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View Full Version : chromis - bad?


f3honda4me
03/14/2012, 12:25 PM
I have decided to forego getting a bartlett's anthias this time around for my current 75g tank, but would instead like to maybe look at chromis. But, I keep hearing bad things about chromis. Mainly that they need to be in a school of 3 or more, but if you have more than one, they kill each other off until only one is left, and that last one dies cuz it's stressed from being alone. lol


So help me set the record straight on the chromis?


(these are the other current/future inhabitants of my tank)
inverts and sps/lps/softies
clownfish
mccosker flasher wrasse
diamond watchman goby
royal gramma basslet
banggai cardinal
tomini tang

Toddrtrex
03/14/2012, 12:33 PM
I have tried them numerous times -- in the end it was always the same, regardless of how many I started with, I always ended up with one. This was in a 75, last time I tried was about 7 years ago.

shaginwagon13
03/14/2012, 12:33 PM
There are different kinds of chromis. I have 10 Black Axil Chromis and they don't fight at all, they are actually very fun to watch in their little school and are very peaceful.

I have also heard that you need to keep a school of 6 or more for them to do well. I don't know if thats true as to the size you need for them to school properly but I have 10 and they do just fine.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1634+3078&pcatid=3078

bryan06107
03/14/2012, 03:31 PM
I have 9 green chromis in my 135 and have had no issues. Add them all at the same time and keep an odd number.

rpjaws74
03/14/2012, 05:25 PM
if you get one bigger than the rest of the others that will help with aggression. Pretty much the bigger one will keep the rest in check. Thats my experience with them and it seems to work

Ostara
03/14/2012, 05:38 PM
There are different kinds of chromis. I have 10 Black Axil Chromis and they don't fight at all, they are actually very fun to watch in their little school and are very peaceful.

I have also heard that you need to keep a school of 6 or more for them to do well. I don't know if thats true as to the size you need for them to school properly but I have 10 and they do just fine.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1634+3078&pcatid=3078

+10 to this!

I love black axil chromis. They are much prettier, with more of a jewel tone blue-green look to them, and are more docile in my experience. I've had them in everything from pairs and trios to a dozen and never had aggression issues. Before I could identify them (they frequently come mixed in with standard green chromis) I had both species together and the regular green chromis definitely grew faster and became aggressive. They tried to bully the black axils in particular. After getting rid of the greens and keeping only black axils I didn't have any more issues.

Wolverine
03/14/2012, 06:02 PM
I have 9 green chromis in my 135 and have had no issues. Add them all at the same time and keep an odd number.

As Todd noted, the odd number usually ends up at one as they kill each other off. Yes, it sometimes works, and yes, as noted above, chances are better with the black axil type, but odds are still better than not that they'll start killing each other.

jdm01
03/14/2012, 07:28 PM
I had a few chromis in my tank when I first started the tank. I eventually trapped the last 2 and took them back to the LFS. They were killing everything in the tank. Never again!!!

Icedtc
03/14/2012, 09:59 PM
I have 4 green chromis and they are all very kind to one another. It's only been about 3 weeks but they are very fun to watch and don't pick on my clowns or Blenny. Maybe its just luck of the draw but so far my little gang of 4 show no signs of picking on one another.

gohstwrighter
03/14/2012, 11:02 PM
hi i have a 125 gal reef and have a (3) blue/green chromis left out of (13) i have bought most were eatin buy my reef lobster and at least (1)was killed buy my big male chromis the other seem to stay smaller .maby females idk? the school started over 2 years ago the largest at one time was (9) the last (3) have bin good for over a year now and dont seem to fight anny more that i see.

Randy Holmes-Farley
03/15/2012, 06:26 AM
You do not usually see green chromis fight with each other (and they never fight anything else), but they apparently do fight each other when you can't see it and they stress each other to the point that you end up with very few over long periods of time (a year or so). So as others mention, schools of green chromis that look so good for the fist bit of time eventually dwindle to just a few.

f3honda4me
03/15/2012, 06:38 AM
I think I'm going to try my best at 3 black axil or blue reef and see how it goes.