A established older clownfish are just as aggressive as these damsel fish. In my experince and most other people’s experience, springer damsel are an outlier. They are actually peaceful and is perfect for a peaceful community tank. It's unfortunate that my clownfish had to kill him, that's why I opted to get a yellowtail damsel (semi aggressive) instead and introduce him with cation, add new rock work, and introduce him via a breeder box. So far everyone is getting alone however the clown and damsel sizes up to each other and actually tolerate eachother.
Spingeri damsels are peaceful and quite helpful at picking off pests such as flatworms. I have one in my 90 gallon reef for a few years. Great fish so if you like them they are a great little fish. Compared with the other fish in my tank I would rate it on the shyer side.
I love this channel!!!! You are funny and you have saved my butt a lot of times. I have been tempted to get some stuff but then I watch the videos and now I know what not to get . thanks man
This was brilliant and so funny 😂 I cut my teeth on an Azure Damsel, supposedly the most placid of Damsels, we had a party the day I got that guy out the tank!
I would have to disagree with the temperament description for a few of the damsels. I’ve keep yellow tails, azures, blue Safire damsels and Talbots damsels currently in my reefs and many times in the past and they’ve been quite passive, especially compared to many clownfish I’ve kept. Now I 100% agree with you on every other damsel you’ve listed and many more. It’s been my experience that quite a few of the Chrysiptera damsels are quite well behaved with most tank mates. The issues I’ve encountered usually stem from too many damsels for the available tank space which results in aggression.
Yes, I have to agree. I have owned many of these damsels. The clownfish has always been quite aggressive against them and they would have to get out of the way. I think it depends on each fish and the size of the tank. I usually just get one small damsel with the clownfish in a 20 gallon tank. I am trying a yellow gold striped damsel this time. Online they say it can get to 5 inches and quite belligerent when it gets larger. The fish keeper has to watch and make sure it does not get nasty. I will watch the damsel as it gets larger. Usually the clown fish makes sure to show them who is boss though. Too much fighting, I will separate them and give them each their private quarters. Of course it can happen quickly though that they fight and hurt the other fish.
I have about 3 yellow tails and 5 green chromis and a goby is that ok for a 20 gallon? I feel like I got enough hiding spots and they live in a 210, it’s the one I bought but I need to get the fish now and quarantine them and my 55 gallon isn’t ready it’s cycling with high ammonia right now
i know right! clownfish are supposed to be peaceful but mine are very aggressive to my hand, and their territory. they just bullied my new damsel i put in.
These fish are beautiful and my girlfriend is always asking me to add some to my tank, but these guys are demonic in nature. I had a blue damsel fish about a year ago that caused my watchman goby to jump out.
Hey Jeff, I see the Top 10s are starting to get to you. Why not start a series on tank stocking? 10 - 300 gallons. FOWLR to Reef, Predator to Community. I think that would help a lot of beginner hobbyists not to mention those on R2R who continuously overstock their tanks.
I took my blue damsels out when I put in new fish. I quarantined them in a floating breeder then put them in at night time. Prevented them from getting aggressive towards the new fish.
the blue sapphire is very peacefull and reef safe----my first fish and hes in there with a goby--royal grammar-and 2 clowns---everyone gets along great
FYI I have an aggressive tank that includes 5 damsels: blue fin, yellow belly, lemon, velvet, and a red honey. It's a fun active tank. Also has a maroon clown, a lyretail chromis, blue jaw trigger, and six line wrasse.
