What do azure damsels eat

Care Level : Easy, good for saltwater beginners but keep in mind that they can be aggressive for a smaller fish. Found in lagoons and near shore often in small groups amongst acropora coral. They have also recently been found in the Mediterranean Sea.

They may harass fish that encroach upon their perceived territory. Breeding : these damselfish are egg layers and they form pairs for mating. The eggs are sticky and stick to the substrate where the males guard them until hatch. Aquarium Size : 30 gallon minimum for one and larger tanks when keeping them in multiples. Be ready for aggression amongst themselves when keeping them in groups.

Tank Mates : Don't keep them with predatory fish that are big enough to eat them. Fish Disease : Saltwater Fish Disease - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment - damselfish are some of the hardiest of saltwater fish species available to the hobby. They are defiantly one of the more peaceful Damselfish.

They enjoy swimming in mid to lower parts of the tank, as they are preyed upon in the wild they need many places to dart into quickly to feel safe. They will utilize small nooks and crannies in the rock and coral work and a sand bed is not needed with these fish as they are not known for diving into the substrates. The usual water parameters are recommended for these fish.

The Azure Damselfish are generally very easy to take care of, making them great fish for beginner hobbyists or even the experienced aquarist. These beautiful fish are very hardy and will eat almost anything provided making them great fish with no special attention need.

They are normally very active fish and will even come to the surface for foods with they are comfortable in the tank. They will handle a wide range of changing temperatures but like other damsels who are hardy, they will fall victim to prolonged poor water conditions. A minimum tank size of 20 gallons is needed for one fish or a mated pair.

They will do well in a coral tank as well as a fish only community but as they are preyed upon in nature, the right house mates needs to be selected carefully. Ensure you have plenty of places in your rocks and corals for them to hide in. Keeping this little fish happy and safe comes down to regular water changes, variety of food fed a few times a day and the right house mates. The Azure Damselfish are Omnivores. In the wild they will feed on zooplankton and also some algae.

In the home aquarium it is important to provide them with a diet that has lots of proteins. Meaty foods like frozen seafoods, Cyclop-eeze, brine shrimp that are vitamin-enriched and mysis shrimp are ideal for them, they can also be fed some flake foods at times. Bright coloring can be maintained by providing some color enhancing foods. Small amounts of feeds several times a day is the best way to feed them. Feeding more regularly helps eliminate any tension in the tank with other tankmates as the Damsels can protect their little area of the tank a lot during feeds.

Currently there is none known although males are thought to be larger. Like others in the same genus a male will be seen moving quickly with more intense coloring attempting to attract the females into spawning. All of the Damsel species are found to shadow the breeding patterns of Clownfish. Breeding successfully requires perfect water conditions and ideally an environment that is predator free.

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. Clownfish and damselfish share nearly the same water requirements and will peacefully co-exist together. However, you will need to provide them with a large enough tank, at least 30 gallons; otherwise, there would be too much in-fighting.

They are very aggressive towards other fish, including their kind. It is not recommended to keep different species of Damsels together in the same tank as a general rule. You should stick to just one species of damselfish per tank. If the tank is tiny, do not mix two or more different Damselfish species — this is a recipe for disaster. Ideal tank mates include similarly sized fish that are semi-aggressive and know how to fight back.

Avoid timid species altogether. It is recommended to introduce damselfish into the Aquarium last. This way, every other species will have claimed their territory and prevent the damselfish from going on a quest to liberate different tank areas. Below is our list of the best saltwater tank mates for damselfish:. You need to check the type of water that you plan on introducing in your Damsel fish tank. Most Damselfish variants are saltwater species, which means you need to use marine water in the Aquarium.

You can either buy marine water online or from a pet store. You could also prepare some saltwater at home by de-ionizing water with sea salt mix. If your damselfish happens to live in brackish or fresh water, you can provide fish with tap water as well. Most damselfish are small in size and only reach an average of 3 inches of length. If you want to keep a school of 4 Damselfish or more, you will need a gallon tank. If your Damsel fish grows a bit too long in size, for instance, 12 inches, you will need at least a gallon tank.

