Sargent Major Damsels?

[Coralsdaily]

If you have or had these fish, can you share your experience? Are they aggressive like all other damsels? Do they get enormous?
I really fell in love with them from snorkeling with them. I have never seen huge ones in the wild, but have heard they can get big.
Also, I can't seem to find any retailers carrying them these days. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts, and if possible, a good source to find them if you know of any.
Thanks!

 

[Sharkbait19]

If you have or had these fish, can you share your experience? Are they aggressive like all other damsels? Do they get enormous?
I really fell in love with them from snorkeling with them. I have never seen huge ones in the wild, but have heard they can get big.
Also, I can't seem to find any retailers carrying them these days. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts, and if possible, a good source to find them if you know of any.
Thanks!

I also fell in love with them when I went snorkeling in Aruba. Unfortunately, despite being at Petco for only $5, they get HUGE! And like most damsels, are very feisty. They need at least 75g and can be kept alone or in a male/female pair. However, as you may have observed in the wild, they can be kept in large numbers in VERY LARGE TANKS. At Petco, they’re only an inch, but get upwards of six inches, and only become more nasty as they grow. I don’t own one, but looked deeply into caring for them after I went snorkeling. If you have the right tank, go ahead, but like all damsels, be cautious with aggression.

 

[Coralsdaily]

I don't think I'll be going for the shoal look but with mostly tangs and angels I'm sure they will keep the damsel's attitude in check. I don't have a petco near me (both fortunately, and unfortunately) so I have been searching for them on reputable online retailers for a while now, and no one has them!

 

[reefproaquatics]

They get very large and very aggressive. I'd recommend picking another species.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I don't think I'll be going for the shoal look but with mostly tangs and angels I'm sure they will keep the damsel's attitude in check. I don't have a petco near me (both fortunately, and unfortunately) so I have been searching for them on reputable online retailers for a while now, and no one has them!

There’s a Petco by me that always has them. But, it is a Petco so...

Good luck with your searching. Here’s a website that has a pretty good reputation, just slightly pricey shipping fees.
I hope this helps:

Sergeant Major Damsel - Arizona Aquatic Gardens

Abudefduf sexfasciatus Item description coming soon at AZGARDENS.COM Your discount quality saltwater and marine resource since 1987.

azgardens.com

 

[PatW]

Sergeant majors get pretty big. I am a scuba diver and I have seen them many times on the reefs. Wild sergeant majors get pretty big over 6”. In a reef aquarium, they probably do not get that big but still, one can expect 4+ inches and chunky to boot. Also, they are reputed to be aggressive. I have seen more aggressive damsels on the reef. I have been attacked by some. Funny huge moray eels do not bother me and sharks are really pretty wary but not damsels which are mindlessly aggressive.

 

[Coralsdaily]

There’s a Petco by me that always has them. But, it is a Petco so...

Good luck with your searching. Here’s a website that has a pretty good reputation, just slightly pricey shipping fees.
I hope this helps:

Sergeant Major Damsel - Arizona Aquatic Gardens

Abudefduf sexfasciatus Item description coming soon at AZGARDENS.COM Your discount quality saltwater and marine resource since 1987.

azgardens.com

I actually did see AZ garden has them, don't tempt me!

 

[Coralsdaily]

They get very large and very aggressive. I'd recommend picking another species.

Thanks for your feedback. Have you had (or have) any in your tank? how fast do they grow?
I like them but unlike some other fish these aren't "must" haves, just on the wishlist but I also will not keep any other damsels if not for this.

 

[Coralsdaily]

Sergeant majors get pretty big. I am a scuba diver and I have seen them many times on the reefs. Wild sergeant majors get pretty big over 6”. In a reef aquarium, they probably do not get that big but still, one can expect 4+ inches and chunky to boot. Also, they are reputed to be aggressive. I have seen more aggressive damsels on the reef. I have been attacked by some. Funny huge moray eels do not bother me and sharks are really pretty wary but not damsels which are mindlessly aggressive.

it's the little guy complex, like big dogs don't ever mind me but little chihuahuas would bark for half and hour from seeing me 100 feet away.

 

[ApoIsland]

Thanks for your feedback. Have you had (or have) any in your tank? how fast do they grow?
I like them but unlike some other fish these aren't "must" haves, just on the wishlist but I also will not keep any other damsels if not for this.