#1 & #10 are my favorites. The jewel damsel gets pretty bland as it grows, but is stunning in early stages. Domino damsels will host in carpet anemones & contrast really well with their host. Had 2 in a green carpet yrs ago & it was always a head turner/conversation piece
There seems to be a lot of concern about Damselfish aggression. They are no more aggressive than African or Central American Cichlids. African Cichlids are often housed with deliberate crowding, so that the aggression gets distributed evenly throughout. I have done the same with Damsels with good results.
thank you I completely agree they have the same temperament as cichlids. I wouldn't be surprised if damselfish are their ancestors ... but if you have a new tank & introduced groups together the aggression isn't as bad. In other words larger number of fish the better
I have plans to do a damsel only tank in my 100gallon I’ve rehomed all my other fish for this purpose my only wonder is how many could I do 🤔 I really like the springeri damsel I was thinking maybe 20 would be a nice count and look good schooling would this be to many I here they can be aggressive to one another as well 😮💨
I have been thinking about doing a tank with just two domino damsels and a carpet anemone. Would they host that or just be eaten. I wouldn’t plan on any other fish in there probably just a few urchins and cleaning crew. In a 20 gallon. Wonder if that would work out and be interesting. Or it will be lame and I will have to take care of them till I die
Domino Damsels have captured my heart, their boisterous nature and attitude is just so cool, the way they swim and react and investigate they remind me a lot of a jack russel, I am a fresh water fishkeeper but i enjoy looking at salt water tanks even though i couldnt hope to afford one in my lifetime.
@@dirtyprinz224 yeah they tend to be, but thats just part of their attitude, I unfortunately am just a fresh water fish keeper. just love the domino damsels they seem to have such personality and attitude
This is one of my favorite videos 🤣🤣🤣 one of my favorite damsels is the blue velvet I have one that's a little over 3 inches. I also have a blue fin and he's a jerk lol. Have a great day 😀
I have had several peacful yellow tail damsels and they wre probably the most favorite fish in the tank. They were very active and one was actually nibbled to death by my hawkfish:) The hawk was pure evil but had a great personality as far as just coming up and greeting me and would sit at the bottom corner of the tank and watch me while I am on my computer! I finally got rid of him because he killed every fish I added! I am done stocking the tank but wanted to add a figi devil. Since he is the last fish going in and will be with 2 clowns and a 6 line and a watchman goby, do you think in those circumstances I will be ok? I am placing an order for nudis so I can get free shipping with him plus I think he is gorgeous!
Great video! 😂 I just bought a Blue Sapphire/Springeri but have the option of it being pest control for a frag tank if he misbehaves in my main tank will see! 😅🤞
You are absolutely correct. The black domino was my worst fish I’ve ever bought & now the blue fin damsel is in a 5 gallon all by himself. He was such a bully until my clownfish (whom was 12-0) put him in his place😅 I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DAMSEL 🐠
I often wonder the same thing. Heavy stocking leads to all sorts of nitrate problems in cichlid aquaria so I suspect that may be a reason why it's not done.
I always passed on these when I had my larger tanks, just because they looked like they would be bothersome to my other stock including some soft corals and inverts like feather dusters and such. I always thought they were super pretty though. I think a mostly featureless 30 gallon would look really nice with some Sapphire and Yellowtails, and be very a very cost effective setup for what it would accomplish...kind of considering it now, to be honest.
@@MadHattersReef Guess so , Even the employees at the local fish store in my area said that if I purchase this fish it would be aggressive and he has been the total opposite doesn't bother any of my other fish , I basically got him as an alternative to a blue hypo tang since i only have a 40 breeder tank.
Lol Lemon Debo. I feel like Damsels are the African Cichlids of the saltwater hobby. Can be pretty but man you have to watch your fingers feeding them. I got nipped daily with mine.
