
- Commercial Food Pellets for Damselfish
- Spirulina or Algae Pellets
- Seaweed (Dried)
- Bloodworms (Live, frozen or freeze-dried)
- Peas (Boiled and deshelled)
- Broccoli (Boiled and chopped up)
- Tubeworms (Live or freeze-dried)
- Brine Shrimp (Live or freeze-dried)
- Mysis Shrimp (Live or Dried)
- Krill (Freeze-Dried)
- Daphnia (Live or freeze-dried)
- Fish (Fresh or frozen)
- Shrimp (Cleaned, raw or boiled)
- Crab Meat (Cleaned, fresh)
- Mussel Meat (Boiled and frozen)
What do damselfish fish eat?
Damselfish Diet and Feeding. One of the appealing qualities of Damselfish is that they are very easy to feed and tend to eat just about anything placed into the tank. The vast majority of Damselfish are omnivores. They will eat both live and frozen food, in addition to flake food.
How do I Keep my damselfish from fighting with other fish?
This will prevent the damselfish from feeling that the entire tank is their territory and bullying the other fish. You should feed the fish you already have in the tank before introducing the damselfish, so that all your fish are content and there is less chance of a fight.
What kind of food does a blue damsel eat?
Common Names: Yellowtail Blue Damsel, Goldtail Demoiselle, Yellowtail Damsel. Max Size: 2-3 inches, 5-7.5 cm Diet: Omnivorous–will eat small meaty and vegetable-based foods. Will likely be an extremely eager eater of anything offered at home
What fish can you keep with Talbot damsels?
Talbot damsels are less aggressive than most damselfish and as such, can be kept with other semi-aggressive fish like percula, ocellaris, and pink skunk clownfish. Very active in nature, talbot damsels may be small, but can get territorial as they reach sexual maturity.

What should I feed my damsel?
A well-balanced damsel diet consists of:Flakes, pellets, freeze-dried and frozen food.A variedVary diet to ensure proper nutritional balance.
What do you feed a blue damsel?
Vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp, cyclops, frozen seafood, and herbivore flakes make a good diet for Blue Damselfish. Including color-enhancing flake foods in the diet helps to keep the fish looking vibrant and beautiful.
How long can damselfish go without food?
As far as vacation feeding is concerned, it's generally safe to assume that most healthy (note the emphasis) fish will be fine for a few days to a week or so without eating depending on the species. Beyond that, you'll definitely want to make some accommodation to have the fish fed—even if just every two or three days.
Do damsels eat seaweed?
Your damsel doesn't really need the seaweed. It may eat it, especially if it sees other fish eating it. Alone with no examples to follow it may not try it.
What do damselfish eat in the ocean?
What do Damselfish Eat in the Ocean? In the wild, damselfish have a varied diet that comprises plankton, algae, small crustaceans, and small yolky eggs that belong to other fish.
Can damselfish live with clownfish?
Clownfish are a species of Damselfish themselves. And many Damselfish tend to be territorial and aggressive towards one another as well as their tank mates. However the Chromis Damselfish are a notable exception to the trend.
What fish can you put with damsels?
To play it safe, stick with species from Chrysiptera like Azure, Talbot, Springer's, Rolland's, Yellowtail, Tracey's, Tuxedo (research, these look very similar to the striped damsels of the Dascyllus genus, you don't wanna end up with a Three-Stripe or Four-Stripe) maybe King (Chrysiptera Rex) demoiselles too.
How long do damsels live in captivity?
Their lifespan is an estimated 6 to 8 years in the wild, though some species may live 10 to 12 years in their natural habitats. In captivity they may live 18 to 20 years. These fish are members of the Pomacentridae family of Damselfish and Anemonefish.
What is the most peaceful damselfish?
Chrysiptera talbotiThe talboti or Talbot's damsel, Chrysiptera talboti Very pretty, and quite possibly the most peaceful of all the damsels. This species is highly recommended due to its generally peaceful nature, small size, and hardiness, as well.
Do damsel fish eat algae?
Damselfish lack the digestive enzymes to process many kinds of algae, and members of the genus Polysiphonia are some of the few they can eat. The fish also act the gardener (Mr. McGregor, perhaps) in chasing away invaders like the sea urchin, the Peter Rabbit of the damselfish garden.
