Chromis

Hello all

Well i am really getting excited about my new tank...what i know so far is that its going to be a customized cube(ish) tank of 38 gallons (with a 15-20 gal sump) so the total water will be about 50+ gallons...

I am thinking of getting my "tester" fish...dont like that name but hey...to be Blue Green Chromis...i love these fish so i do plan on keeping them after their job is done...my question is, for a small school is 5 too much for the tank size? its going to be nice and deep so...im not sure what to think...maybe 3 would be better? the fish will also start out small...and i believe only get to be about 3" total...so maybe 1/2-1" to start with...eh idk let me know

 

i would go with a group of 3 in that size tank 5 is better but 3 will be ok or depending on what else you might be planning on. they will swim at all levels of the tank

 

yup, well right now i am planning on getting those guys, some kind of blenny, maybe starry...if i can find one, a curious wormfish also some kind of pistol shrimp and goby...thats all i can think of for now...but i am really only looking for small reef fish

 

Blue and Green Cromis' are very pretty and non aggressive. To see a school of them together is an awesome sight. Also, red lipped and lawnmower blennies are nice fish as well. For Gobbies the yellow and green clown gobies are cool and they only get to be an inch in length I believe.

 

That was my line of thought also......start with 5 chromis in a 75 and add fish slowly. Much to my chagrin these fis are extremely possessive and aggressive. I thought they were peaceful for damsels....imagine my woe when they killed one of my clowns....and started relentlessly attacking the second one. Since then I have spent the better part of two weeks trying to catch the little beggers.....two were easy now i am attempting to trap the remaining 3. I wouldn't have these or any other damnsels unless it was in a fish only with other aggressive fish.

 

Most folks don't have luck keeping small groups of chromis in their tanks because they will systematically kill the weakest in the school one by one. These fish are better kept in large schools for which you would need a very large tank. Even then, there's no guaranty that they won't pick each other off.

 

hmmm...darn thats too bad...i suppose i can still use these fish to cycle...because at least then i wont have to take them back...i dont like the true damsels >(

 

I have never had a chromis survive a cycle but maybe you'll get lucky. I've had lots of luck using yellow tail damsels.