"not a great fish in general" most common species can be kept in a 10gal to 30gal their entire lives, they decimate pests and nuisance algaes, they live for a long long while, they are full of personality and are extremely active, they have beautiful coloration and outright adorable appearances, are some of the hardiest fish in existence, and the large majority are invert and reef safe and a lot of species are actually quite peaceful in larger tanks with enough space and nooks and crannies to establish proper territories (such as chromis sp, pomacentrus sp. and even a lot of chrysiptera sp.), they pair very easily and have very neat courtship behaviours and lots of more positives, i think calling them "not a great fish in general" is unbelievably unfair considering the only reason provided for that being "some species aren't friendly enough to keep in my mixed reef"
It's depends on the area you live , and from where the fish are caught / from the the fish come ( captive breed specimens ) For example , I live in India. Here Reef fishes like Smoke Angelfish , Pakistani butterflying are native found in Indian ocean near Indian coastline , Srilanka coastline reefs. That's why they are so cheap Both fish will cost around 600-700 Indian rupees / piece ( roughly 9-10 us dollar ) These same fishes are sold in usa at very high price Like Smoke Angelfish ( 80 - 170 us dollar ). Pakistani Butterfly ( 120 -250 us dollar ) On the other hand , the fishes are found in usa coast ,or Caribbean reef will be costly in India. Like Yellow tang. Wild caught yellow tangs are only found in Hawaii. It's only their natural habitat. So yellow tangs will be more costly in India. It also depends on rarity of the species. Some species are really rare. So they carry a high price tag .
#2 sprigeri/ blue sapphire. Mine is peaceful so far. 3 years. Lives in a small 20g with a marble wrasse, 3 true wurdamani pep shrimp. and halloween hermit. Marble wrasse is the most timid fish i have out of 11 tanks. If anyone would get abused, it would be him. The reason i bought him was they eat red planaria and other bugs, and this one did not dissapoint.
My yellowtail started off as a prick, killer a Chronis kicking my sand up making tunnels until I put my coral beauty in and now he’s a good boy and the beauty’s bitch lol they sometimes argue over who sleeps in a certain place but I’ve found a dwarf angel with keep them a good tank mate.
I have a 29 gallon tank with one fish in it. You guessed right, it's a damsel. He's cute but a little s#@&. My husband is always laughing when I do maintenance on my tank. The damsel continuously attacks my hand.
Jewel Damsel.....Eeeevil!! Just seeing them on the reef let's you know this. They will attack if you get close. Also that minimum size is way too small. It gets to the size of a medium Tang.
This week: Top 10 Damselfish. Next Week : Top 10 Airborne Plagues
A established older clownfish are just as aggressive as these damsel fish.
In my experince and most other people’s experience, springer damsel are an outlier. They are actually peaceful and is perfect for a peaceful community tank.
It's unfortunate that my clownfish had to kill him, that's why I opted to get a yellowtail damsel (semi aggressive) instead and introduce him with cation, add new rock work, and introduce him via a breeder box. So far everyone is getting alone however the clown and damsel sizes up to each other and actually tolerate eachother.
Well I see you had all the fun making this one 🤣
Hi love your vids. I’m a kid in Canada who just got in the hobby I just love it because of you. Just got a coral beauty today!
“You gotta purty 👄!” 😂😂😂😂
Spingeri damsels are peaceful and quite helpful at picking off pests such as flatworms. I have one in my 90 gallon reef for a few years. Great fish so if you like them they are a great little fish. Compared with the other fish in my tank I would rate it on the shyer side.
I love this channel!!!! You are funny and you have saved my butt a lot of times. I have been tempted to get some stuff but then I watch the videos and now I know what not to get . thanks man
This was brilliant and so funny 😂 I cut my teeth on an Azure Damsel, supposedly the most placid of Damsels, we had a party the day I got that guy out the tank!
I would have to disagree with the temperament description for a few of the damsels. I’ve keep yellow tails, azures, blue Safire damsels and Talbots damsels currently in my reefs and many times in the past and they’ve been quite passive, especially compared to many clownfish I’ve kept. Now I 100% agree with you on every other damsel you’ve listed and many more. It’s been my experience that quite a few of the Chrysiptera damsels are quite well behaved with most tank mates. The issues I’ve encountered usually stem from too many damsels for the available tank space which results in aggression.
