Damsels

[Chris2500DK]

I'm rather confused by the contradictions I find concerning these fish. Pretty much every forum I've read strongly discourage people from buying them citing high aggression, yet places like Liveaquaria ( http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=134 ) and the book I've bought (Marine fishes by Scott W. Michael) rates several of the damselfish, like the yellowtail, as peaceful and great for community tanks :confused:

[cajen]

I think part of the problem is that many reefkeepers have the smaller, less aggressive fish with their corals (firefish, small gobies, etc) which any damsel will dominate or terrorise. Books written for the more rough and tumble FO systems recommend damsels, as the other inhabitants are big or aggressive enough to look after themselves.

[Chris2500DK]

Ah, so damsels could be viewed as the Malawi cichlids of marine tanks so to speak?

[L200]

Ah, so damsels could be viewed as the Malawi cichlids of marine tanks so to speak?

I think thats the perfect description for the damn things!

Go for chromis if you want a good shoaling fish!

[maestro]

The only non aggressive damsel that I know of is the starkii damsel, you dont see them very often though and when you do they are expensive.