Yellow tail damsel, yes or no?

[lespaul339]

Was considering one of these as they are suposed to be pretty peaceful. Most fish sites say they will only show aggression towards their own kind and leave other fish alone. But they also will say anything to make a sale. Was wondering if anyone has any expierience with this fish and how aggressive they really are?

[rssayer]

Nasty little buggers..all damsels except green chromis seem to have bad attitudes. I've tried them before to have bad gang problem in the end. do you have other fish in your tank?

[kiwithinks]

I have a yellow tail damsel and a domino, They only get aggressive towards fish that resemble them and are a little smaller...The domino does display a little more aggressiveness towards the dotty and the yellow tail. But he seems to leave my sea horse and others alone. If you have other fish in the tank that are smaller and resemble the damsel, i would watch them closely when added. (from my experience...)

[b0bab0ey]

How big is your tank? Being in a large aquarium (say 100+ gals) will sometimes curb their aggression. But anything smaller than that, and they usually get territorial with the other fish and cause problems.

[gone fishin]

I have had them in my 30 and caused issues toward the other fish. I have one in my 180 now and he just chases the others out of his territory on occasion if someone lingers to long. just my experience with them.

[lespaul339]

Ok my tank is a 56 gallon, and there will be similar sized and shaped fish. I think it's best that I pass on him. I already have a blue/green chromis. So theres my splash of blue I guess.

[gone fishin]

Ok my tank is a 56 gallon, and there will be similar sized and shaped fish. I think it's best that I pass on him. I already have a blue/green chromis. So theres my splash of blue I guess.

If it was me I would take a pass on it. I would guess chances are you would have some issues. Good luck

[steve888]

I would only get damsels if you were stocking a 100% aggressive or semi-aggressive tank...or had a tank over 100 gallons so they could stake out their own territory. Do a search on this forum or the web and you'll find all sorts of horror stories with damsels...especially if you ever need to remove them from your tank for whatever reason (next to impossible to catch).

Also, as they age they turn a sort of pale, dull, gray color and become even nastier in their temperament (attitude).

I'm not saying nobody has any success with damsels...it's just that you tend to hear more bad than good. It's a shame because I love the color blue and originally wanted a Fiji Blue Devil but I decided to pass after doing some more research on them.

[johnike]

I have six in the 240. They bother nobody, nobody bothers them.

[RyanSweatt2004]

I had lots of them over the years. There's a few damsels labeled as yellow tails though so just as long as you stick to the (Chrysiptera parasema) you should be fine. Any aggression so to speak has always amounted to far less than a clownfish or sixline wrasse in every tank I've kept them in. I wouldn't suggest keeping them in anything less than a 40 breeder though. I have on in my 120 gal right now and its just as peaceful as any other fish. I've kept as many as 10 together in there in the past with minimal issues though 4-6 would have been better. Love them or hate them, this is one damsel that is pretty mild when compared to a lot of the more commonly kept SW fish.

[Anemone]

I have had yellow-tailed blue damsels in every tank I've ever had (including 6 gallon, 28 gallon, 40 gallon, 65 gallon and 90 gallon). They can be a little aggressive, but in general, they are hardy, colorful and generally good tank inhabitants.

Kevin

[chrisfont23]

In my personal opinion, damsels are too aggressive. When that happens, they create more problems chasing fish around then they are worth.

[Jerry W]

I have had yellow-tailed blue damsels in every tank I've ever had (including 6 gallon, 28 gallon, 40 gallon, 65 gallon and 90 gallon). They can be a little aggressive, but in general, they are hardy, colorful and generally good tank inhabitants.

Kevin

^^This
I have always kept them. They are one of the more social damsels and not nearly as aggressive as others. I moved the pair I had in my 120 to my current 37 gallon. The other inhabitants are in my sig line. They chase each other around from time to time but otherwise leave everything else alone. Great splash of color, hardy and fun to watch.