blue-green chromis

[lisa888]

I got 3 blue-green chromis 12 days ago. They are in my 20-gal QT. The smallest one is getting picked on by the other two (mostly the biggest one). His coloring looks off - some of the scales are a darker color. But then later on he looks normal like the other ones. Is this coloration variance due to stress? Or could he be sick? I don't see any white spots/film or anything like that. When I got them the LFS guy just gave me three random fish - should I have gotten them the same size so one is not bullied? Should I take the little guy back to the store and get a bigger one? Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[jeremy arsement]

I bought a small school of these recently, 4. Got one left. He lives among a pair of mated clowns, 3 squirrel flame fish, a coral banded shrimp and a bird wrasse. He survived because he was able to handle the stress of being picked on when first introduced. I've had similar experiences with them in the past. When u buy them, unfortunately you don't know if you're getting the tough ones or not. The discoloration is most likely stress, and sadly he's probably doomed. Good luck.

 

[tarpon]

The fish are most likely trying to establish dominance,territories, or a pecking order.
And I have never owned this fish, but freshwater angelfish will change colors from stress or mood. So your fish is probably doing the same thing

 

[lisa888]

Thanks for the input. I just read a few comments online from people that said chromis tend to pick on the weakest/smallest one of them and they gradually die off one by one. Now I kind of regret getting them. A book recommended them and a site selling them lists them as "peaceful".

 

[tarpon]

Oh well that stinks. Can you still get a refund on the smaller ones? I would if they're gonna die anyway

 

[jeremy arsement]

If you can keep one, it would benefit your tank because they're fast swimmers and eaters. They'll eat every tiny piece of shrimp that you put in during feeding leaving no traces to contaminate your tank.

 

[Greenturtle]

I have three and have had no problems whatsoever. It may help that I added them first to a 90 gallon tank, and I made sure that in the LFS they were shoaling. They always come to the surface when I feed them LOL

 

[lisa888]

Darn, maybe I was just unlucky to get a bully in my group. I think I'll ask the LFS if they would trade them for 3 new ones and I'll try to avoid getting a runt/big bully combo. These are the first fish going in my 55-gal, along with a royal gramma (they ignore him so far). I like how they look otherwise, just didn't want any mean fish or see the little one die. This means I have to start QT all over again

 

[Hinds04]

Many many stories on here about the chromis, they are a pretty brutal fish to each other. I had 5 and 4 got picked off 1 by 1. I let him be for a couple months then added 1 more and they have been living peacefully in my 75 for a few months now. Thinking of adding 1 more.

 

[scottayy]

I got 3 blue-green chromis 12 days ago. They are in my 20-gal QT. The smallest one is getting picked on by the other two (mostly the biggest one). His coloring looks off - some of the scales are a darker color. But then later on he looks normal like the other ones. Is this coloration variance due to stress? Or could he be sick? I don't see any white spots/film or anything like that. When I got them the LFS guy just gave me three random fish - should I have gotten them the same size so one is not bullied? Should I take the little guy back to the store and get a bigger one? Thanks in advance for your advice.

The color variation is due to lighting. Some scales (square spots) will appear really dark or sometimes really light. When I first saw this I thought they had some weird disease.

If you turn off all of the lights for a while and then turn them back on you'll find they all look like that.

One of yours has probably been hiding under a rock or something and when he comes out you see him like that.

It's quite weird haha, but they are fine!

One time I had to cover my entire tank up and there was no light whatsoever inside the tank. When I uncovered it they were all almost black!

 

[lisa888]

Funny thing is the little guy didn't hide in the rocks I provided, just went to a corner, so I think the discoloration was just stress, that's what the LFS said. Anyway, last night I exchanged the little one for the largest one they had (same size as the largest I had originally). So I started with a big one, a slightly smaller one, and a small one. As I write this, the original big bully and the other one are picking on the new one, but he is holding his ground pretty well, doing a tail wag at them. I hope it works out now. I guess they list this as a beginner's fish because they are cheap and hardy, but beginners don't want to see fish harassed to death! lol My goal is to not have a single fish death but I know that's unrealistic.

 

[Unicorn]

I like blue-green chromis and want 3 for my new tank. WHo would have known they bully each other O.O
Thanks for the thread, I will be careful when buying them