Good Shoaling Fish?

[Stolireef]

I'm in the final stages of setting up a new 110 system (48X30X18). It's going to be an open top rimless reef dominated by SPS. I am going to use an 'island' style of aquascaping with significant swimming room. With the open top, I want to avoid jumpers (or fish that tend to cause others to jump). I intend to keep the fish stocking on the low side and with smaller shoaling fish. I like the way Anthias and Firefish look and I believe they shoal. I also want fairly hardy fish that do not require heavy feeding since, for the sake of the SPS, I want the nutrient load pretty low.

Any thoughts on good fish for this project. I have at least four to six weeks before I add livestock (going to do a long, slow, careful cycle) so I have time to really research this.

Thanks.

 

[JackiB]

I have 5 threadflin/blue eyed cardinals in my tank. They are small but beautiful when they get excited with each other and their eyes just glow blue! Pictures of them never do them justice.

 

[MrTuskfish]

This question comes up a lot and i think most folks are disappointed. If you are expecting a tight little group of fish that spend most of the time close together----it just doesn't happen (often) in home tanks. Fish in opposite corners of a 240 gal tank are still "shoaling" in their terms---a poor choice of words, but you get the idea. A 240 has about 32 sq ft of space; I've never seen a shoal in the wild cram that close unless threatened.

 

[Stolireef]

Understood about the lack of room for shoaling. I've seen Anthias shoal in 90 gallons but, as you note, not in what appears to be a tight little group. More that they are in the same area of the tank and are moving in generally the same direction. It's more that I'm looking for a generally peaceful fish that will do the foregoing.

Seems like the Green Chromis and the Threadfin Cardinals get the most 'shoaling' comments elsewhere. Curious to see the responses here.

 

[JackiB]

For the most part my threadfins stick together but there are also definite pairs that break off (I have 2 males and 3 females) and do their own thing but if they get startled they are all 5 right back together. I have a 4x2x2 120.

 

[shaka]

What about red stoplight cardinalfish (Fowleria flammea):

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?c=720&pCatId=1870

I've never kept any cardinalfish myself but I have seen that they generally are good "schooling" fish. I've never seen this type in particular but I'm considering it, I just would like to know if they are really that brightly colored.
I also like the blue eyes of the threadfins.