So misunderstood....

[Eastlake]

Some species of damsels are aggressive no matter the space. I've had 3" damsels attack me (6'1" 200) in the open ocean. They are defending their patch of algae. That's how they survive in the wild and that behavior doesn't change when they are in our tanks. Some angel fish display the same behavior.

Very true, I've had those ornery little buggers pursue me while snorkeling but not through the entirety of the reef, once they've successfully defended their garden it was back to weeding the beds lol. But, that's what I meant when I said giving them enough room, if they have enough room to tend to and chase off an intruder to an acceptable distance I don't think that they're all that bad. But to your point, the tendency to defend their space so tenaciously coupled with often times not being able to establish an acceptable perimeter is what leads to the endless harassment from some species in our home aquariums.

 

[nmqtrhrse]

I was given a tank by a Naval officer moving away. It is a 29 Tall. The only guy in there for the last 13 years is a Clown. The guy told me..."he is so mean, kills everything in his path so don't put anything in with him". A year and a half later, there is a Damsel and a Reef Angel. LOL The Damsel had a bit of a time proving its own space..but they are all happy and very healthy. My other small tank has a breeding pair of clowns, a blenny and a seahorse. Everyone is chill in that tank for sure.

 

[mort]

Clowns can be really aggressive. When I ran a shop we had a cinnamon clown somebody dumped on our door and I progressively had to move it to bigger tanks simply due to it biting the crap out of me. It ended up in a 8ft coral tray and it had a anemone home in the back corner. Everytime I put my hand in, even if it was right at the other end, it would come after me to bite. I got used to it and kinda fond of it in a weird way but there was no better deterrent to kids who liked to put their hands in everything. I had a sign but can still hear the screams

 

[Brian W]

Ive had my 2.5" sixline wrasse for a little over 2 years. Still a model citizen.

85 gallon with 50 gal sump

Tank mates
2) Occy Clowns
1) Springeri Damsel (Everyone said damsels are jerks too. This guy is also a model citizen.)
1) Yellow Tang
1) One Spot Foxface

 

[choss]

my sixline was a model citizen in a 40 cube. He was added as the third fish of 4 (watchman goby was the last). Then I switched out his tank mates, added a trio of clowns that had been together in another tank, and a firefish. For a few days he chased the clowns. The firefish jumped despite a top (assume it was the sixline that chased him) but eventually everything settled down and the sixline is fine with the clowns. I want a wrasse in my bigger 96 gallon tank but if I add the sixline it will be the last fish I put in. I am looking at other wrasses in which case the sixline may end up in my frag quarantine tank where he will serve as pest control.

 

[BigJim]

I often hear the mystery wrasse lumped in with the six lined wrasse, but mine has been well behaved for more than 6 years. I actually re-homed a melanurus wrasse and red lined wrasse because they picked on him too much. I still tell people to listen to the experts regarding these fish though. I assume I got lucky. He jumped into the lid of my old RSM 250 a couple years ago and his lower jaw now points to the left. I call him Bill Murray.

mystery wrasse 041518 by Big Jim, on Flickr

 

[nhlives]

I have a 2 year-old tank-raised Splendid Dottyback that have has kept to itself until I added an Aiptasia Eating Filefish. Things were looking dicey for awhile but eventually the Dottyback settled down. It still displays some territorial aggression but for the most part leaves the Filefish alone.

 

[evolved]

I often hear the mystery wrasse lumped in with the six lined wrasse, but mine has been well behaved for more than 6 years. I actually re-homed a melanurus wrasse and red lined wrasse because they picked on him too much. I still tell people to listen to the experts regarding these fish though. I assume I got lucky.

For the most part, you did. However, this species within its genus does have the best chance of not turning into a complete jerk. But still, you never know how they'll end up once they're big. Which, by the way, this species can get; big (as you've probably noticed by now). Regardless of how their temperament ends up at that stage, they all like to eat your shrimp at full size.

 

[BigJim]

For the most part, you did. However, this species within its genus does have the best chance of not turning into a complete jerk. But still, you never know how they'll end up once they're big. Which, by the way, this species can get; big (as you've probably noticed by now). Regardless of how their temperament ends up at that stage, they all like to eat your shrimp at full size.

