calling all Damselfish experts

[nightfire76]

so guys do any of ya know any more peaceful Damselfish like the ones i have pictured, mind you have have only a 55gallon tank with 2 clowns 1 royal gramma and a firefish in QT as we speak.....bout say 100ish lbs LR.....and the royal gramma already shows her mouth off at times to the smaller clown, anyways im a ferm believer of not having
Damsel lol but im not so sure od these guys since they arent the more common ones....anyways any imput would be great
ps the one i like most is the starki

 

[GlassMunky]

from what i understand ALL damsels are a pain.... I KNOW those blue velvet ones become a**holes as they get bigger.....

 

[cindyp]

some like the Starki start out as a nice looking fish then turn a drab grey as they mature.
I had one that when he would get mad he turned jet black and nasty.
all the Damsels I've ever had were mean if they weren't in the beginning they got mean as they got older.
I refuse to buy them..jmho

 

[Smokey301]

All of the damsels I've had were a bunch of pricks too lol. Right now I have a African Flameback Angel, and he loves to bother stuff in the tank, mixing it up from swimming circles around the clowns, nipping at my rock nem, and chasing the 2 scrarlet shrimp under lr every time he see's them. Sure is a pretty fish tho, adds a nice splash of color.

 

[Robzilla]

Don't do it man. Not worth the trouble. I have owned 6 (including the one on the far right) and will never let one in my tank again.

 

[nightfire76]

lol i hear ya guys...thought i'd ask being that i have never tried those....someone needs to breed them with some peaceful fish.....being that they can last the mating lol

 

[Frankie]

Big yellow tailed damsel fan here! Common fish but very cool and tons of character. I don't have any experience with those you posted but the yellow tail is a favorite of mine.

 

[DaveK]

Damsels are often not a good candidate for a reef system because they are very aggressive for their size and some species damage corals. That being said, I wouldn't call damsels bad in all cases. For example, if you have a large tank with other aggressive fish, a few damsels might be an acceptable choice. Do keep in mind though, if you make a mistake and want to get the fish out, it's going to be a big job.

 

[Robzilla]

Do keep in mind though, if you make a mistake and want to get the fish out, it's going to be a big job.

This is an understatement. I had to remove my entire rockwork AND create a baffle to block them in. They are FAST.

 

[Bald Eagle1]

The best luck I've ever had, and I went through the "damsel dance" too, was the Green Chromis Damsel, very sociable and reef friendly.

 

[KARussell88]

+1 on the green chromis, a very nice damsel but you should make sure you get 3 or more because they will fight each other. Nice with other tankmates though, and a good schooler.