Damsels

Damsels are considered one of the best fish for beginning marine aquarium hobbyists because they are so hardy. They can withstand less than perfect conditions, but of course this doesn’t mean that you can let your aquarium go. But it does mean that Damsel fish will be forgiving if you do make a fish keeping mistakes.

Of course your goal should be to create the best possible saltwater aquarium environment and then maintain it as best as you possibly can. But, as they are tolerant to varying water quality, Damsels are great fish to have when you are breaking in or cycling your marine tank.

Damsels are hardy and will eat a variety of food. But Damsels can be aggressive, so be careful not to add more than one or two in a tank, unless you have a very large fish tank. If you stray from this tip, the result will be fights, injuries, and deaths.

There are many types of Damsels and can have different temperaments. The Yellowtail Damsel and the Blue Damsel are perhaps the least aggressive of the species. The most aggressive are the Domino and the Striped Damsels.

Here’s a short list of Damsel species you might consider for your saltwater aquarium:

• Striped Damsel
• Blacktail Damsel
• Domino Damsel
• Blue Velvet Damsel
• Yellowtail Damsel
• Green Chromis
• Blue Green Chromis
• Blue Devil
• Fiji Blue Devil

Due to their aggressive natures it is not always possible to keep Damsels with other species of saltwater fish, in particular the more timid fish. Other more aggressive fish can co-exist with Damsels as they will establish their own territories and there are rarely fights between species.

Your aquarium tank for Damsels with other fish should not be smaller than 30 gallons / 115 litres. Larger tanks are easier to keep than smaller tanks, so a 30 gallon aquarium should be the smallest tank to consider.

Damsels will need many hiding spaces as well as open spaces for swimming. The best pH range for them is  8.1-8.4 but this may vary slightly among sub-species. Water temperature is good at comfortable room temperatures, i.e. 72-78° F or 22-25.5°C.

Damsels like a variety of foods: meaty foods, vegetable, algae, finely chopped shrimp, and finely chopped shrimps.