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Damsel Fishes
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Blue Reef Chromis
(Chromis cyanea)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only system or large reef aquarium. 120 gallons or larger is preferred. An open swimmer species that quickly retreats into the rockwork when threatened.
Aquarium Behavior: Likes to bully members of its own species. It can be found swimming in aggregations with other species.
Maximum Length: 6 in
Food & Diet: Adapted species often readily accept flake and dried foods.
Reef Compatibility: They can be housed with corals and invertebrates with very little problems.
Quick Notes: Do not keep with predatory fish species, especially when stocking with smaller species. In larger aquariums this fish will breed in the aquarium. Should only be purchased by aquarists who can provide adequate swimming room.
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Blue-Green Chromis
(Chromis viridis)
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Tank: Almost any aquarium will house this species adequately, but it will undoubtedly will do best in a reef aquarium that closely simulates its natural environment. 13 gallons will house three comfortably. Mostly an open-water swimmer. Its not recommended to keep these guys singly, they do best with a group of three or more.
Aquarium Behavior: This fish will reward you with hours of entertainment. An easy species to maintain in your aquarium. Be aware that territorial males can bully weaker males to the point where they will eventually die from starvation.
Maximum Length: 3 in
Food & Diet: Will accept almost any meaty, flake, or particulate foods you offer. Feed several small amounts regularly.
Reef Compatibility: If it enters a spawning cycle it could damage invertebrates that it chooses to act as the nest site, but this phenomenon is rare.
Quick Notes: This species will breed in an aquarium and the males will guard the nest site vigorously. Do not keep these fish with predatory fish. A small shoal will encourage timid fish of other species out into open water of the aquarium. When stocking this fish take care that such species do not starve when feeding as the Chromis will feed faster then some.
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Blue Damselfish
(Chrysiptera cyanea)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only system or large reef aquarium. 13 gallons or larger. Found all over the tank, in rockwork and in open water. Keep singly, in pairs or in a male-dominated harem of three or four.
Aquarium Behavior: This fish can be very territorial so be sure this is one of the last fish introduced. Males are more aggressive than females, but neither can be trusted completely.
Maximum Length: 2-3.5 in
Food & Diet: Feed mysis, brineshrimp, chopped shellfish, flake, and freeze-dried offerings.
Reef Compatibility: Should not harm corals or sessile invertebrates, with the possible exception of tunicates or ornamental shrimp.
Quick Notes:This species may be threatened by damselfish, some wrasses, and other small robust species, but is usually able to withstand any initial victimization soon after being introduced to the aquarium. This species will breed in the aquarium.
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Yellow-Tailed Blue Damselfish
(Chrysiptera parasema)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only system or large reef aquarium. Minimum tank size should be at least 13 gallons. Best kept singly, in pairs, or in small groups in a larger aquarium.
Aquarium Behavior: Moderately aggressive towards similar-sized and smaller fish. This behavior can be worse when the fish is introduced as one of the first species in a new aquarium.
Maximum Length: 2.75 in
Food & Diet: Dried flakes and granules in addition to frozen marine fish preparations.
Reef Compatibility: Should not harm any sessile inverts or ornamental shrimp.
Quick Notes:Because these fish are often kept in large groups in the dealer's tanks, try to avoid any that show evidence of bullying by more dominant fish. The body color should be solid blue and the fins intact. This species will breed in the aquarium. A commonly available species of damselfish, generally regarded as one of the more peaceful from this family of small reef fish. In order to avoid any problems with aggression, it is best to introduce it when all delicate species are already established.
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Fijian Blue & Gold Damselfish
(Chrysiptera taupou)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only system or large reef aquarium. Minimum tank size should be at least 13 gallons. The upper limits will be dictated by the size of the tank. Four is not unreasonable in a 100-gallon tank, but allow space for fish to grow.
Aquarium Behavior: This species can typically occupy small territories that are often home to small amounts of the algae that they graze on. It does not appear to be necessary to simulate these areas in the aquarium. Take care with small fish species that have a similar lifestyle.
Maximum Length: 3.1 in
Food & Diet: Dried flakes and granules in addition to frozen marine fish preparations along with dried algae.
Reef Compatibility: Should be safe with all inverts although nothing is completely 100% safe.
Quick Notes:This species will breed in aquariums. Most species ignore damselfish if they themselves are left alone. Exceptions can include other damselfishes, anemonefishes, and dottybacks. It is often possible to house a group together, providing individuals are stocked simultaneously and at a small size.
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Humbug aruanus
(Dascyllus aruanus)
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Tank: Live rock-based fish-only system or large reef aquarium if you can tolerate its behavior. 66 gallons or larger. Juveniles seldom stray too far from refuge, but adults swim confidently into open water. Keep singly or in male-dominated harems. One male and three females are said to be acceptable.
Aquarium Behavior: Although small juvniles are quite peaceful, their aggression increases as they grow. Fairly robust species introduced before the damselfish should not be threatened, but sensitive species or those added after the humbugs may be harassed at least and killed at worst.
Maximum Length: 3-4 in
Food & Diet: Offer meaty foods, including mysis (chopped if necessary), brineshrimp, and chopped shellfish. Settled specimens accept many dried foods, including flake.
Reef Compatibility: Can strip coral tissue from its stony or fibrous skeleton in order to provide a space for the females to deposit her eggs.
Quick Notes:Small specimens may be singled out for aggression by wrasses or other samsels, but due to their hardiness and low price, they are often stocked before species that can cause them problems. Males clear a nesting site and entice the females to deposit her eggs, which he then protects. They are successful breeders.
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Domino Damselfish
(Dascyllus trimaculatus)
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Tank: Fish-only; live rock-based fish-only system; or very large reef aquarium. 80 gallons. Keep singly or in pairs. Juveniles seldom stray too far from refuge, but adults will swim confidently into open water.
Aquarium Behavior: Juveniles are shy and although they bicker among themselves, small fish are seldom a problem. However, as they grow, their territorial aggression increases exponentially and they will attack, and sometimes kill, any new introductions of residents that are not strong enough to look after themselves.
Maximum Length: 4-5 in
Food & Diet: Will accept almost anything offered including flake, granular, and other dried foods, but mix these with frozen meaty foods for the best long-term result.
Reef Compatibility: Damage to inverts is seldom deliberated. Large specimens may rearrange rockwork or attack ornamental shrimp. Their sand-moving behavior can also smother sessile inverts.
Quick Notes: If you must own this fish, be sure to keep it with very hardy species. Males clear a nesting site and entice females to deposit her eggs, which he then guards. Very hardy fish but it is not an ideal species for the marine aquarium. Its presence can preclude the introduction of almost any other fish and its growth rate is prodigious.
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