If feeding pellets, make sure they are wet before adding them to the tank so air will not get into their digestive tract which can cause issues. Aquarium Care These damselfish are hardy and easy to keep with a well maintained tank.

Minimum tank size is 20 gallons, so make sure water changes are frequent in such as small tank. Regular water changes done bi-weekly will help replace the trace elements that the fish and corals use up. Guidelines for water changes with different types and sizes of aquariums are:. For more information on maintaining a saltwater aquarium see: Saltwater Aquarium Basics: Maintenance. A reef tank will require specialized filtration and lighting equipment.

Learn more about reef keeping see: Mini Reef Aquarium Basics. Aquarium Setup The Azure Damselfish can be happily kept in a reef setting as well as in a fish only peaceful community tank. The tank should be well decorated with rocks and corals providing many hiding places, as well as open areas for swimming. They are also a great nano tank fish if they are the only ones in the tank. These are one of the more peaceful damselfish.

They swim in mid to lower areas of the tank, but as they are often preyed upon in nature, they need many places to hide to feel secure. They will appreciate little crevices, nooks and crannies created within rock work preferably live rock , corals, or other decor. There are no special requirements for water movement or lighting, unless housed with corals, in which case the coral requirements will need to be considered.

Social Behaviors This genus of damsels, the Chrysiptera , has a wide array of temperaments with the Azure Damselfish being one of the least aggressive. Like all damsels, however, they can become territorial and aggressive when kept as a pair and as they get older. Still they are not anywhere near as aggressive as their cousin the Blue Devil Damsel Chrysiptera cyanea! The minimum tank size is 20 gallons when kept alone or as a mated pair.

With a spawning pair the male will viciously guard his eggs, at which point, a separate tank may be needed if he starts attacking tank mates. A group of several individuals of this species can be kept together but only if there are many hiding places. These fish can cause problems if they are overcrowded, so keep them in small groups and make sure there is at least 15 gallons per damsel.

If you wish to keep them with other fish, they should have at least 40 gallons to prevent any possible aggression, since they do like their own little piece of space within the aquarium. They will get along with peaceful, passive fish in these larger tanks, but you should allow the peaceful tank mates to become established first. Some good tank mates include other non-aggressive damselfish, but not of this genera , larger butterflyfish, and wrasses. Keep an eye on semi-aggressive fish to be sure they are not harassing your Azure Damsel.

Do not house with dottybacks or any aggressive fish. Potential bullies like more aggressive damsels and pygmy angelfish will tend to pick on it. In fact, they will not do well with aggressive fish at all, and tend to be the ones picked on by fish that are larger and more aggressive than they are. Predatory fish are also out of the question, and such fish as sea basses that will eat anything, are not recommended if the tank is not large enough.

In a reef setting the Azure Damsels thrive. They make a great addition to a reef because they pose no threat to coral. They won't bother any large or small invertebrates either, though they may eat a copepod or two. Sex: Sexual differences Sexual differences are unknown, though males may be larger. In the same manner as other members of the genus, a male will move rapidly with gorgeous coloration to attract and invite a female to spawn.

Successful breeding requires perfect water parameters and a large, non-predatory aquarium system. If breeding in captivity, note that brittle stars, serpent stars, wrasses and crabs will eat the eggs of damselfish.

The eggs and larvae are much smaller than clownfish, and are difficult to rear. The Azure Damselfish will spawn in captivity, which often occurs in the middle of the night. Similar to others in their genus, males have their own territory, which is near a nesting site.

This site has rubble or a half of a shell from a clam as the roof and a burrow underneath. The day before the spawning ritual begins, a female will visit the males in their colony and when she chooses a fit and healthy partner she will stop swimming, and facing upward, will flash a light ring around each eye.