To Damsel or not to Damsel?

[Zionas]

Hi all, I am wondering whether adding 4 small damsels to my tank would be a good idea. The species I am considering are Azure / Yellow Tail / Talbot’s Damsels. They’ll be the last fish in the tank.

Tank’s a custom 183-gallons, 6 by 2.3 by 1.8 foot glass tank. Mixed reef mostly softies and LPS.

The rest of my stocking list will be:

x1 YWG + Tiger Pistol Shrimp combo

x2 Heniochus Black and White Bannerfish

x6 Pajama Cardinalfish (added in 2 trios)

x2 Captive-Bred Ocellaris Clownfish

x1 One Spot Fox Face

x1 Marine Betta

x1 Royal Gramma

x1 Flame Hawkfish

x1 Long Nose Hawkfish

x1 Flame Angelfish

x1 Yellow Tang

x1 Yellow Candy Hogfish


Maybe:

x4 Azure / Yellow Tail / Talbot’s Damselfish


Should I add the damsels or do you think there will be major aggression issues with one or more of my other fish? Or maybe I already have too many fish at 19?

The Yellowtail (C. parasema) are by far the most common species where I am.

Thanks.

Since I don’t see a Yellow Eye Kole available any time soon, alternatively I could add a 6th large fish, most likely a Tomini Tang that will be added together with my Yellow, but 6 large fish may be too many for my tank. Also, I have considered a more peaceful kind of Dottyback but the Orchid is not available where I am. The decision to get a 2nd Heni was directly because of a pause (not sure how long) in shipments of the Yellow Eye Kole due to the ongoing virus situation in the US and China.

 

[User1]

Chrysiptera are a good choice and it will end up being your decision. I personally like them as they offer a bit of color, speed, and movement. I also like the smaller size fish. They need room and you have a good size tank. As the rock and coral mature they will find a spot they retreat to. I have had both Talbots and Azures mixed and they did fine in my 40 breeder. I have a 210 now but only 1 Azure left who is fine. I'm waiting for the corals to mature a bit more before I reintroduce more.

 

[Zionas]

I see. What happened to the rest of the Azures? Do they kill each other off?

 

[HildebrandRarity]

I love my domino damsel but he is so aggressive, keep with much larger tank mates or with other damsels

 

[Zionas]

I have some larger tankmates for these Damsels, the 2 Bannerfish, the Foxface, the Yellow Tang, and the Marine Betta. They’ll be the smallest fish in the tank.

If I cannot find either Azure’s or Talbot’s, would the Yellowtail be too aggressive?

 

[User1]

I see. What happened to the rest of the Azures? Do they kill each other off?

No. Believe it or not I had a really bad spawning event between torches snails and rose bubble tip anemones. Happened early morning and so didn't catch it after a couple hours. Made some emergency water as I didn't have any on hand and lost a few fish in the process. Azures and talbots but the one.

I was in the process of upgrading from the 40 breeder to a 210. Started with 1 rose bubble tip anemone in a 29 gallon cube. Then it split. Then again. Picked up another bio cube and moved them. That one split now enough was enough between the two tanks and moved them to a 40 breeder. Ended up with 14 in there when I started to plan the upgrade. Spawn happened and the water quality or oxygen went poof.

 

[Zionas]

Sorry to hear that. It would pain me to lose a single one of my fish.

 

[Difrano]

I have 2 Yellowtail Damsels in my tank, and they are model citizens, they were added at the end and I also think that my super mean female clown percula keep them at bay, the other inhabitants are: 1 yellow tang, 2 paired clowns, 2 firefish, 2 YWG. Give them enough rock and caves to hide. Yo can read more about my tank history on my build thread
You can see one of them here:

 

[Zionas]

Great to know. Side note, how deep of a sand bed do you have for your YWGs? Have you paired them with one or two Pistol Shrimp?

 

[Difrano]

Great to know. Side note, how deep of a sand bed do you have for your YWGs? Have you paired them with one or two Pistol Shrimp?

My sand bed is about 2 to 3 inches, 60 lbs of aragalive on a Red Sea Reefer 250. The YWG don't make burrows and don't move sand, the pistol is the one that make the burrows. The second YWG was added a few days ago I am trying to pair them, I only have one pistol that is paired with the old YWG but I have seen the pistol approaching the new YWG. If they pair at the end the 2 YWG should share the same burrow with the pistol. With YWG and pistols be ready for them to make their burrows facing the back wall or disappearing for days...

I forgot to mention on the previous post I also have 2 cleaners gobies on the same tank.

 

[Reesj]

I got 3 similar damsels(similar to yellow tail damsel) and they are great. Only chasing they ever did or do vs among themselfs.
How ever I got a small rock damsel. A very rare one in world but can fond in Sri LAnka. That guy is a bit mean if I want to add anything to the tank. Still no where near as bad as my clown or the blue tang.

 

[Zionas]

@Difrano That’s great to know. I may well go ahead and get a couple as my last fish.

My LFS will set up my tank using the Berlin Method and they said my sand bed will only be about an inch deep. Would that be too little for the Yellow Watchman Goby and the shrimp?



@Reesj That’s really cool. How much aggression is there between them? Is it the occasional chase or all out war?

 

[Difrano]

My LFS will set up my tank using the Berlin Method and they said my sand bed will only be about an inch deep. Would that be too little for the Yellow Watchman Goby and the shrimp?

I think is OK.

 

[Reesj]

@Difrano That’s great to know. I may well go ahead and get a couple as my last fish.

My LFS will set up my tank using the Berlin Method and they said my sand bed will only be about an inch deep. Would that be too little for the Yellow Watchman Goby and the shrimp?



@Reesj That’s really cool. How much aggression is there between them? Is it the occasional chase or all out war?

Not that much often. My female clown chase the male more often than the damsels chase each other.

 

[Sailingeric]

I have 5 damsels, a 3 strip, azure, yellow tail, a Talbot, and a sapphire, all great fish. My 3 strip can be a butt now and then but my chromis keeps it in line. I did have a jewel damsel, very pretty but had to give it away, total butt.

 

[Zionas]

For some reason, where I am the Azure Damsels, Talbots are more rare while shipments of Yellowtail Damsels come in the hundreds. I have never seen a Sapphire Damsel whether on my LFS’s shipment list or from any of the online sellers. For practical reasons (aka availability$, I may have to stick with just 4 Yellowtails instead of the Azure or Talbot’s or Blue Sapphire. They’ll be the last fish in, so hopefully everyone else (Ocellaris pair, Yellow Tang, Flame Hawk, Longnose Hawk, and Foxface especially) can keep them in check.

 

[PilotOfSubmarines]

(3) 3-Stripes, (2) Dominos, (2) Yellow-Tails

They are mostly harmless...they chase each other around but never any physical violence that I see. They stake out a section of the tank each and chase others around if they come too close.

Yellow-Tails are by far the chillest in my reef(220) and they add a lot of color. The Dominos have a mean mug look every day.

 

[Zionas]

I’ve opted to get a couple of Yellow Tails. They’ll add a really nice dash of color. Since they’re damsels, really hardy too.

Was reading a Taiwanese forum, a new reefer went out of town for almost two weeks. No water changes, no feedings, nothing. When he returned the damsels (YTs) were alive and well, just a bit discolored, a couple feedings and a WC later, all back to normal.