Yes, I have to agree. I have owned many of these damsels. The clownfish has always been quite aggressive against them and they would have to get out of the way. I think it depends on each fish and the size of the tank. I usually just get one small damsel with the clownfish in a 20 gallon tank. I am trying a yellow gold striped damsel this time. Online they say it can get to 5 inches and quite belligerent when it gets larger. The fish keeper has to watch and make sure it does not get nasty. I will watch the damsel as it gets larger. Usually the clown fish makes sure to show them who is boss though. Too much fighting, I will separate them and give them each their private quarters. Of course it can happen quickly though that they fight and hurt the other fish.
I have about 3 yellow tails and 5 green chromis and a goby is that ok for a 20 gallon? I feel like I got enough hiding spots and they live in a 210, it’s the one I bought but I need to get the fish now and quarantine them and my 55 gallon isn’t ready it’s cycling with high ammonia right now
i know right! clownfish are supposed to be peaceful but mine are very aggressive to my hand, and their territory. they just bullied my new damsel i put in.
These fish are beautiful and my girlfriend is always asking me to add some to my tank, but these guys are demonic in nature. I had a blue damsel fish about a year ago that caused my watchman goby to jump out.
Dude thats tuff
Hey Jeff, I see the Top 10s are starting to get to you. Why not start a series on tank stocking? 10 - 300 gallons. FOWLR to Reef, Predator to Community. I think that would help a lot of beginner hobbyists not to mention those on R2R who continuously overstock their tanks.
I took my blue damsels out when I put in new fish. I quarantined them in a floating breeder then put them in at night time. Prevented them from getting aggressive towards the new fish.
Thanks for the tip
Very entertaining episode of mad haters reef! Always enjoy Keep em coming
the blue sapphire is very peacefull and reef safe----my first fish and hes in there with a goby--royal grammar-and 2 clowns---everyone gets along great
FYI I have an aggressive tank that includes 5 damsels: blue fin, yellow belly, lemon, velvet, and a red honey. It's a fun active tank.
Also has a maroon clown, a lyretail chromis, blue jaw trigger, and six line wrasse.
Nice vidéo as Always !!!! If you can do a top 10 oddball fish please that can be very cool thanks !!
#1 & #10 are my favorites. The jewel damsel gets pretty bland as it grows, but is stunning in early stages. Domino damsels will host in carpet anemones & contrast really well with their host. Had 2 in a green carpet yrs ago & it was always a head turner/conversation piece
There seems to be a lot of concern about Damselfish aggression. They are no more aggressive than African or Central American Cichlids. African Cichlids are often housed with deliberate crowding, so that the aggression gets distributed evenly throughout. I have done the same with Damsels with good results.
thank you I completely agree they have the same temperament as cichlids. I wouldn't be surprised if damselfish are their ancestors ... but if you have a new tank & introduced groups together the aggression isn't as bad. In other words larger number of fish the better
I have plans to do a damsel only tank in my 100gallon I’ve rehomed all my other fish for this purpose my only wonder is how many could I do 🤔 I really like the springeri damsel I was thinking maybe 20 would be a nice count and look good schooling would this be to many I here they can be aggressive to one another as well 😮💨
I have been thinking about doing a tank with just two domino damsels and a carpet anemone. Would they host that or just be eaten. I wouldn’t plan on any other fish in there probably just a few urchins and cleaning crew. In a 20 gallon. Wonder if that would work out and be interesting. Or it will be lame and I will have to take care of them till I die
Yo you got me dying with this one! “Who want it with Lemon Debo!?”
Domino Damsels have captured my heart, their boisterous nature and attitude is just so cool, the way they swim and react and investigate they remind me a lot of a jack russel, I am a fresh water fishkeeper but i enjoy looking at salt water tanks even though i couldnt hope to afford one in my lifetime.
