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View Full Version : Chromis Death Match

LISound
12/02/2009, 12:58 PM
I don't get it. I've had 3 chromis in my tank for over 3 months now. the alpha is now picking the smaller ones off one at a time. he won't let them eat and pecks at them. I removed one of the defeated fish to the fuge last night, not sure he's going to make it. Now the big one is starting to pick on the 2nd biggest chromis in the tank. There are now only 2 left. it seems to be all food motivated. maybe that's my fault. I feed them everyday with a dropper filled with wet flake food so it sinks.
Anytime someone looks at the reef, the big chromis thinks it's feeding time and chases the other chromis.

is there anything I can do, or just that damsel aggression?

I really don't like fish, but wanted to see something swim in the display. So I got 7 of these guys. one by one they fall. the big one has grown so much, they all have, so I know they are healthy.
davocean
12/02/2009, 01:49 PM
I so trip out on this, as many say this is bound to happen, yet I've done groups of 4-7 3x now in diff tanks over the years w/ no prob at all.
6 I had for 6 years.
Crowd seems split about 50/50 on this from my reading.
namxas
12/02/2009, 02:01 PM
just to weigh in, i hear the same things, but my chromises were fine with each other. i had a trio for several years.
evilspaz
12/02/2009, 02:27 PM
How big is your tank? Ive heard this happens with Chromis overtime.
username in use
12/02/2009, 02:53 PM
What were the various feeding regimens that you all followed? Ive heard in the wild, that they eat something every couple of minutes on average, and that is a possible reason to tank aggression.
LISound
12/02/2009, 05:36 PM
well, it's only a 20g tank. but figured the 3 of them had been in there with no issues. all of a sudden, the big one wants it all to himself. I do feed a few times a day just for that reason. Fish eat all day on the reef, that's all they do. So I don't buy into feed your fish every other day...that's just me.

I had a purple fire fish for over 6 years. so polite.
Wolverine
12/02/2009, 07:41 PM
Even in tanks much larger that this, I've seen this happen, and, IME, it happens more often than it doesn't, even in very large tanks.