Recommendations for smaller schooling fish

Jekerry

Jekerry

New member
Hi everyone! My husband wants to get a couple fish that will swim together in a school and be pretty active and out front. We have a 54 gallon corner tank. I thought three blue green chromis might do the trick. What do you think?

Our tank is pretty new so all we have is 3 trocher snails, a conch, a pistol shrimp, a pajama cardinal, Banggai cardinal, an anenome, and a frog spawn. All seem happy So far, but I am so worried! I was thinking of 2 more pajama eventually so PJ doesn't feel lonely. But I don't want to add too much too fast and cause water issues.

Thanks,

Jane
 
From what I have experienced, Chromis can still get aggressive (being in the Damsel family) and could pick on the Cardinals.

If the tank is covered, have you considered bargobies/fire gobies/dartfish?
 
you wont really experience a true schooling behavior in a tank that size. Outside of rare occasions like the fish getting frightened at first, or right when they go in the tank. Eventaully they wont fear the water change siphon tube, or your hand during feedings and they'll just scatter and swim about individually. Chromis in a small tank like that will also likely kill each other off down to a single fish which will live a long time if healthy (I have a damsel in my tank that is over 10 years old).

Sadly the cool sight of a group of fish swimming in unison like a big school of tuna in the ocean, or a flock of birds isnt something that is achievable regularly in a small tank. The best you can hope for is having several fish that look alike that will be out in the open. Theyll likely just fight most the time or be on their own individual agenda. Schooling is done to confuse predators in a large environment. Small tank and no predators = no schooling behavior.
 
I know it's a common fish, but a pair or a harem of clownfish are pretty much the only fish I see grouping in the home aquarium. It's not schooling, but it's as close as we can get, I feel.
 
I like the little dart fish. I plan to get a yellow shrimp goby. He was very small but hanging with the shrimp but I think the anenome stung and killed him. He was eating and happy. Can I have a yellow shrimp goby and dart fish in the same tank?

I also read that the pajama cardinals like to have others around. Is that true? If so should I get a couple more before the dart fish or other goby? Are there any peaceful algae eaters that would fit my small tank and other fish? Or should I stop with just ore pajamas, yellow shrimp goby and dart fish?

Thanks!
 
Fish that would normally school in the big ocean will just kill each other off in our tanks. When you see a large school in the ocean the fish are typically a foot or so apart put seem closer because of the mass.(At least I think so).

The best I have found are Pjama Cardinals, I have four. The don;t really school but there are no territorial fights. You could buy a bonded pair of cardinals, but just buying two can be risky.
 
I like the blue green chromis idea they tend to only mess with each other in my 125gal and I have 9 of them in there. The dart fish I have in my 150gal I rarely see due to the as the name implies dart fish they DART into the rockwork as soon as they see movement outside the tank and rarely come out when I'm watching my tank cam. The 2 cardinals I have are the last of the 5 I originally bought 1 killed the other 3 and the other survivor hides in a corner of the tank chased away as soon as he peaks his head out and that's in a 150gal tank.
 
Jekerry said:
Hi everyone! My husband wants to get a couple fish that will swim together in a school and be pretty active and out front. We have a 54 gallon corner tank. I thought three blue green chromis might do the trick. What do you think?

Our tank is pretty new so all we have is 3 trocher snails, a conch, a pistol shrimp, a pajama cardinal, Banggai cardinal, an anenome, and a frog spawn. All seem happy So far, but I am so worried! I was thinking of 2 more pajama eventually so PJ doesn't feel lonely. But I don't want to add too much too fast and cause water issues.

Thanks,

Jane
Click to expand...
I recommend jewel Damsel

Sent from my SM-T705 using Tapatalk
 
hkgar said:
Fish that would normally school in the big ocean will just kill each other off in our tanks. When you see a large school in the ocean the fish are typically a foot or so apart put seem closer because of the mass.(At least I think so).

The best I have found are Pjama Cardinals, I have four. The don;t really school but there are no territorial fights. You could buy a bonded pair of cardinals, but just buying two can be risky.
Click to expand...

Considering a pair of Kaudern's Cardinalfish for my 72G tank. Why you believe a pair is risky?
 
Sorry, my bad. I meant a pair of bonded Clowns. I think two Kauderns my be problematic as they can show aggression towards conspecifics (same species)
 
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