Blue/green chromis trouble

[Jpcrash1]

I bought three blue green chromis for my first fish purchase a week ago. One chromis died ,now one bulling the other. If I buy another will this stop? I wanted to purchase a clown, will they all get along?

 

[Duke4life]

Doubtful it will if it's already started. What size tank?

 

[Jpcrash1]

It's a 37 gallon tank.

 

[heathlindner25]

Chromis school in the ocean...not so much in small tanks,best to stick with the one that survives and pick a couple other species of fish to put in there.

 

[ericarenee]

Chromis school in the ocean...not so much in small tanks,best to stick with the one that survives and pick a couple other species of fish to put in there.

1+

The Chromis will not bother other species usually.. They just pick on there weakest of there own kind to the death then pick the next weakest..Especially in a small tank with NO PREDATORS .

 

[CoralBeauty13]

I had six when I started. The loan survivor hid in a rock. The one that took the others out got taken out by my clown. They do not take long to kill each other.

 

[Martini5788]

I had a pair for about 8 months before my tank failure. Now I just have one and he hangs out with my clown pair. Won't be getting any more though. No point when they kill each other off until one or two are left.

 

[b_evans06]

I bought a group of 9. A week later had 5 left. So far the final 5 have been in there a month and seem like theyre fine.

 

[CStrickland]

I think it comes down to sleeping space. In my tank the chromis population leveled off at 4, I think that's how many "chromis houses" there are in my rocks. In some tanks they won't be satisfied until they are the last man standing. A 37 isn't that big, it might just be lack of real estate.

If you get another, make sure you quarantine properly. They often carry ueronemea (that's def not how you spell it) which can wipe out your tank.

 

[kurt_n]

It really depends on the individual fish and the tank layout. I had 3 in my 46g for at least 3-4 years. Everyone said they'd pick each other off in no time, but they all coexisted just fine with a Bangaii Cardinal and an O. Clown for all that time.

One of the three up and died one day - never really understood it. It wasn't long after that the two left started harassing each other. Didn't take long for one to gain the upper hand and forced the other one into hiding. Wasn't long before malnutrition and stress took that one out.

So I guess my only advice, based on my one data point of experience, is that three seems to work well, but two goes downhill real quick. For a small tank though, I'd just recommend one and use those other two slots for different fish.

 

[Sk8r]

one per fifty gallons. They need room. You might also test your alkalinity: if it's somewhere below 7.9 they can get cranky.

 

[Jpcrash1]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Perth_reefer]

one per fifty gallons. They need room. You might also test your alkalinity: if it's somewhere below 7.9 they can get cranky.

Think this came up in the other thread Sk8r.....I'm not disagreeing that space is major factor but I don't think it's linear. I have 7 in my 150 and have done for a few months now. The smaller you get the less chance you have IMO, I'm still pretty convinced the three factors that help are the presence of a large boisterous fish, multiple feedings during the day and another group of schooling fish in the tank; My Chromis and Anthias regularly shoal together.

 

[Sk8r]

Oh, I absolutely agree about tank configuration...and tankmates and total tank bioload. I have 3 in a 105, (black axil chromis, a tad larger than the blue/greens) that seem to be a stable number, but they're in there with two dascyllus who keep the tank stirred up, and I have provided a special 'hide' for them when the dascyllus get rowdy, [a ridiculous 3 sprigs of plastic weed that for some reason the dascyllus believes is too disgusting to enter. It will go when I get my hands on some gorgonian...] I think you just have to try not to overdo the chromis numbers: they're wonderful fish, but they're not the brightest fish in the ocean. They're the only fish I absolutely cannot tell apart--- I think they're something like a hive mind with glitches, and they occasionally run up and tick off other fish. More than three would certainly tick off the dascyllus: three do enough in that direction---though at feeding time they'll run up and snatch food from her mouth, and she doesn't seem to care. Neverending politics.