Schooling Fish For The Reef Aquarium

[Patroklos]

So, I am slowely putting together my stocking list and timeframe and I cam across the Blue Green Reef Chromis. Obviously nothing new to you guys, when looking at pics I recognized it from several of your tanks in the showcase forum.

I was interested in the fact that you can 1.) keep several in the same tank (which seems to be a rarity the more I read about species!) and 2.) they school, which seems like it would add a lot of character to a tank.

So, some questions;

1.) How have your experiances with this species been if you keep them?

2.) Are their any other species that school?

3.) What are the aquarium requirements, if any, that are needed to encourage schooling behavior?

 

[cmor1701d]

How big is the tank?
How long has it been set up?
What other fish/livestock is in the tank?
What other fish/livestock is planned for the tank?

"In schools, Chromis often adopt a pecking order where the smallest of the group may become tormented to death. Thus the schooling issue is the subject of much debate and concern. It is often recommended that groups of Chromis be kept in schools of no less than 6, as the pecking behavior is more broadly dispensed among the smaller members. However, aquarists have found that pairs and sometimes trios can be grouped successfully without pecking order issues."

 

[Ziggy953]

I have 4 in my tank and have had them for over a year now. They "hang out" together but don't really school...Fish will not actually "school" in an aquarium they will Shoal which is to say they will group together. Schooling refers to uniformed behavior...think about a school of bait fish all making the same movements together. Schooling is a defense technique, lots of little fish look like one big fish.....

Chromis will hang together in the tank and they do add a nice bit of interest to the tank. To have many more the 4 you need a tank 90g+.

 

[Patroklos]

How big is the tank?
How long has it been set up?
What other fish/livestock is in the tank?
What other fish/livestock is planned for the tank?

Personally I will have a 65 gallon (pick it up in an hour), brand new, reef tank.

I am really just talking about in general though.

Chromis will hang together in the tank and they do add a nice bit of interest to the tank. To have many more the 4 you need a tank 90g+.

Yeah, I figured it would be interesting, and four was what I was thinking.

 

[Ziggy953]

Well I started out with 5 but one went MIA and I never replaced it. It is suggested to keep them in odd numbers....

 

[melosu58]

I `ve had real good results with them schooling. Here is a pic of them in the middle.

 

[lance]

ITs a hit or miss result. In most cases they dont like competition in a smaller tank and will kill off the weaker fish. In this way you will have the stronger fish left. But in a small reef tank your limited in amount of stock. So with so many fish to chose from why add so many comon fish.
Think of fish like a CUC. You want aglea eaters and sand sifters for water quailty. $ chromis in a 65 means your very limited in any additional stock.

 

[austinsdad]

Or consider pajama cardinals. Slower moving, that just kinda hang in one area. Cycle with raw, grocery store shrimp and maybe consider adding the chromis first. I'm thinking 3 small ones. They'll also swim out front a lot and help newcomers not be so bashful as you add fish.

Thought about the ultimate stocking plan? Now would be a good time to do that. Wanna share those thoughts?

Also, chromis won't be killing off anybody. Very peaceful fish.

 

[lance]

Chromis wont kill other fish but will kill off each other. I tried to school 4 in a 75 gallon and was left with only 1 after 1 week.And ive seen many others with same results. Salt fish are survivers and need lots of room for any chance of schooling.
But they dont cost most so go ahead and try. But remember most of the fish you buy dont breed well in an aquarium so they come from the ocean reef. And bought by you for some mad scientist experiment. I wish i had known myself and not listened to my LFS who only wanted my money. Live and learn. Believe me you will waste much more money then the few chromis you might loose.

Or consider pajama cardinals. Slower moving, that just kinda hang in one area. Cycle with raw, grocery store shrimp and maybe consider adding the chromis first. I'm thinking 3 small ones. They'll also swim out front a lot and help newcomers not be so bashful as you add fish.

Thought about the ultimate stocking plan? Now would be a good time to do that. Wanna share those thoughts?

Also, chromis won't be killing off anybody. Very peaceful fish.

 

[austinsdad]

If left with one, I'd add 2. At $6 to $8 each, IME you can keep adding as they'll ultimately get the heirarchy together and do fine. I added 3 to 2 that lived in my original setup and now have 3 that have been in the same tnk for almost 3 years now. One real big one - the female/boss/head honcho (or honchA), another slightly smaller and a noticeably smaller one. The last two are males.

 

[lance]

I guess this might be possible but not responsible. But my main point is with so many cool fish why waste your limited space on any chromi. Get all you fish from this link ill leave and you will be unique.

Buy Fish Online: Buy Tropical Fish, WYSIWYG corals, clams and inverts online at the Divers Den

If left with one, I'd add 2. At $6 to $8 each, IME you can keep adding as they'll ultimately get the heirarchy together and do fine. I added 3 to 2 that lived in my original setup and now have 3 that have been in the same tnk for almost 3 years now. One real big one - the female/boss/head honcho (or honchA), another slightly smaller and a noticeably smaller one. The last two are males.

 

[Patroklos]

Thought about the ultimate stocking plan? Now would be a good time to do that. Wanna share those thoughts?

I am not really worried too much about fish (relative), I am primarily interested in inverts and corals. That being said, I still want fish, and Chromis struck me as an interesting addition due to schooling that would also not impact my inverts/corals one bit.

So for fish stocking, right now I am thinking 4-5 Chromis, 2 clowns, and 1 other. I figure I only have 21-22 inches of fish to play with, and that should eat all that up.

The tank is an oddity in dimensions as far as I can tell from reading this site. It is 24Hx18Wx36L. That means that the LR formations will be squat and deep rather than high and skinny. That leaves a large open water collumn that hopefully a community of Chromis can fill.

 

[lance]

Thats it. You asked our opinion and didnt get the answer you wanted. But its fine. Part of reefing is learning. Schooling fish is cool just harder in a smaller tank.

But with any fish its always best to add any species all at one time for any success. I bought mine from LFS and they were fine in his tank in high numbers but in smaller numbers in my tank i was left with one. Just do it. Some need to experiance for them selfs. Its all apart of reefing.GL...

 

[ryshark]

I started off with 5-chromis at one time, ended up with 2-left. 1-died and 2-went mia. I ended up returning the remaining-2 back to the LFS for some credit. Now I am done with chromis, probably for good. I didn't have much luck with them. Even when all 5 were alive they didnt always swim together, which is what I was also trying to achieve. You may have better luck than me though.

 

[Ziggy953]

Chromis are interesting fish. They are background fish...I like mine and if you want to add them to your tank then I say go for it. They are fairly hardy and easy to care for. Mine will eat right out of my hand.

I still think it would be best to stick with 3 instead of the 5 you mentioned. You don't want to add too many fish too quickly and 3 will do just fine in your tank.

 

[Patroklos]

Thats it. You asked our opinion and didnt get the answer you wanted.

Come on now, no need to get uptight, I asked for opinions and some of them were to get Chromis!

 

[Innovator]

Just curious, but what are the dimensions of your tank?

 

[pat8you]

The tank is an oddity in dimensions as far as I can tell from reading this site. It is 24Hx18Wx36L.

He snuck them in at the end of a post up there.

 

[Patroklos]

Yeah, I got a wider and taller tank instead of long, due to the space requirements at my place.

 

[Innovator]

What about an entire tank dedicated to various fairy wrasse species?