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How agressive do these fish actually get. dould i keep 3-4 of them in a 120 gallon tank. i havn't decide on the other fish for the tank yet, it isn't set up yet either, but i am just thinking of fish possibilities.

Last edited by Sonic2041 at 18-Apr-2005 23:03

Last edited by Sonic2041 at 19-Apr-2005 08:14

I'm sure it would be possible, but they are not very exciting fish, IMO. You could stock a large tank with much more colorful and interesting fish.

I've always had a fondness for the 3 and 4 stripe damsels.. They aren't the flashiest of fish, but they do have funny personalities.. Very curious, and always poking their noses into everything..

In a tank as large as the one you're planning, they should be able to spread out and have their own territories, but I'd expect to see some aggression.. If it were my tank, I'd most likely stick with perhaps 2 and then find tankmates that are capable of putting up with em.. They definately aren't the sweetest disposed of the damsel family..

Good Luck to you and have fun stocking your tank..

Are these the fishes I know as Sergeant Majors, Abudefduf saxatilis, perchance?

Only they can be pretty fractious with each other and some other fishes, but have as a redeeming quality that they are considered among the most 'bomb-proof' of coral reef fishes. They're tough enough to stand the stresses of cycling, and were used for that purpose in the days when the undergravel filter was still in its infancy in the marine aquarium, because few other fishes would stand the conditions.

Mind you, even in a large aquarium, they can become bad tempered. Which explains why they've fallen out of favour as aquarium technology has made it possible to start marine fishkeeping with more colourful and less fractious fishes. However, if you can live with them, they are, as Oleta said, interesting to watch, even if they don't dazzle with acrylic-hued brilliance like several other Damsels.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002