How long do damselfish live

They are just as pretty as other other Damsel relatives but far more peaceful. They will bring the lively nature and action of Damsels without the aggressiveness. I will break down 4 of the more colorful Chrysiperta Damsels that fit the exclusive Damsel blue that many hobbyist love:. The Azure is the most mild-mannered of the group. It has a wonderful disposition in the group and has rarely caused disruptions in aquariums.

It is the best Damselfish to choose if you are considering one that is blue. In larger tanks, they have been kept in groups. It is as of the date of this post, the only Damselfish of the 4 that is available as tank bred.

The Starck is more aggressive than the Azure but still far less than many other Damsels. It has a brilliant blue body with a broad yellow band running along the top. This is the most aggressive of the four and has the most horror stories behind it.

Both are incorrect ways on how to introduce a Damselfish. I personally have recommend this marine fish to potential Blue Hippo Tang buyers along with a lot of education about the care and maintenance required to successfully keep saltwater fish.

The suggestion was so common, that I actually was interviewed by the Huffington Post about my experience with this fish. This Indo Pacific fish is well known for wiping out flatworms in a reef tank , their ability to wipe out pests have been compared with Wrasses like Six-line and Malnanrus Wrasses. In a smaller system they cannot be beat for pest control.

Keep in mind though as they mature they will look at your hands as threats to their territory and will likely attack your hands! So I have outlined the four best Damselfish. Damselfish are often going to be the most aggressive marine fish you will add to your tank. Because of this, you need to introduce them last into your tank where territory has already been established by your other tankmates.

This will prevent your damsel from becoming the alpha fish in your tank. Semi-aggressive fish need to be in the tank in order to be successful in the tank. If you have timid tank mates like firefish, damsels should be avoided. Rockwork is the third factor on our list. You are likely going to have a lot of rockwork if you have a reef aquarium so you will likely be okay. This is mostly a consideration if you have a fish-only setup.

Just make sure you have a tank that is suited for the species of fish you are getting, add them last, and pay attention to tankmates. The damselfish on this list, with the exception of the Starcki Damsel, will grow to about inches in length.

The Starcki will be a bit bigger topping out at 4 inches. Give their more aggressive nature, it is best to keep them in a 30 gallon aquarium or larger with length being a major factor as damsels tend to claim an area of the tank as their own. Water temperature should remain at 73 to 81 Fahrenheit, which pH levels at 8.

Open spaces are ideal for them as damsels are open swimmers. The rocks you keep in the tank should have plenty of hiding places to reduce aggression. Damselfish should be offered a complete diet. There are not many of us in this hobby who will go make fresh seafood for our marine fish.

The next best option would be live black worms if you can somehow get it locally and grow a culture, but again your significant other may not be a fan of you keeping worms around the house or in the fridge ;-.

So this brings us to frozen food. It is important to note that there are several Damselfish variants, and we will try to cover some species here, but the goal would be to cover the most popular variant — the Blue Damselfish. Blue Damselfish are among the most popular saltwater fish because of their durability and appearance.

They originate in tropical coral reefs but can be found in temperate climates as well. One prominent hotspot for damselfish is near the Catalina Islands in California.

A few damselfish variants have been found in freshwater lagoons, brackish waters, and even in mangroves. Some variants have been spotted in warm climates of the Pacific Mexican coast, like the Garibaldi fish. The main draw of damselfish , apart from their striking appearance, is that they are incredibly hardy. Fish do not require a specialized diet and will do just fine with any food you feed them.

In the older days of fishkeeping, before fishless cycling became commonplace, damselfish would be used to cycle saltwater tanks because they could tolerate levels of nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia that could otherwise kill off any other saltwater fish. Most Damselfish variants live within water columns, but some have been found to live at a depth of up to meters. Most Damsel fish variants have different appearances, but their primary structure and color are nearly the same.

They feature a deep-coloured body, a forked-tail very similar to Cichlids, and feature two nostrils on either side of their head, along with two anal spines. They can be found in vibrant shades, including blue, yellow, orange, and red. They grow to over 3 inches in length and are bright blue in appearance. Males Damselfish have a yellow-coloured tail with a snout, but females and juveniles lack these yellow highlights.

These fish are native to the Caribbean oceans and carry the scientific name, Stegastes partitions. They are pretty big at about 4 inches and, therefore, a little more aggressive than the Blue Damselfish. These popular damselfish have a blue body, like the Blue Damselfish, but they have a prominent yellow tail fin. They are also known as the Half-Blue Damsel fish because their body is parts blue and parts yellow.

They only grow to about 3 inches and are tough. Domino damselfish, also known as the Dascyllus trimaculatus, is named because of the three distinct white spots on their body. They can grow to a length of 5 inches in size, which is pretty big as far as damselfish go, and therefore, too aggressive to other species. Their temper has earned them a pretty bad rep in the fishkeeping hobby.

Blue damselfish have been known to continually harass their less aggressive and docile tank mates, sometimes to the point of death. Even though most of them are small in size, they are very territorial and will try to claim the whole tank if it is small. Anything they deem to be their spot, they will aggressively defend. It requires keeping a very close eye on them to spot aggressive behaviour. Fish that are victims of such behaviour will become stressed and withdraw, causing them to become sick and stop eating.

Small variants of the damselfish will swim to the bottom of the water column, while large damselfish prefer to feed higher. They are omnivorous and prefer to eat both live and frozen food, especially flake foods.

Some Damselfish species are herbivorous and prefer a diet of vegetables, so do your research before selecting the right food for your fish. The Blue Damselfish is omnivorous but enjoys eating lots of protein-rich foods, including copepods, shrimp, squid, and small meat pieces. In the wild, damselfish have a varied diet that comprises plankton, algae, small crustaceans, and small yolky eggs that belong to other fish.

After they've been in quarantine for two weeks or so and you notice no signs of illness you can acclimate them into your display tank. Care Level : Easy - although it can be a very hardy fish and some use them to cycle their tanks, we don't recommend this practice and it's easier and quicker to cycle a tank with live rock.

Water Parameters : standard saltwater parameters - pH 8. Even much larger fish can get harassed when swimming past their territory. Use caution when introducing new tank mates in a tank already populated with blue devils. Blue damsel male on male aggression is common.

Tank Mates : Use caution when selecting tank mates. Avoid keeping them with other damsels but if you do, introduce at the same time to limit territorial aggression. May harass other tank mates that come into their territory. They should accept vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and live foods. Tank Region : Usually stays close to its chosen territory in the live rock or any other tank decor that can provide shelter. Gender : Females have the black spot on the dorsal fin , whereas males may not have the black spot.

Site References : Fishbase Wikipedia.