Fish w/ ID crisis

[tabwyo]

My stinkin Blue Reef Devil either thinks he's a sandsifter or he watched too much Bod the Biulder with the kids. The wee bugger is moving sand all over the place. It doesn't appear to be nesting behavior cause he does it all over the tank. Is this normal? Or do I need a pet psychic, exorsist and therapist?

[JennM]

Hi Tab,

Sounds like a female preparing a nest site in the (unlikely) even that she finds a mate. They fan and fan like crazy and can move half of the sand from one side of the tank to another!

Jenn

[yardboy]

I had a Fiji Blue Devil do the same thing, and I shipped his little a*# off to the lfs. Good that came from it was I learned how best to remove fish from tank. (and I'll teach you for a nominal fee! Just call 1-999- $%^#%)

Then of course, my clown pair started doing it. Then a blenny went wild. At least my sandbed shouldn't get much of a chance to go eutrophic, it's slowly being removed by my skimmer.

[tabwyo]

Well it is a she but she move all of the sand in her mouth. It's great fun to watch and when I baster it back into place she gets all pissy and attacks the baster.

[yardboy]

And how do you tell it's a she...........

[tabwyo]

females are solid blue. Males have redish orange tails. Or maybe its noses. I have seen pictures online but now I am spacin out. I know they aren't solid blue.

[JennM]

Damselfishes (to the best of my knowledge.. like clownfishes, which are also damselfishes) all begin in this world as male. The dominant one in a pair or group changes to female. A lone damselfish usually becomes female, in anticiapation of finding a mate. Once they change to female they cannot change back. If a female is removed from a pair or group the mature male makes the change and a subordinate male (if one is available) become sexually mature.

Fanning sand is typically a female behavior.

Jenn