Tank stocking

[lisamweston]

I have a 220 gallon tank, have 2 clownfish, 2 black clownfish, 2 yellowtail blue damsels, 1 royal gramma and 1 Foxface rabbitfish. Plan to wait 4 weeks then introduce chromis, I understand that they school so 5-7 is ideal. My question is whether they have to be the same colour or whether they can be different colours. I also hope to stock some other fish eventually, tangs, angelfish, cardinal fish and an eel.

[TheTodd]

I'm not sure different Chromis will stay together as a group. I had five Green in my old 75g and they split up two/three, so it guess that even the same kind are no guarantee.

[bribo12]

IMO unless you're keeping upwards of 20 you really aren't going to see schooling behavior in captivity. I always find it funny when people say a school of 5,6,7,etc... As these fish are found in massive shoals in nature.

[TheTodd]

I've never seen a tank with 5-9+ where each fish was off doing it's own thing like Tangs, Butterflys or Angels would do. They tend to stay together pretty close to one another.

[carey]

I have 6 chromis and they all swim together, except for when the lights go out and they scatter. I plan on getting a few more as well, make it look really cool.

[baron1282]

I was thinking of a school of them in my 120 gallon, like a school of maybe 10, but people said they would start killing off one another. So I threw that Idea out. I would still like some as they are a cheap fish that looks good in a school.

[lisamweston]

i also heard that- they will pick on one fish til it dies, i dont want that. but everything and everyone says something different about how many to get. i am also thinking of a school of pyjama cardinalfish but have to figure out how many of them too. i knew this hobby was complex but had no idea how complex!

[mr_X]

IMO, the eel will take care of any chromis once it's introduced.

[lisamweston]

"take care of", as in eat?

[mr_X]

Yes. Also, in my experience, cardinals just sit there and do nothing. They are not the most fascinating fish in the sea. I would look into a trio of anthias.

[Digger]

Originally Posted by mr_X

Yes. Also, in my experience, cardinals just sit there and do nothing. They are not the most fascinating fish in the sea. I would look into a trio of anthias.

+1 on the Anthias.

My trio exhibit some shoaling traits from the wild. They will get about mid-tank level on one side where the current flows from the bottom towards the top of the tank and just hang out. They will angle themselves downward into the current and sit almost motionless for 15-20 minutes at a time. When they do this in the wild, they are waiting for the current to carry food to them.

It's funny to watch my 2 clowns go and join in. The anthias are almost perfectly still and the clowns are doing their typical bob and weave. Looks like they are saying "what's going on.. what are we doing, huh, huh, huh". The clowns eventually give up after they get no movement out of the anthias.

[lisamweston]

what kind of anthias do you have?

[Digger]

Lyretails- one male and two females