Tropical Fish Hobbyist - October 2010

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. For example, the big lip damsel, Cheiloprion labiatus, would not be a good candidate for a reef system containing Acropora spp., as it feeds primarily on the polyps of those corals. For another, the bowtie or black damsel, Neoglyphidodon melas, can’t be trusted in a reef system stocked with soft corals, as they compose its natural diet. But most of the commonly sold pomacentrids are generalized omnivores that can be trusted around corals and other sessile invertebrates. If you do your homework by researching the needs of any clownfish or damselfish specimen before you bring it home, you should have no problems in this regard. All clownfishes are reef-safe in the sense that they won’t nip at or eat polyps; however, as we’ve already touched upon, they may irritate sessile invertebrates that they’ve

Gnarled porous live rock is the ideal
choice of aquascaping material, as
you can stack it in a greater variety
of configurations than you can slab-
like rocks. You can also join these live
rocks together with plastic cable ties
or aquarium-safe epoxy or silicone
to enhance stability or to create more
elaborate aquascaping—such as
minimize the amount of debris that
gets trapped in the substrate, where
it can decompose and quickly foul the
water, many hobbyists who keep nano
systems prefer to use no substrate
whatsoever. Or, if they want the
naturalistic appearance of a crushed
aragonite or coral substrate, they
might choose to use a faux substrate

Stephan Kerkhofs/Shutterstock
Robert Inglis
Shutterstock

The bowtie damsel is one of the species not safe for reef tanks because they will eat soft corals. This is a juvenile; the adults are solid black in color.

adopted as surrogate hosts, preventing
them from expanding their tissues to
receive the light they need to sustain
themselves. In some cases this can
prove deadly to the invertebrate, so
if this behavior is observed and it
continues unabated, the offending
clownfish will need to be removed
from the reef system.

Aquascaping the
Pomacentrid Aquarium
Whereas some reef fishes demand
ample open space for swimming
in an aquarium, clownfishes and
damselfishes seem to do best when
they have lots of structure in which to
take refuge. Clownfishes, absent a host
anemone or suitable surrogate, will
often adopt a small cave or ledge as a
safe retreat. Hence a tank containing
pomacentrids should be aquascaped
to provide lots of nooks, crannies,
crevices, and caves.

bridges or overhanging ledges.

Artificial branching stony corals would provide a nice naturalistic setting for species that naturally seek refuge among coral heads, such as the popular humbug damsel, Dascyllus aruanus, and its very similarly patterned cousin, the black-tailed humbug, Dascyllus melanurus.

As far as substrate goes, crushed aragonite or crushed coral is just fine for pomacentrids. Clownfishes and damsels aren’t burrowers, so it’s not necessary to provide them with a deep sand bed (DSB) unless you plan to utilize one for the combined purpose of nitrification and natural nitrate reduction. A substrate depth of 2 inches ( 5 cm) is more than adequate if you just want the tank to have a naturalistic look. For a DSB, a minimum depth of 4 inches ( 10 cm) is recommended.

For easier maintenance and to
s
d
by gluing a fine layer of substrate
material either to the bottom of the
tank or to a sheet of glass or acrylic
that has been cut to fit the bottom of
the tank. D

Excerpted from the book Clownfishes and Other Damselfishes: The Complete Guide to the Successful Care and Breeding of These Hardy and Popular Marine Fish. ISBN 9780793816781; April 2010. ©T.F.H. Publications Inc. Used with permission.