damsel not getting better

[Freckles]

I think I am doine treating with RidIch.... My tangs are acting fine, eating fine, and no spots. My yellow-tailed damsel has not gotten better since adding RidIch; he still has white spots and is breathing rapidly, but is eating. Tomorrow, I would like to do a good water change, and put my starfish back into his home. I thought of taking the damsel out & putting him into the quarantine tank & treating him w/ a copper treatment. Any thoughts?

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hi! Maybe you should put him in a quarantine tank and treat him. Unless you really, really like this damsel, I would take it back to the LFS. These fish are highly territorial and can upset other fish in your reef.
I loved damsels and would get angry when hobbyists said nothing but bad things about them but I have noticed by inhabitants acting alot more normal and the tank looked peaceful with them gone. JMO Johnny

[beach bum]

I wish I had the bottle RidIch in front of me to verify, but it's been a long time since I've seen one. I believe that it is toxic to invertebrates like your starfish, so be careful.

You said that it is eating, so trying garlic treatment might be your next best option. I don't imagine it would be very easy to catch any kind of damselfish in a 125g tank!

good luck

[Macaw Guy]

Agree w/ Johnny on the Damsel point. Those buggers are evil and like someone much wiser than me said "If they were the size of sharks the ocean would be nothing but damsels"

Then again that;s all I have in my tank right now so I should talk too loudly. Extracting them is the hardest part of all. I'm thinking of "hiring" my best friend's 7" Undulated Trigger. After 10-14 days I should have a fat trigger and an empty tank!

[herald]

Okay so this is a little off the root topic, but I have to concur with the last post.

Damsel's are eeeeviiiil little boogers.

I have two blues in my 125 and wish I knew a way to get them out.

They were fine at first, the Tomato clown bosses them around pretty well...but I've noticed them picking on the Coral Beauty and the bubble coral!! of all things! If I have my arm in the tank respositioning something/scraping algae or whatever they invariably come along and bite my arm. I would love to relegate them to the 5 gal test/quarantine tank, but I can't get them into a net.

[asmith]

I have never used ridich so I don't know for sure, but I share beach bums concern. In addition to water changes, you should consider running carbon in your tank for a few days to get as much of the rid ich out of the system as possible.

Andrew

[beach bum]

Macaw, even damsels can stand up to the mighty undulated! If they are large enough of course. Here is a shot of mine with her new "friend", a monster sergeant major! Very hard to get a picture of this, so a blurry one will have to do:

[Freckles]

The poor little felllow died I wonder if he was the one that gave my angel the disease? Ok, I am going to look on the bright side ..... one less damsel. Not that i am happy, but you know what I mean, right?

herald,
Up until about a month ago, I had 9 damsels ...... I caught all but three in my 125. If you can, chase them into the corner w/ a big net. I did it that way & it worked.