Evil Damsel!

[xspeedrj]

Well, I knew I shouldn't add a Yellow Tang early and certainly knew better than to take a damsel, but a guy was breaking down his tank and I heard over and over that Yellowtail Damsels are by far the least aggressive.

Well, least aggressive is like saying Mussolini was a nicer guy compared to Stalin!

I added some beautiful new fishes (bangaii cardinal, purple dottyback, blue gobies, blue-green chromis) and the little terror would have none of it. In fact, he was attacking them all, but mostly taunting me to do something about it. He knew I couldn't catch him with all that liverock-scaping I had done.

Tried for hours to net him without any success. He became more and more bold in his attacks even with my hands and nets in the water.

But he tempted his fate and pissed me off ROYAL! I took every piece of rock and coral out and he met his match in my Mantis Shrimp tank! The tank lights are off, so I have no clue what happened to him yet.

I feel really bad, but knew I was saving the poor peaceful lot I just purchased. Am I a monster? All is quiet in my big tank and the little guys look so much more peaceful.

 

[jpsika08]

Not nice IMHO.
Prepare for a rain of critics here

 

[greneis7]

Since you caught him, couldn't you have just taken him to the LFS? Even if they wouldn't have given you anything for him...

 

[xspeedrj]

None of the stores around me accept fish per their policy. They claim it is a risk for them (disease is what they mentioned). I have done research on this before, since I was planning to remove him eventually.

It is 11PM here guys. And no, my sump isn't a viable option the way it is set up. The only tank I had that I could afford to place him temporarily was the Mantis.

He is alive and looks fine. I will try to find him a home locally if he can stay away from the Mantis.

 

[xspeedrj]

I was able to get him into the breeder cage I use in the Mantis tank as a pseudo-refugium.

He can't be touched in there. I didn't think about putting him in there in the heat of the moment. But I am amazed how people judge! Love it.

All the efforts I made were to save fish that didn't deserve to be bullied and likely killed. His attacks were very scary, but it can be in their nature.

 

[jpsika08]

Excellent choice xspeedrj

Glad you cooled off and managed to help the little guy

This is why usually Damsels are bad start fishes as they make their territory and bully when other fishes are placed with them.

 

[Val]

Kinda reminds me of the old saying "no good deed goes unpunished". Glad to hear all the fish survived the experience.

 

[xspeedrj]

Excellent choice xspeedrj

Glad you cooled off and managed to help the little guy

This is why usually Damsels are bad start fishes as they make their territory and bully when other fishes are placed with them.

What is odd is he was the most gentle little bugger.....I never buy Damsels as a rule, but I was worried the guy breaking down the tank would get desperate. He, rightly so, indicated that the guy had no issue with his other fish.

The guy just snapped on me when I introduced new fish!

 

[xspeedrj]

Kinda reminds me of the old saying "no good deed goes unpunished". Glad to hear all the fish survived the experience.

All are alive.....and Mr. Yellowtail Blue seems to be very passive ATM.

Guess maybe he didn't bank on me getting all BIG on his schnizzle!

 

[lcstorc]

Interresting,
I am one of the people that would give someone a hard time for needlessly harming a fish, but this does not seem to be the case here.
The damsel was caught and moved to another tank. True it was a Mantis tank, but Mantis need to eat as well. It is just part of the cycle of life.
If the Mantis doesn't eat the damsel then you will have to feed something to the mantis.

 

[tnwillia]

+1

 

[mikethebike7]

when you feed one live animal to another it has little to do with nature taking it's course- You are placing an animal in a situation where it has almost no chance of escaping predation- which is not the circumstance in the natural world.

 

[molsen187]

if he was able to bring the damsel to a lfs they would of just ended up feeding it to one of their fish they aren't going to resell a damsel to somebody. at least the ones up here wont/ they feed them to groupers and fish like that.