag is a great way for the damsel to get to know the clown, and mybe it want chase it as much, just a thought,

Michael

 

I also had a yellow tail, when I shut the lights off it "slept" near the corner of the tank so after an hour of the lights being off it was really easy to catch. No one wanted it so I gave to a LFS.

 

thats a great trick to know also. most SW fish have a nesting area were they will sleep, if you can find it you can get them off guard and catch them. bad part is, most damsels sleep in the rock work, . good luck.

 

Thanks for the help, the Clownfish is in the tank for now with the lights off for the night. The Damsels won't bother him until I turn the light back on, hopefully by then he's found the Anenome!

If they keep pestering him i'm going to trap them and give them away. I don't want any violence in my tank. ;D