Do damselfish eat coral?
Damselfish kill a section of the coral, and then wait for algae to grow in the dead spot. On this coral, only a few live sections remain. Scientists say the world's coral reefs could go extinct during our children's lifetimes. Human activities are putting this beautiful ecosystem at risk.
Why is my blue damsel turning white?
At night, their coloring gets much lighter. Their bellies look really light blue/white. It's just something they do. Nothing to worry about.
How long do damsels live in captivity?
Their lifespan is an estimated 6 to 8 years in the wild, though some species may live 10 to 12 years in their natural habitats. In captivity they may live 18 to 20 years. These fish are members of the Pomacentridae family of Damselfish and Anemonefish.
What fish can you put with damsels?
To play it safe, stick with species from Chrysiptera like Azure, Talbot, Springer's, Rolland's, Yellowtail, Tracey's, Tuxedo (research, these look very similar to the striped damsels of the Dascyllus genus, you don't wanna end up with a Three-Stripe or Four-Stripe) maybe King (Chrysiptera Rex) demoiselles too.
What do butterfly fish eat?
Suitable Aquarium Foods Unless otherwise noted in individual species profiles, most all Butterflyfishes can be fed a varied diet of vitamin-enriched marine fish, crustacean, and mollusk flesh, mysid shrimp, and any appropriate frozen preparations suitable for carnivores.
Can damselfish live in freshwater?
Most damselfish species exist only in marine environments, but a few inhabit brackish or fresh water. These fish are found globally in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters.
What are the best foods for a damselfish?
Peas. Peas are great for Damselfish’s digestive systems. They help in preventing constipation and swim bladder disorders that arise due to constipation. Peas should be boiled and their shells should be removed. The soft peas should then be chopped up into tiny pieces, so the Damselfish can swallow them easily.
What do you need to prepare damselfish shrimp?
Shrimp. The shrimp that we can buy from the fish market is also enjoyed by Damselfish. To prepare them, you will need to remove the heads, legs and tails, as these parts are often sharp and can cause injuries to the Damselfish. The remaining part of the shrimp will need to be rinsed under clean running water.
How to freeze dried tubeworms?
They are packed in the form of small cubes. These cubes can be put in a bowl of water for a couple of minutes to soften up and rehydrate a little before putting them in the tank for your Damselfish to gobble up. Or, you could squish the cube between your finger and the aquarium wall, under the water level. Doing this will also rehydrate them a little.
How big is a damselfish ball?
These are very high in protein, and are great for your Damselfish. They curl up very close to each other and form a ball. This ball could be just 1 inch wide and have well over a thousand tiny individuals! A hungry Damselfish will not be able to resist a ball of these guys wiggling on the aquarium floor!
What is a spirulina fish?
Spirulina is a type of Algae, which is commonly called Blue-Green Algae. It is very high in protein and is among the most nutrient-dense foods known, so are great for Damselfish. It is available in flake and pellet form for your fish.
What is krill in Damselfish?
Krill are also a species of crustacean. They contain lots of vitamins and minerals, which help in bringing out the best colours on your Damselfish.
What are some good foods to eat to boost your immune system?
Broccoli. These can be given steamed or boiled, and then chopped up. They contain Vitamins C and K, fibre, iron and potassium. They barely contain any fat, and are great for boosting the immune systems of Damselfish.
What do saltwater fish need?
The one thing all saltwater fish need, to feel secure in a home saltwater tank is structure, like live rock, so that they can have a safe place to retreat to when threatened. For more info about live rock, check out this definitive guide.
What is a demersal spawner?
They are demersal spawners, which means they will attach their eggs to a substrate, like clownfish and cichlids. In your community reef tank that might be live rock, a decoration, or even the sidewall glass. If kept in a tank dedicated to spawning, that might mean a PVC pipe, flower pot, or ceramic tile.
How big of a fish can you keep in a saltwater aquarium?
Since they are a relatively smaller saltwater aquarium fish species and only reach a maximum size of about 3 inches, you don’t need a lot of room to keep them. 20-gallons is probably pushing the limit a bit, on the small size, only if kept with other small aggressive fish (like maybe a few damselfish, for example).
What is the best way to deal with African cichlids?