Yeah, I forgot to mention the shrimp part. He lived happily with two cleaner shrimp for about a year, and then ate both of them one day apart.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

Ding!
Revisit this topic in ~2 years.

give it time lol

 

[BestMomEver]

HA! Mine is in with a purple firefish, a fairy wrasse, and a pair of little neon gobies just to name a few. He also lives with a pair of teeny weeny bumblebee shrimp. They cross paths every now and again. They just kind of look at one another and move on. I do love my Linus!

 

[BestMomEver]

I had a tiny, adorable Domino Damsel in a 500 reef with tangs, maroon clowns and a load of other "semi-aggressive" fish. He got HUGE and brown and ugly and went after everything. The tank was so big and so full of fish, rock, and coral that I had to catch him with a fishing hook and a piece of shrimp! Needless to say, when I took him back to the LFS, they didn't recognize him. They tossed him in their large reef and he lived for nearly ten years!

 

[Jesterrace]

my sixline was a model citizen in a 40 cube. He was added as the third fish of 4 (watchman goby was the last). Then I switched out his tank mates, added a trio of clowns that had been together in another tank, and a firefish. For a few days he chased the clowns. The firefish jumped despite a top (assume it was the sixline that chased him) but eventually everything settled down and the sixline is fine with the clowns. I want a wrasse in my bigger 96 gallon tank but if I add the sixline it will be the last fish I put in. I am looking at other wrasses in which case the sixline may end up in my frag quarantine tank where he will serve as pest control.

Get a melanurus. It will provide similar pest control traits and is significantly less aggressive. Oh and it's color patterns are stunning:

 

[BestMomEver]

I would LOVE to have a tank full of wrasses but, alas, I know it would be a nightmare. There is someone out there (I forget who it was) that has managed to mix different species/genus together but I’m not that knowledgeable abt wrasses. I need to do some research.

 

[BluewaterLa]

I can agree that tank size / space has lots to do with fish aggression we see keeping fish in confined spaces, often times fish too large or just needing more space than offered. Keeping fish on the hungry side all the time for fear of polluting the tank or not having enough filtration including over stocking a tank will lead to aggression / competition for food.

Had a good friend that nursed a small Hippo tang back to health from Petco and after one year the Hippo tang started to kill other fish and beating up tank mates. After much frustration the fish was about to get the boot no matter what so I offered to take the tang.
My tank was a larger and fed several times per day with three other tangs already in the tank including another hippo a bit smaller than the one I got to add from Her tank.
She was worried about my clown and smaller fish as this one hippo was known to be aggressive and kill other fish.
Me I was not worried as my other tangs would keep this one in check and my mature Devil fish (gold stripe maroon clown ) would show this tang just how dangerous clowns can be when they are 3 plus inches and full of just spice / nothing nice.

One year of having this fish with my other fish there was no issues of aggression from the new hippo and the pecking order remained about the same Then everything got transferred into a larger six foot tank.
All fish are much larger now still no issues other than my wifes Clown devil playing interior decorator with my corals even if they are glued down she will get them gone if not to her liking. Lets not forget this fish is close to 4'' now and tails with my tangs as she is either confused Or just that confident.

I've owned a porcupine Puffer in a 200 gal mixed reef before without issue for a few years, His name was Professor and a house favorite, more like a water dog than a fish.
In this same tank I had a Domino Damsel that matured and was large enough to pan fry.
This Turd was a nightmare trying to rule the tank and even would try to fight with tangs that were 11 inches long. One Blotchi tang actually was really accurate with its tail scalpels had enough and stuck the Domino Damsel after a long drawn out harassment session. Tang had all it could take so speared the Damsel and swam around the tank grazing with the domino in tow hahaha.
Yes the domino lived to keep its silly antics of messing with larger fish in my tank for a few more years to finally die of old age and the size of my palm.
Just to show that some fish will be fine in a space with enough food available while some like the domino will be a terror no matter what because Every space is its space.
For reference I am 6' tall, 210 lbs and have large gorilla hands XL glove size, just to give you an idea of how large the Domino was and if you are familiar with a 4'' long yellow tang with fins flared then that is about right.