Damselfish: Are they starter fish, filler fish, or fish to avoid?

[doubleshot00]

I avoid them as i was advised from several experienced reefers. I group them now in line with clown fishs.

My LFS has one in there frag system and when picking out coral using a glow rod if your not hanging onto it he will knock it out of your hand.

 

[aws2266]

It all depends on the specific damsel and you're setup. I had a Starki damsel that's not known to be aggressive do well in my 55g mixed reef. Didn't show any signs of aggression, he was actually on the timid side. Just had a clownfish, three green chromis, and a watchman goby. I switched things around a bit and the 55g became a predator tank. I put a Fiji damsel in there and he's doing great. He's with a trigger, dwarf lion, and a dragon wrasse. The Fiji is just about as big a jerk as the trigger, almost. So it all comes down to what you want but make sure you do you're research. Most damsels are mean and nasty. I still like them though.

 

[sp1187]

What specie is that? It's beautiful!

Lyretail Damsel - Neopomacentrus azysron​

 

[vlangel]

Lyretail Damsel - Neopomacentrus azysron​

Thank you!

 

[Crispy1]

I have 4 different damsels in my 75 with no problems-Kupang- beautiful ( great alternative to a Fiji Devil ) Talbot, Springer ( you can have multiples of each if added at the same time ) and a pink-a bit of an butt

 

[atoll]

A lot of ill informed comments and people not bothering to read many of the responses It seems.
Fact. Not all damsels are aggressive and not to be trusted.
Fact there are a number of species that are fine to keep in a fish and coral mixed system

 

[Cuzuco]

This is my latest addition to my tank. My lfs told me “are you really sure you want to get this? It is a mean fish” I told them that I have only another damsel and a clownfish which is probably much much more mean, and actually that was the case. This last damsel is super peaceful.

 

[itgoeson]

I have to say that I love mine. I have four azures in a 180g, and they add pops of color and are constantly swimming in the open water where I rarely saw fish before. One of them picks fights with the other three, but they leave the non-damsels alone. I may get more!

 

[Seansea]

Why woudnt you add one of these dudes? Easy to keep, always out, cool colors, not aggressive , low bioload. Awesome little fish

 

[CoralB]

EVIL !!! Avoid unless you only want one in your tank

 

[BradB]

Definitely not a good starter fish for most people - especially if you don't consider Clownfish to be damsels.

Otherwise, it depends on tank size:

I wouldn't recommend it as a first reef tank, but in a nano aquarium (< 20 gallon), a damsel is a good choice if you only want a single fish.

Avoid for a small (20 gallon - 90 gallon) tank, you want more than 1 small fish, and almost any damsel is not going to coexist with a tankmate.

Filler fish for a medium or larger (>90 gallon) tank, since the larger the tank and less aggressive the species, the more likely they will coexist with other fish or even other damsels. Since they are still among the most aggressive fish in any tank, they should be added last, so not a good starter fish.

 

[scottbapilot]

I love springeri damsels. I haven't tried anything else and am not especially inclined to do so. My pair of clowns in my 40 AIO are big enough problem right now.

I have a reefing buddy who swears by damsels. He goes out and buys a dozen random damsels at a time and when they whittle themselves down in numbers he goes and gets some more. Not really my style but to each their own I guess.

Clown's ARE Damsels.

 

[Leo_ian]

with the correct genus and tank size, they make good starters and even show fish.

 

[Enad]

I have a single Azure Damsel in a 27g with Two Clowns, a McCorkers Wrasse and a Flame Angel. It's a perfectly friendly fish. She gets a bit aggro around bed time when she's guarding her cave but never anything more than a quick jump towards the other fish to send them on their way. Additionally, she has become great friends with the two clowns and they are effectively a trio, constantly swimming around everywhere together. It's quite sweet to watch.

 

[BradB]

Clown's ARE Damsels.

This changes the answer to the question as well. Most hobbyists don't consider clownfish as damsels. Care requirements are different, and you can almost always put 2 clownfish in all but the smallest tank. Just about any other damsel means 1 to a tank for anything less than 180 gallons. But I've kept groups of non-clown damsels just fine in my 270, and I've never kept more than 2 clownfish for any length of time.

Clownfish are better starter fish overall.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Damselfish are my main fish. I enjoy watching them living in and around their sps colonies.

 

[unchaotic]

Clown's ARE Damsels.

Yeah…what’s your point?

 

[Wizard677]

This neon Damsel "Blue", was my first fish in this reef tank about a 1.5 yrs ago. He lives with 1 blue eyed kole, 1 mandrin, 1 foxface, 3 chromis, 1 bangai cardinal, 1 watchman goby, 1 coral beauty, 2 clowns. He's a model citizen, 0 aggression. I have 1 bicolor in another tank that was aggressive with another bicolor. Would start or fill with a Neon anytime!

 

[DeniseAndy]

I always say the same thing for these guys. Provide the correct home for them and the smaller species (common names: Talbots, Lemon, Azure, Pavo, Smiths) can be an absolute delight. So colorful and fun to watch. The larger species, no place in our tanks as they get big and very aggressive (Neoglyphidodon nigroris for example).
Now, yes of course, I do like clownfish, but stick with 2 per tank.

 

[chinkle]

Damselfish: Are they starter fish, filler fish, or fish to avoid?

Starter fish, filler fish, or fish to avoid? There are a wide range of opinions on these fish. Damsel fish, which include clownfish, have traditionally been used as a beginner fish because some varieties are hardy and inexpensive. However, some fish keepers have found that damsels may come with some negative behaviors and aren’t always the most beloved fish over the long term. It may be interesting to note that clownfish and chromis are damsels too. In a world of tangs, angelfish, and other majestic saltwater fish, damsels are often overlooked, but let’s talk about about them today. Please share your experiences, tips, and thoughts about damsels in the discussion thread.

View attachment 3071685
Juvenile bluefin damselfish (Neoglyphidodon melas); Photo from Wikipedia

I have 2 chromis, 2 blue's, 2 azures and 1 lemon. The bigger lemon killed the smaller one. Have really had no issues except what I mentioned above. The lemon is aggressive but there are enough of the other Damsels to keep that spread out. Find them fun to watch and very hardy. The 2 chromis chase each other around at super high speed and very fun to watch. I love the way they dart in and out of the rocks and were some of the first fish I added to my tank which is 6 months old now. So mine have been with me about 4 mos. now and are super healthy and do well in my community. I have a powder blue tang, a hippo tang, two clowns, a watchman goby and a small red and yellow dragon.