Mines a bully, picks on all the clowns and tries everyone but my tangs
@@dirtyprinz224 yeah they tend to be, but thats just part of their attitude, I unfortunately am just a fresh water fish keeper. just love the domino damsels they seem to have such personality and attitude
@@pillsnpiegamingyeah it is cool to see they act like sharks to me I still like him
the least aggressive damsels are Chrysiptera genus while not exactly peaceful they are not overly aggressive as long as tank is large enough
"You got a perrdy mouth" lmao 🤣
Alright the voiceovers what lit 🔥 😂😂
This is one of my favorite videos 🤣🤣🤣 one of my favorite damsels is the blue velvet I have one that's a little over 3 inches. I also have a blue fin and he's a jerk lol. Have a great day 😀
Awesome video,love the new characters. You should add them to all your top 10's🤔
This has to be a top 5 vid. 🤣 love it.
Great video like always I have an idea for a new topic top 10 aquascape and how to bond the rocks together
I have had several peacful yellow tail damsels and they wre probably the most favorite fish in the tank. They were very active and one was actually nibbled to death by my hawkfish:) The hawk was pure evil but had a great personality as far as just coming up and greeting me and would sit at the bottom corner of the tank and watch me while I am on my computer! I finally got rid of him because he killed every fish I added! I am done stocking the tank but wanted to add a figi devil. Since he is the last fish going in and will be with 2 clowns and a 6 line and a watchman goby, do you think in those circumstances I will be ok? I am placing an order for nudis so I can get free shipping with him plus I think he is gorgeous!
I love the damsel fish slander in this video, they're beautiful fish but they're menaces to society
I do my best
Good selection
Great video! 😂 I just bought a Blue Sapphire/Springeri but have the option of it being pest control for a frag tank if he misbehaves in my main tank will see! 😅🤞
I'm surprised that we didn't see Mr. Saltwater Tank's favorite (and only damsel he stocks), i.e. the Roland damsel.
You are absolutely correct. The black domino was my worst fish I’ve ever bought & now the blue fin damsel is in a 5 gallon all by himself. He was such a bully until my clownfish (whom was 12-0) put him in his place😅
I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DAMSEL 🐠
Blue damsels are the most popular
Hey Jeff, great info! If I may ask, what kind of salt do you use?
What about neopomacentrus aszysron? The one recently captive bred by biota.
Funniest video yet!
the Javanese (Blue Velvet) Damsel need to be on this list.
Thanks for watching!
i am looking at getting 5 blue saphire damsels for my 4ft reef .. these would be the only fish in the tank
Thanks for watching!
I wonder if someone could set up a damselfish tank like an african cichlid tank where the agression is balanced because of the high numbers.
I often wonder the same thing. Heavy stocking leads to all sorts of nitrate problems in cichlid aquaria so I suspect that may be a reason why it's not done.
I always passed on these when I had my larger tanks, just because they looked like they would be bothersome to my other stock including some soft corals and inverts like feather dusters and such. I always thought they were super pretty though. I think a mostly featureless 30 gallon would look really nice with some Sapphire and Yellowtails, and be very a very cost effective setup for what it would accomplish...kind of considering it now, to be honest.
I have a blue devil demsel in a community tank and he isnt aggressive at all
You have one of the good ones
@@MadHattersReef Guess so , Even the employees at the local fish store in my area said that if I purchase this fish it would be aggressive and he has been the total opposite doesn't bother any of my other fish , I basically got him as an alternative to a blue hypo tang since i only have a 40 breeder tank.
Lol Lemon Debo. I feel like Damsels are the African Cichlids of the saltwater hobby. Can be pretty but man you have to watch your fingers feeding them. I got nipped daily with mine.
I’ve bought blue sapphire damsels for a dollar. They were peaceful to the other tank mates, but would chase each other. No deaths in a year.