It will grow slow if you don't put any food in the tank. I have one in a 16g cube that was about 1/2" when I got it and is maybe 1 inch max now after about 6 months. I use the fish for algae control in overflow frag tank / quarantine tank. No food ever goes into this tank.

It is a very aggreasive eater so if you plan to have it with other fish or an out of control algae issue I can see it growing fairly quickly. Any time I add a fish to that quarantine tank I have to move the sgnt major to the sump or it will eat 90%-100% of the food.

 

[Coralsdaily]

It will grow slow if you don't put any food in the tank. I have one in a 16g cube that was about 1/2" when I got it and is maybe 1 inch max now after about 6 months. I use the fish for algae control in overflow frag tank / quarantine tank. No food ever goes into this tank.

It is a very aggreasive eater so if you plan to have it with other fish or an out of control algae issue I can see it growing fairly quickly. Any time I add a fish to that quarantine tank I have to move the sgnt major to the sump or it will eat 90%-100% of the food.

Never knew they are a good option for algae control!

 

[G Santana]

Nasty but beautiful. 20 yrs ago my buddy had one in his tank and it terrorized everything in the tank. He finally got upset and tore half the tank down to catch it.

He placed it in a 20 gallon tank and forgot about it many weeks later he remembered, he went to look expecting it to be dead, what he found was much of the water had evaporated but low and behold it was still alive. He slowly raised the water level and fed the beast.

It was moved to a clean tank within a day and once he fattened him up, he took it to the LFS for store credit.

It was the craziest thing I saw any fish go through and live.

I would never own one though

 

[Coralsdaily]

Nasty but beautiful. 20 yrs ago my buddy had one in his tank and it terrorized everything in the tank. He finally got upset and tore half the tank down to catch it.

He placed it in a 20 gallon tank and forgot about it many weeks later he remembered, he went to look expecting it to be dead, what he found was much of the water had evaporated but low and behold it was still alive. He slowly raised the water level and fed the beast.

It was moved to a clean tank within a day and once he fattened him up, he took it to the LFS for store credit.

It was the craziest thing I saw any fish go through and live.

I would never own one though

crazy! I think a lot of the tidal zone fish has the ability to live under extreme conditions, such as being trapped in a tidal pool for days with super hot temp, and ultra high salinity as water evaporates. And then finally one day the tide comes back in and boom he's back to the sea. I'm glad the little guy lived. But yeah the more people describe them the less I want to have one in display tank, maybe I'll just get one to take care of algae and left over food in the sump.

 

[Metalhead670]

When I was little, my pap got me 2 of them along with a butterflyfish, let's just say they beat up the poor butterfly fish. I think they could be good with something like a smaller Humu Humu trigger, but if you want a more peaceful damsel, try a blue velvet damsel. I had one for a few years in my 55 gallon, they are beautiful... especially when bigger, and I don't remember any fish in my tank having a problem with it.

 

[Sharkbait19]

if you want a more peaceful damsel, try a blue velvet damsel. I had one for a few years in my 55 gallon, they are beautiful... especially when bigger, and I don't remember any fish in my tank having a problem with it.

Oh yeah, I almost got one of them, but my tank is too small. They’re beautiful little guys!

 

[A sea K]

I don't think I'll be going for the shoal look but with mostly tangs and angels I'm sure they will keep the damsel's attitude in check. I don't have a petco near me (both fortunately, and unfortunately) so I have been searching for them on reputable online retailers for a while now, and no one has them!

KP aquatics in Fl is a good source. They are currently shutdown due to the incoming storm. I have sourced quite a few things from algae to fish from them and never an issue.

 

[SPS2020]

If you have or had these fish, can you share your experience? Are they aggressive like all other damsels? Do they get enormous?
I really fell in love with them from snorkeling with them. I have never seen huge ones in the wild, but have heard they can get big.
Also, I can't seem to find any retailers carrying them these days. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts, and if possible, a good source to find them if you know of any.
Thanks!

Holy cow, yes, they are aggressive. Pretty certain they could live on carpet for a day and still tell you to go make them a sandwich. We used to catch them off the coast of NC after a hurricane blew through and put them in our tanks.

 

[Metalhead670]

Oh yeah, I almost got one of them, but my tank is too small. They’re beautiful little guys!

Yeah, a lot of the damsels are eye-candy... though they are pretty aggresive.