Yes or no?

[treesprite]

I'm back to thinking about throwing a couple yellowtail blue damsels in my 75g tank, since my fish plans never seem to work out. I would definately not put a regular damsel in the tank, but yellowtails don't get any more aggressive than any clownfish that I have ever had (clownfish are damsels, so...).

 

This is what is currently in my tank for fish:

1 yellow tang med. size

2 juvenile ocellaris - the 1.5" one is very aggressive toward me, but I have never seen it chase other fish except the small chromis I tried to put in there.

1 Hectors goby who is a lot tougher than he looks.

1 purple firefish who is not afraid of anything in the tank just me (I saw it take a nip at a clownfish the other day)

2 ocellated dragonets who are in their own carefree world

 

What do you think?

 

[ToddR]

Yellowtails can get very aggressive if they are spawning. See if you can find a pair of Talbots damsels. They are the least aggressive damsels I've ever kept. Very pretty too.

[Incredible Corals]

Yellowtails can get very aggressive if they are spawning. See if you can find a pair of Talbots damsels. They are the least aggressive damsels I've ever kept. Very pretty too.

 

+1. Talbots are awesome.

[seppler]

I had a yellowtail once, when I first started keeping salt water aquarium. Very pretty. Very nasty fish. I had one store employee tell me they had "no redeeming qualities" asside from their color.

 

Sharon

[Coral Hind]

I wouldn't add the yellow tail, just too darn mean. Maybe a blue reef chromis, Chromis cyaneus.

[collegeman]

I agree with everyones post, they can be very mean. I have one in my tank now that i would like to get rid of.

[SunWyrm]

I'm going to go against everyone, but my yellow tail is very nice and personable. He's buddies with an azure damsel but before I put them together they were each best buds with very shy flasher wrasse to the point of defending them from other fish.

 

That said my current yellowtail beat up a second yellow tail when I tried to put them together. All of my damsels are very personable, including my spawning blue devil pair, and most were former aggressors in other tanks. I think it just depends on how you add them and when and how your setup is for hiding spaces and territories and such.

[hypertech]

Try Kupang damsels. I've had a group of them in my tank for more than a year now. They are more aggressive than a chromis but less than my clowns. The do attack me if I am cleaning near their hole, but they are harmless and don't seem to bother the other fish.

[Swimboy123]

I say no. Mean little buggers, especially for their size.

[treesprite]

Very strange to hear this feedback, since in the past it seemed more people felt they were not so aggressive. I'll have to do some updated research.

 

Kupang damsels are VERY aggressive. I had one that killed off several fish and tried to kill others. The second one I had just went in a tank with large tomato clowns so there was no problem.

[hypertech]

Maybe you got an evil one or it wasn't a kupang. Mine isn't any trouble.

Edited April 28, 2012 by hypertech

[smallreef]

I have to say ANY damsel can be non aggressive in one persons tank and a TERROR in anothers... it really just depends on the fishes temperment plus the extenuating circumstances.. is it around more aggressive fish that make it seem NON aggressive... is it with timid fish that are bullied easily...

 

the most sound advice I would give to anyone trying any kind of damsel.. from a chromis to a maroon clownfish is to add it last and have a back up plan if things go south...

[SunWyrm]

^ +1

[treesprite]

Good point and advice.

[zygote2k]

starcki damsel

[flowerseller]

How about 3 - 7 orange stripped cardinals?

[treesprite]

If I'm going to put some other fish in there, it needs to have more color in it. I gave up trying to have a group of anything, so I'd be happy with a random fish or two.

 

I'd get another cherub angel if it weren't for the fact that they every time I have one I end up getting rid of it, because they think they own the tank. They aren't aggressive, but instead of picking a territory, they take over the whole tank and get into their tank mates' spaces constantly, which makes the other fish uppity and stressed out.

[zygote2k]

sailfin mollies.

[smallreef]

I have an orange lined cardinal and they are VERY colorful (pictures never do them justice,, their orange SPARKLES!!!) and I think 3-5 would actually group up in a decent sized tank... they like to hang out together (or so ALL the books have said)...

[treesprite]

But I already have orange fish... and one of them literally jumped out of the water yesterday to bite me!

[davelin315]

I have had yellow tail blue damsels in all of my systems going back for the past 20+ years now. I have not had one that was aggressive, but there are a couple of different ones out there that are sometimes sold as yellow tail blue damsels. Make sure that the one you're getting is Chyrsiptera parasema. That's the true yellow tail blue damsel. Often times the yellow tail blue devils are confused with them or the ones that have the yellow tail that runs along their entire belly are sold as them. Those two species are far less docile than the yellow tails. I have always tried to have small groups of them and they did very well including spawning often. As far as aggressiveness, I have had multiple fish mixed in with them including very docile fish. I've found that they are less aggressive than most clowns and when they are defending their nesting territories they tended not to defend more than a few inches around them whereas my clowns have always needed at least 6"-1' space. I wouldn't hesitate to add one based on my own experiences with them, but again, you have to make sure you have the right one.