As is the case with African Cichlids, sometimes the best solution to the aggression is to keep them with a tank full of other similarly aggressive species, like Blue Devil Damselfish, Domino Damselfish, etc. When trying to make aggressive fish compatible with each other–the more the merrier.
Is a yellowtail damselfish good for beginners?
They are extremely hardy, gorgeous, inexpensive, and available in aquarium shops everywhere. But while they are suitable for beginners, they are not always recommended for beginners. Let’s dive a little bit deeper into what makes this species ...
What does an omnivore eat?
Diet: Omnivorous–will eat small meaty and vegetable-based foods. Will likely be an extremely eager eater of anything offered at home
Do damsels spawn?
In keeping with the comparisons with cichlids, Matthew Wittenrich reports that spawning is relatively easily accomplished with the Yellowtail Damselfish and other blue damsels. The species does exhibit sexual dimorphism, with mature males being larger than females, and with females taking on more of a rounded belly appearance (Wittenrich 2007).
What fish can you have with Damselfish?
Damselfish can make good tankmates to peaceful fish such as gobies, dartfish, and fairy wrasses, as long as there is ample space for all your fish. Also make sure the peaceful fish are established in your tank first.
Why do damselfish fish need a water filter?
It is also important to have a water filter to keep the water clean and safe for your fish, and to create currents for gas exchange and removal of waste products.
How much space do damselfish need?
Damselfish require a good amount of space. If you are keeping only a mated pair of damselfish and no other fish, the tank should be at least 20 gallons (75.7 liters) in volume. A tank housing more damselfish than that, as well as other types of fish, should be at least 45 gallons (170.3 liters) in volume, with at least 15 gallons (56.8 liters) ...
What is a damselfish fish?
Damselfish are a omnivorous saltwater fish species that belong to the family Pomacentridae. In the wild, they mostly feed on plankton and are a coral reef-dwelling species, related to clownfish. Some members of this family are called chromis, but they are still grouped under the term ‘damselfish.’. Many damselfish species are popular fish ...
What to do if you house a semi aggressive fish?
If you house them with small semi-aggressive or aggressive fish, they should be monitored closely to make sure that they are not being bullied.
Why do fish need live rock?
Live rock creates a biological filtering system that is essential to a healthy tank, and it should be the first thing in a new marine tank, as it establishes the nitrogen cycle that will remove ammonia from your fish’s water.
How aggressive are sand worms?
They can be moderately aggressive to other fish in your tank, but their aggression will be lessened if you keep them in groups of three to seven. They inhabit the middle to bottom of a tank, and prefer to have a sand substrate to burrow in.
Where do jewel damselfish live?
Moving into the subfamily Pomacentrinae, and keeping with the few “terror” subjects mentioned above, I want to mention Microspathodon chrysurus, the jewel damselfish, which hails from the Tropical West Atlantic from Florida to Brazil and gets to about 7 inches. I’ve had only one—but that was probably one too many. As a juvenile these fish are a very pretty deep blue with iridescent blue spots on their body, hence the common name. As it grows larger the spots become smaller and the body coloration changes to a yellowish-brown. Not only does it lose its pretty appearance, but it will occasionally feed upon coral polyps, and that’s besides it being a terror in mixed-company aquariums where inhabitants are mild mannered. Forewarned is forearmed.
Where do black tail damselfish fish live?
melanurus, the black-tail or striped damselfish. It hails from the Central Indo-Pacific and generally inhabits lagoons and bays. It’s often confused with D. aruanus, however this species has four black bands whereas D. aruanus has three. It only gets about 3 inches, but otherwise it shares the same traits.
What is the name of the damsel that is peaceful?
I’ve also kept two other quite peaceful damsels in the genus Chrysiptera, e.g., C. hemicyanea (Azure demoiselle), and more recently, C. starcki (Starck’s demoiselle). They both made good reef aquarium additions, and were added at various times during the history of those aquariums. Both did well on the foods mentioned above.
Where does the yellow tail blue damselfish come from?
One of the most commonly available species is the yellow-tail blue damselfish C. parasema. It comes from the Central Indo-Pacific where it inhabits, in large numbers, areas around dense coral growths. It gets to about 3 inches in length. It’s another readily available species in the trade and is always inexpensive, especially considering its beautiful electric-blue body and yellow tail. As with most damselfish it thrives on meaty foods, e.g., mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, shredded marine-fish or crustacean flesh, cyclops, and enriched flake foods.