I have a black and gold damsel i am trying to look it up and no1 seems to know them
I've actually had quite a few Domino Damsels on my tank before and they were well behaved fish. Guess I got lucky
Have to with my with a spotted puffer they give him complete respect
"not a great fish in general"
most common species can be kept in a 10gal to 30gal their entire lives, they decimate pests and nuisance algaes, they live for a long long while, they are full of personality and are extremely active, they have beautiful coloration and outright adorable appearances, are some of the hardiest fish in existence, and the large majority are invert and reef safe and a lot of species are actually quite peaceful in larger tanks with enough space and nooks and crannies to establish proper territories (such as chromis sp, pomacentrus sp. and even a lot of chrysiptera sp.), they pair very easily and have very neat courtship behaviours and lots of more positives, i think calling them "not a great fish in general" is unbelievably unfair considering the only reason provided for that being "some species aren't friendly enough to keep in my mixed reef"
They got a reputation for a reason …
With all their aggressive/territorial behavior, I bet the other fishes in the tanks are like, “daaaaaammmmm…selfish……”
I’ll be here all week.
Love it
The prices there are quite crazily high. Yellow tail damsels are sold for 3 - 5 USD in Thailand.
It's depends on the area you live , and from where the fish are caught / from the the fish come ( captive breed specimens )
For example , I live in India. Here Reef fishes like Smoke Angelfish , Pakistani butterflying are native found in Indian ocean near Indian coastline , Srilanka coastline reefs. That's why they are so cheap
Both fish will cost around 600-700 Indian rupees / piece ( roughly 9-10 us dollar )
These same fishes are sold in usa at very high price
Like
Smoke Angelfish ( 80 - 170 us dollar ).
Pakistani Butterfly ( 120 -250 us dollar )
On the other hand , the fishes are found in usa coast ,or Caribbean reef will be costly in India. Like Yellow tang. Wild caught yellow tangs are only found in Hawaii. It's only their natural habitat. So yellow tangs will be more costly in India.
It also depends on rarity of the species. Some species are really rare. So they carry a high price tag .
Surprised you didn’t add the Blue Velvet.
I was hopping #1 was nothing, as in the Damsel fish you didn’t buy and saved yourself the headache.
#2 sprigeri/ blue sapphire.
Mine is peaceful so far. 3 years. Lives in a small 20g with a marble wrasse, 3 true wurdamani pep shrimp. and halloween hermit.
Marble wrasse is the most timid fish i have out of 11 tanks. If anyone would get abused, it would be him.
The reason i bought him was they eat red planaria and other bugs, and this one did not dissapoint.
Aggressive to all other tank mates or just the same species/food?
All
@@MadHattersReef haha, finnaly realized that.. just rehomed mine a little while ago 🥲😂
How about the ocellate damsel fish?
Oh, nice call...
@@MadHattersReef HAHA thanks its quite rare where i live and i just bought one from my lfs which is allegedly the first in my country for fish trade.
This video has me rofl.😂😂😂😂
My yellowtail started off as a prick, killer a Chronis kicking my sand up making tunnels until I put my coral beauty in and now he’s a good boy and the beauty’s bitch lol they sometimes argue over who sleeps in a certain place but I’ve found a dwarf angel with keep them a good tank mate.
It’s a tough fish to keep
Starks damsel is a beauty should of made it this list easy and they stay over 100 dollars
I have a 29 gallon tank with one fish in it. You guessed right, it's a damsel. He's cute but a little s#@&. My husband is always laughing when I do maintenance on my tank. The damsel continuously attacks my hand.
Where is azure damselfish ?
They are one of the best looking and docile damselfish species.
Jewel Damsel.....Eeeevil!! Just seeing them on the reef let's you know this. They will attack if you get close. Also that minimum size is way too small. It gets to the size of a medium Tang.
Top 10 fish for a 20 gallon?
What was that lemon damsel voice 😂
Tyler Mac hello is any fish here
What?? No love for the azure??
Like just for domino’s impression
Thanks for watching
Damsel has much cool variety color but sadly they're disaster
Ha!
Momma said that Damsel fish are so ornery ‘cuz they got all them teeth, but no tooth brush
Attack and run away 💀😂
Haha
First!
😈 👍
Do not put these fish in your tank,the worst fish you can get
They can be trouble that's for sure
There just not a good fish in general 😂
Most damsels are reef safe
👍🏻