[Russ K]

I had originally bought 4 blue/green chromis for my 45. One ended up getting beat up and died. I now upgraded to a 180 and would like to have 6 or 8 total.

I have heard from various people that they seem to have a pecking order which eventually leads to death of all but three. In anything but a really large tank. Has anyone else heard of this or experienced it for themselves?

I would love to have a shoal of about 7 or so.

 

[Nowas Reef]

i have heard they do best in groups of 4 or more.........I have seen many schools of 6-10 that do well for a long time....

 

[Sylock]

Actually I've heard you need an odd number of fish. That's why they beat up and killed the one. Double check to make sure it's supposed to be odd and not even, but I'm 90% sure it's odd.

 

[dlauver]

I've heard the same thing, odd is better. Especially with other schooling fish like Anthias.

 

[Newts]

It is suppose to be odd numbers.

My experience with chromis is that they will school at first because they feel threatened being in a new enviorment. Once they feel more comfortable and know they're safe from predators they don't school anymore and you end up with a bunch of little fish scattered through out the tank. I started my 180g with 7 of them. And ended up taking out most due to this. I've heard the same from others too. Just my experience, maybe others have better luck with them schooling long term.

 

[Sylock]

So I wonder if getting, say, a dwarf lion would create enough of a 'danger' to keep them schooling/shoaling? Any reason to get a dwarf lion into my reef .

 

[ystmarroon]

Lions are great reef animals, if you have no shrimp.

Chromis are best in odd numbers. A 180 could have 7 or 9.

 

[jding78]

Chromis

I've got three in my 70. They've been in for almost 2 weeks now, at first they stayed really close together now they are starting to wander around on their own. Two of them seem to stay pretty close, the third doesn't hang out with them as much as he used to.

 

[DLBerlin]

I've had my 5 blue/green chromis for about 4-5 months now-they still school 90% of the time,maybe I just got lucky?They are growing at different rates though-1 lg 2 med 2 small. whenn I got them they were all the same except 1 was alot larger than the other four.

 

[Russ K]

well thanks for the input. I may try 4 more.. I have had 3 in my 45 and they have been schooling for almost a year now. I hope that they stay together when I get more of them. My other option was to get another type of chromis maybe 3. it is a pale yellow to pinkish color.

 

[Lan C]

I have had 5 in my 135g for about 4 months now and they still pretty much stick together. They all stray off every now and then, but it is not long before they are all back within a few inches of one another. They were purchased together and were quite small.

Lan

 

[Ron S.]

I have had four in my 55 for about 6 months. Not enough room for them to ever travel to far from each other. Still seem to stay close to each other. I have plans (if i can catch them) to transfer to 180 when it cycles.

 

[canisson]

I have 4 in my 55, and they are constantly together. They never fight, bother or pick at each other or the other fish in the tank....they are quite peaceful most of the time.

 

[Addicted Reefer]

First off Russ hello from another resident of romeo. Maybe we can swap some frags one day!

Second in my experience with chromis they do much better in odd groups since they do have a pecking order. I would suggest 3 or 5 in a 180 since they grow rather large eventually.

The ones I have put in customers tanks in the past have always stayed in a school though for the most part. They break up to feed but thats about it.