Damselfish lover thread

Sailingeric · Aug 16, 2019

There is a wrasse, tang, and angel lover thread, where are the damselfish lovers? I know they get a bad rap but 5 in my 75 gallon tank and they are all pretty good and add a lot of color. I have blue sapphire that is very relaxed, a yellow tail, an azure, a Tracey's damselfish (it was sold as a talbot), and a 3 stripped damsel who is probably my most aggressive one but it just seems to keep everyone in line now and then and for the most part just hangs out.

Sailingeric · Aug 16, 2019

GoldeneyeRet · Aug 16, 2019

I will try for a photo of my damsels, but everytime I go near the tank it's a feeding frenzy and hard for me to get a good photo. I

mattzang · Aug 17, 2019

yeah i don't think i've ever been able to take a decent picture of my springeri, he stays near the back wall and my phone just doesn't pick up the blue on black

YellowFinsReef · Aug 17, 2019

I keep a pair of golden dominoes. I've also had clownfish, princess damsels, jewel damsels, and starcki damsels. I love all damsels. Lol

Currently in search of a pair of the Garibaldi damsel.

DeniseAndy · Aug 17, 2019

For damsels, I now have 4 blue azure damsels (captive bred and babies when I got them). One died so 4. I also have 3 lemon captive bred damsels. So far I love the colors and all is well. I have clowns too, but figure we are talking damsels in the common name.
I wanted Talbots, but could not find any captive bred ones.

X-37B · Aug 17, 2019

6 blue green chromis in my 120. So far so good.

mort · Aug 18, 2019

I have a pair of alleni in one tank and a pair of azures in another. Both pairs are pretty old so when they finally pass on I'm going to have a much larger group of some other species.
I personally can't imagine a tank without damsels, mine add so much interest and are constantly breeding or showing interactive behaviour.

WMR · Aug 18, 2019

I have no damsels, but they are a colorful & active group. My favorites are starckis & canaries(galbas), I also like Chromis too.

Larry L · Aug 18, 2019

I love having a bunch of damsels in a tank, they're colorful and active and hardy and (for the most part) cheap. You just have to pick the less aggressive ones. I have an 80 gallon setup with 3 captive bred Kupang/Azure, 3 ORA captive bred Lemons, and 2 Talbot's, plus a black bar Chromis. They spend most of the day bickering amongst themselves but don't really bother anybody else. I think the ORA Lemons are my current favorite for color and personality, and they re spawning regularly.

I'd love to get some more Talbot's if I could find captive bred ones.

I think the trick to keeping them happy is to put them in a tank with a lot of rock with enough hiding places that they can stake out as their own - mine is separated into a couple bommies so often one or two of each species claims each bommie. They especially seem to like swimming through and hiding in branching corals like stags, which also probably give some visual clue of territory boundaries and break up the space in the tank. I don't think they'd do nearly as well if you put the same group of fish in a tank with just a pile of rock in it.

Angel_Anthias lover · Mar 28, 2020

Mr Stark i dont feel so good

Haydn · Mar 28, 2020

Yes we need a sticky!! I love damsels.
My Fusilier damsels

And the previous incarnation of my tank

JumboShrimp · Mar 28, 2020

Basic “Yellow Tail Damsel”... most underrated fish in the hobby. Every tank (from 5-gallon to 500-gallon) needs at least one. :cool:

JCOLE · Mar 28, 2020

I just posted this yesterday but it is appropriate in here as well. This little guy found himself a new home.

Xanthurum · Mar 28, 2020

I have 9 total in my Red Sea 650S but I'm always looking for some more. 2 yellow tails, 3 Talbots and 4 4 stripes. I also have 5 tangs and a Flame angel but I love my damsels.

Sump Crab · Mar 28, 2020

Dont have any now as I have only one 25 gallon tank but anytime i have had large tanks in the past i always add damsels. They are cool, active guys who get a bad wrap.

Whenever i see a video or pictures of a reef in the wild the one thing that really stands out to me is the number of damselfish in frame.

Sailingeric · Mar 28, 2020

I added this guy a couple months ago, a jewel damsel. I read they can be very aggressive but so far so good. I think my chromis and 3 strip keeps it in check.

DeniseAndy · Mar 29, 2020

So far I love my talbot's damsels and my kupang (azur) damsels in my 210g. They are all still babies, but they are fun to watch. The lemons I saved from my fish disaster are now also in the tank. They are fun too. However, the largest likes to bite me anytime I get in the tank. He scares easier than the clowns though. :)
I want those Smithie damsels on Liveaquaria soooooo badly. I just cannot justify spending money. I know they are not expensive, but still.