Is a damsel a marine fish?
Damsels are hardy, lively, and colorful marine fish, but the territorial nature of many species belies their relatively small size.
Is a damsel hardy?
Not because they were expensive or not hardy, as just the opposite is true. In fact, there’s probably not a shop that doesn’t have these fish for sale.
What type of water do damselfish use?
It goes without saying that since most of the variants of a Damselfish are saltwater species, you need to use marine water in the tank.
How many species of damselfish are there?
Belonging to the Pomacentridae family, which in itself has over 350 species, Damselfish is a vibrantly colored species that spends the majority of its time foraging. This tropical fish is pretty active by nature, which is a great selling point for fish traders since people love to gaze the movements of fish in their tank.
Why are clownfish and damselfish cousins?
Damselfish and Clownfish are considered cousins because they both belong to the Pomacentridae family.
How long do damselfish live?
The highly aggressive variants of Damselfish tend to live longer than the moderately aggressive ones. This fish can live up to 10-12 years, which is pretty long for an aquarium species. In fact, some variants of this fish can live up to 18-20 years.
What is the best fish to keep in an aquarium?
Hardy by nature and great to look at, Damselfish are an excellent choice of pet for your aquarium. As long as you are not obsessed with keeping multiple different kinds of fish in your tank, they will serve you good since they don’t bore well with intrusion from other species, owing to their aggressive nature. We hope our care guide has put you in a better position to take care of them. So, choose from their many variants and bring this amazing fish to your home.
Why do damselfish die?
Probably the biggest reason for death or illness in Damselfish is due to a high exposure to ammonia over a long period of time . It leads to their body transforming to a dark color and/or spots on their tail and eventual death.
Where is the Domino Damselfish native to?
The Domino Damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus) grows up to a length of 5” (12 cm). It is also known as Threespot Dascyllus because of the spots on its body. Having a distinct look from most of the other variants of Damselfish, it is extremely aggressive in nature. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region, mainly in the Red Sea, East Africa, Pitcairn Islands, Australia, and Japan.
What do damselfish eat?
The vast majority of Damselfish are omnivores. They will eat both live and frozen food, in addition to flake food.
How big do damsels get?
Like the Blue Damselfish it sports a blue body however this particular fish has a gorgeous yellow tail fin. It tends to grow up to 3 inches in length and is regarded as one of the best types of Damsel, because it’s one of the least aggressive.
What is a saltwater fish?
March 19, 2018 Robert Saltwater Fish 2. The Damselfish belong to the Pomacentridae family, of which there is over 250 species. Whilst the majority of these Damselfish species are found in saltwater, certain species can survive in brackish waters. The Damselfish are renowned for their bright colors, hardiness and ease to keep.
What is the name of the half blue damselfish?
The Azure Damselfish ( Chrysiptera hemicyanea) is known as the Half-blue Damselfish. It has a bright blue top and bright yellow bottom-colored body.
How big does a blue damselfish get?
It will grow up to 3 inches in length and is bright blue in color. Males will have a yellow tail and snout, whereas juveniles and females don’t tend to have the yellow highlights. Interestingly, when threatened, the Blue Damselfish can turn almost completely black in a matter of seconds.
How big do damselfish fish get?
Their natural environment is in tropical coral reefs and they are lively and active fish. The majority of Damselfish grow to around 3 inches in length however large species, such as the Garibaldi, can grow up to 12 inches long. They are well known for their bright colors and aggressive, territorial nature.
How big do domino damsels get?
The domino Damselfish, also known as the three spot or Dascyllus trimaculatus, is named because of the white spots on its body. It will grow to 5 inches in size, but beware it is particularly aggressive and should be kept with care.

Table of Contents
Quick Facts About Theyellowtail Damselfish
Natural Habitat
Ideal Aquarium Conditions and Care Requirements
Aggression
Compatibility
Spawning and Reproduction
Feeding
- These are bold eaters, potentially even aggressive. They will accept nearly anything you feed your tank, from flakes, pellets, frozen foods. Since they are omnivores, it is likely best to vary the types of foods periodically to enable nutrition from multiple food types, including some with plant sources.
Learn More About Damselfish
Conclusions