Do damsels really deserve all the bad rap?

[Lavey29]

I have one Springeri in my little 10 gallon cube. He was added to help with some flatworms that I had early on. I would LOVE to add another fish, but I'm really afraid that he won't let that happen ;)

He isn't aggressive towards any of the snails, hermit crabs and the one golden banded shrimp that is in there. He doesn't attack my hand when I put it in there, but I think another fish would be a different story. So, he lives alone in his little reef kingdom.

I think the only way would be to remove the damsel and rearrange your scape to create a new environment then add the other small fish. Wait a few days and add the damsel back but that's it for a 10g tank.

 

[ReefChasers]

Yes. lol

 

[kevgib67]

I have a yellow tail in my tank and is a model citizen and is actually low man in the pecking order. I added a tailspot blenny after it with no problems.back in the nineties I had a different kind of damsel that would kill anything I put in the tank and I had to take it back. The only fish I had back then that I hated more was my maroon clown.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I absolutely love Damsels. But I've only ever had them in a 75 and a 90g. They were pretty mellow about territory. One of my all time favorite fish is the Yellow Tail Damsel. I know, a pretty basic fish, but I still think they are beautiful!

 

[SomeHappyFish]

I have this much rock work in my 30G, 2/3 of the tank front to back and almost half in height.

Yellow clown
Damsel
Sixline
Watchman

Watchman is in the caves with the pistol, six line goes in and out and hides in the upper rocks at night, yellow clown perches on my corals, damsels is in the upper area and sleeps behind the shroom.

Has of writting this, I was watching the tank and the sixline was sharing a pellet with the damsel.. In a very very calm way, almost kissing Wierd.

Hope I can film it.

 

[Crabby48]

Springer damsels seems to be good. Sixline. Many say how they have a model citizen but then as it grows and matures it goes wrong. Can’t change DNA lol.

 

[Dburr1014]

I have 4 springeri, they don't bother anyone even new fish. They have there own territories but still swim around the tank. They add movement and bright blue color.

 

[Lavey29]

I have 4 springeri, they don't bother anyone even new fish. They have there own territories but still swim around the tank. They add movement and bright blue color.

This is what mine are doing too

 

[Slocke]

I play my damsel fish nonstop Tyler the Creator songs and there is nothing you can do to stop me.

 

[GARRIGA]

Had damsels three times. No issues for the most part. Blue devils, yellowtail and dominos best I can recall. Oddly last batch of dominos were more aggressive. They’ll be in every tank I’ll have. Along with Maroon clown. My favorite damsel and pair I had only aggressive towards each other and that was after several months of peace.

 

[KrisReef]

Yes. lol

Agree.

 

[Peter Houde]

It all depends on the species. I had one domino in a 125g DT with tons of Marshall Is live rock that tried to kill every other fish in the tank. The domino was the smallest of them all, but it was one mean bully. Man, was I glad when it finally died. Ever since then, I've had at least four yellow tails at a time - model tank mates - beautiful, entertaining, and the most subordinate fish in the tank.

Bicolor dottybacks are another great fish that get an undeserved bad rap. I had one at a time twice over the past decades, both long lived, and they never imposed on any other tank mates. My new third is now in the QT.

 

[Lavey29]

It all depends on the species. I had one domino in a 125g DT with tons of Marshall Is live rock that tried to kill every other fish in the tank. The domino was the smallest of them all, but it was one mean bully. Man, was I glad when it finally died. Ever since then, I've had at least four yellow tails at a time - model tank mates - beautiful, entertaining, and the most subordinate fish in the tank.

Bicolor dottybacks are another great fish that get an undeserved bad rap. I had one at a time twice over the past decades, both long lived, and they never imposed on any other tank mates. My new third is now in the QT.

I am curious if they are known to be that aggressive in the ocean or does the confined space in our tanks increase their aggressive tendencies?

 

[ninjamyst]

Azure damsels are known to be the most passive of all damsels. I have 4 azure damsels in my 200g tank along with 20+ other fish. The only one they pick on is.....me. Every time my hand is in the tank, they nip at me. Little jerks ....

The other damsels deserve their bad reps.

 

[Tamberav]

So I have a well established reef with an eclectic group of inhabitants that includes a springer damsel, 6 line and other wrasses, coral beauty, dottyback, anthia, midas blenny, etc.... adding fish to this group can be difficult because they have a well established neighborhood. I've always liked azure damsels with the yellow tail but like other damsels they get a bad rap sometimes. I saw 2 at my LFS, didn't know if they were a mated pair or just good buds. I took a chance and dropped them in the tank. Pretty much every fish went after them first 2 days but these little guts stood their ground like little bad @$$s. Now they have fully been accepted into the reef neighborhood and it's kind of wierd because it looks like the larger springerie damsel is trying to form a triad with them now. I'm always amazed watching the behavior of the critters in my tank.

So I have to wonder why damsels always seem to get all the hate? I know some seem pretty fierce but for me certain subspecies seem perfectly fine 8n a community tank.

People have clowns left and right which are damsels so it seems unfair.

My percs are much worse than my damsel, they beat up my poor damsel! among other fish..

Obviously some of the damsels certainly get big and mean and probably more like maroon clowns in temperament :)

 

[Coral Memere]

I thought all these little spots were an allergic reaction until I put my hand back in the tank and realized that my damsels weren't just bumping me, they were biting me!

I have one very old yellow that has killed other fish. I keep moving him into bigger tanks to give him space and hiding places for his territory. He just keeps claiming the entirety of the bigger tanks. Right now, he owns a 220. He's 1/3 the size of my hippo tang and will still attack the hippo.

So he's headed for the sump...which, when the new tank goes in, is still 90 gallons, so it's not like hell suffer.

 

[ca1ore]

Damsel is a broad category that includes many different genus. Some to be avoided at all costs; others just fine. Oh, and if the common name includes the word ‘devil’, best avoid those also.

When I had my 450, I had upwards of 70 damsels, all from the chrysiptera genus. No problems.

 

[Mark Goode]

Bummer but probably depends on the environment as the other poster stated

No, I think the environment was fine - 120g and plenty of caves. The fish were the same size, similar shape and colour, and the damsel wasn't having it.

 

[Stang67]

I am curious if they are known to be that aggressive in the ocean or does the confined space in our tanks increase their aggressive tendencies?

They are that mean in the ocean. Only thing meaner that I have found is a Titan Trigger.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I play my damsel fish nonstop Tyler the Creator songs and there is nothing you can do to stop me.

OK, never heard of Tyler The Creator. Probably because he's an artist that was past the 1970's and '80's!!!!