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cham
05/01/2009, 09:39 AM
While at my LFS yesterday I saw they had in four large blue reef chromis (not blue/green) and I picked them up.

In the past I've done some reading on them in anticipation of ordering some but I heard some negative stories and I wasn't able to get any good sized ones from any of my LFS so I quit.

Anyone have experience with these guys? They were eating well at a trusted LFS and in an effort to limit agression with five very large blue green reef chromis (very large) I fed my tank at the same time I introduced the blue chromis. To my suprise the blue chromis were eating within 5 mintues of being in my tank. Rod's food seems to be a favorite of theirs so far.

.

125G Reefer
05/01/2009, 09:54 AM
You have the Jumbo Reef Chromis. They'll eat just about anything. I've fed em Mysis, Plankton and flake. Never had an issue with them not eating. And as for aggression, never sign one of that, if anything they get chased from time to time by the territorial fish.

cham
05/01/2009, 10:04 AM
I've got both the jumbo blue/green chromis and these very large blue reef chromis. The blue reef chromis are at least1 1/2" and I've read that that is their full adult size.

Here are some pictures. More than anything I'm always nervous to buy fish that you rarely see stocked at LFS's. Not that I'll call that a good rule of thumb (mandarins for example) but still. Why are these guys never available?

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/cham_01/Reef2912319.jpg


http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/cham_01/Reef2912320.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/cham_01/Reef2912322.jpg

falconut
05/01/2009, 10:56 AM
The blue reef chromis are at least1 1/2" and I've read that that is their full adult size.

I'm not sure where you read this, but Liveaquaria has them listed as 5" for maximum size. This is more like the stuff I've read.

I had a single one in my 90 gallon years ago. He was about 1 1/2" long and didn't bother anything. Always swimming around and never a problem with eatting. Mine would eat Prime Reef Flakes, Formula One Flakes, Frozen Mysis, Frozen Brine and the small Pellets. I believe they're a slow grower, because I had mine for about a year and I didn't notice any size increase during that time.

engine
05/01/2009, 05:45 PM
I wanted to get those when I saw them in the lfs the other day.....You must of been the one who had them on hold!! good luck, they are very unique

cham
05/01/2009, 05:53 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14934244#post14934244 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by engine
I wanted to get those when I saw them in the lfs the other day.....You must of been the one who had them on hold!! good luck, they are very unique

No, I actually popped in there yesterday and saw them. I guess the guy who had them on hold hadn't shown and they let me buy em.

125G Reefer
05/01/2009, 06:38 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14932184#post14932184 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by falconut
I'm not sure where you read this, but Liveaquaria has them listed as 5" for maximum size. This is more like the stuff I've read.

I had a single one in my 90 gallon years ago. He was about 1 1/2" long and didn't bother anything. Always swimming around and never a problem with eatting. Mine would eat Prime Reef Flakes, Formula One Flakes, Frozen Mysis, Frozen Brine and the small Pellets. I believe they're a slow grower, because I had mine for about a year and I didn't notice any size increase during that time. MAx size 5" WOW!!! Thats a misprint for sure. Even the Jumbos don't get that big.

125G Reefer
05/01/2009, 06:40 PM
Prolly never available beacuse most people buy out the lot of em when they see them. They are a great schooling fish in the home tank. And not all that expensive.

cham
05/01/2009, 06:44 PM
Yeah, 5" is not likely. lol

These guys are pushing 2" though. Really big guys.

My blue/green jumbo guys school in my tank often, I'd love it if these guys did too.

philter4
05/01/2009, 08:03 PM
The atlantic blue chromis gets bigger then the jumbo green chromis, 5 inches is probably correct, I've collected them at least 4 inches long and have seen giant ones in the ocean that were probably 5 inches. One thing that I've posted before, once they are mature they do not like each other, in the ocean they are always on the reef at least a foot apart. Long term in tanks they tend to stress each other out and you'll end up with one. They will do fine for a while, then once they are fully acclimated they start to pick on each other until they end up killing eachother off until you only have the most dominant one left. This is how the atlantic blue chromis act, I've never collected or kept pacific ones.

porkchop48
05/02/2009, 07:33 AM
I must have had the non jumbo ones. I had a group of 5 that did great.

RicksReefs
05/02/2009, 08:06 AM
jumbo is just a size description, not a species description.
green chromis easily exceed 3" and blue chromis exceed 4" when fully grown. I've purchased blues in excess of 5" directly from the collectors.

cham
05/02/2009, 08:42 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14937108#post14937108 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RicksReefs
jumbo is just a size description, not a species description.
green chromis easily exceed 3" and blue chromis exceed 4" when fully grown. I've purchased blues in excess of 5" directly from the collectors.

What has been your experience with agression towards each other?

RicksReefs
05/02/2009, 11:12 AM
all 'schooling' chromis have a pecking order and the low man gets pecked on the most. the bigger they get, the more damage they can do to each other.
you picked the perfect size to start out with. any smaller and they don't ship/acclimate well and the big ones will fight for dominance like they do on the reef. you may have better luck with growing them up together, but I'd expect to lose one or two along the way regardless.

cham
05/02/2009, 11:41 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14937852#post14937852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RicksReefs
all 'schooling' chromis have a pecking order and the low man gets pecked on the most. the bigger they get, the more damage they can do to each other.
you picked the perfect size to start out with. any smaller and they don't ship/acclimate well and the big ones will fight for dominance like they do on the reef. you may have better luck with growing them up together, but I'd expect to lose one or two along the way regardless.

One or two is ok, I'd rather not have them peck it down to just one.

They all ate within the first hour in my tank so I'm hopeful on the acclimation side of things. I'd just like to see 2 or 3 make it long term.

hal000
05/05/2009, 07:49 AM
I saw 1 at the lfs yesterday that was huge at least 4 inches, it was the biggest chromis i have ever seen!

philter4
05/05/2009, 10:26 AM
They are not even close to the biggest chromis, there is one from the pacific coast, Chromis punctipinnis, the blacksmith, gets over one foot. It is a temperate species off the southern CA and Mexican coast, but it is more then twice the size of the chromis we see in our tanks.

KDDG
05/05/2009, 01:28 PM
They can and do get that big. I think the max listed size is around 5" for both blue and green in the Reef Fishes book by Scott Michael, if my memory serves correct.

125G Reefer
05/05/2009, 08:29 PM
Hmm, now I've had my 4 Green Chromis for 4 years...Just a tinch over 2". They are not getting any bigger, and they do not fight with one another at all. You just never know what your going to run into with fish. They may fight, they may not.