Yellow tailed damsel fish is marine water fish. The fish is quite attractive and popular because of bright blue colour and yellow patch on its tail. It is well suited for small coral and rock based fish tanks. It enhances the beauty of aquarium up to great level. The fish do not grow very large, their length limits at approx 3 inches. They do not demand large aquariums like other damsel. The fish is gorgeous, inexpensive, hardy, disease resistant and they accepts wide range of food. Due to these points, it is well suited for beginners. Yellow tail damsel have good lifespan of 5 years or more under good care. Breeding can be also done in home aquarium by providing appropriate environment. They are safe for reef tanks. Yellow tailed damsel can be aggressive at the time of feeding and while protecting territory. Put 3-4 damsel in aquarium, it will reduce their aggression.
Fish tank setup :
40 gallons tank will be enough to hold a pair of yellow tail damsel. For larger group you will need more tank space. The aquarium can have corals and lots of hiding spaces. The aquarium must have lot of horizontal swimming space too, since it is an active swimmer.
Tank mates :
Yellow tail damsel are less aggressive then other damsel fishes. However, they are still territorial and can kill other tank mates while defending their area. Never add any passive tank mates, other wise they will be harassed to death. Larger fish tank will give them more space and territories to claim which in turn reduce aggression of tank mates. You can keep them with tangs, angelfish, trigger fish, hawk fish. But keep an eye on them, if any dispute occur try changing the aquarium setup or separate them from each other.
Diet :
Yellow tail damsel are active eaters and accepts almost anything. They can be fed on flakes, pellets, spirulina, mysis shrimps etc. Do not overfeed them even though they tend to hungry all the time. Give them protein and mineral rich food so they do not loose colour as they mature.
Fish tank size : 30 gallon for 1 damsel fish
Temperature : 23- 28 degrees Celsius
Temperament : semi aggressive ( territorial )
Size : 3 inches
Care : easy
Food : omnivores ( accepts mostly all food)
Lifespan : 5 years