How well-behaved are Azure / Kupang Damsels?

Zionas · Jul 12, 2020

Hey guys, I have some more bad news. I cannot find the Yellow Striped Cardinals with any regularity where I live, but I really want another species of shoaling fish that are easy, hardy, and I don’t want more Pajama Cardinals (I plan to have 4).

Therefore, I’m back to considering Azure Damsels. I’d like to know how peaceful and well-behaved they are in a community tank. I plan to add 4 of them. Is it better to keep them in odd numbers though? I am going for 4 because I don’t want the odd one to be singled out.

I am most worried about them bullying my Pajama Cardinals, Gobies, Royal Gramma, and the Pyramid Butterflies (formerly Heniochus).

If they are okay and peaceful enough to go into a mostly peaceful tank, would you add them before or after my Yellow Tang?

Also, unrelated, but do PJ Cardinals kill off the odd fish if they’re kept in odd numbers?

*Maybe Springer’s and Talbot’s Damsels are even more peaceful but where I am the Azures are the only Damsel species imported in somewhat decent quantities other than the YT Blue.

Thanks.

Zionas · Jul 12, 2020

Also thinking about how hard they will be to catch if I ever move house and move my tank someday.

h2so4hurts · Jul 12, 2020

I used to have 10, now I have 3. They're just like chromis, they fight with each other constantly until only the most dominant ones are left

4tanks · Jul 12, 2020

I have 3 azure in 100 gallon they will chase others from their rock and gave my flasher a telling off when first added but nothing bad all calm now they are probably the least feisty damsel but this may change in smaller tank with less real estate that would be a factor

Zionas · Jul 12, 2020

My tank will be 6’ 183 gallons custom built. Would they still kill each other off in a tank of that size?

4tanks · Jul 12, 2020

Zionas said:
My tank will be 6’ 183 gallons custom built. Would they still kill each other off in a tank of that size?

That’s good size thank for them to keep themselves to themselves mine don’t bother each other really They just chase other fish away from their area it also depends on the fish they all have different aggression levels I’m sure some people have no problems and others have them picking each other off I do think that tank setup has a lot to do with it plenty of rock work to go around them with broken line of sight helps

h2so4hurts · Jul 12, 2020

Zionas said:
My tank will be 6’ 183 gallons custom built. Would they still kill each other off in a tank of that size?

I have a 500g 8x3x3. So, probably.

jsvand5 · Jul 12, 2020

I have a half dozen in my 210. No issues at all. They pester each other a bit but I have had this group for quite a while. Got them small as captive bred from LA.
One thing though, they don’t really shoal at all. They each pick out their own little territory in the tank. Great fish though. I’d never have a tank without them.