Schooling fish

[KillerReef]

I'm planning on restocking my 80 gallon, and am looking for ideas on what fish. I've always wanted a school of fish and was wondering what everybody recommends. I plan on also having an orchid dottyback and possibly a black cap basslet. I want something real colorful.

This tank will also have some corals, mostly zoos and shrooms, possibly a couple montiporas..

Any thoughts are appreciated...
TIA,
Dave

 

[spsfarmer09]

Anthias, chromis

 

[needyreefer]

^+1 you could also try cardinal fish like the longspines. IME I couldn't get 5 chromis to live happily as schooling fish in my 90 gallon, and i think people on here have had the same problems in smaller tanks.

 

[KillerReef]

I thought about the anthias, I like the resplendents and the carberryi for there size, but I also like the lyretails, but they appear to get too big for my tank since I'll have more than 1.(I forget the exact rule on inches, but 5 at 5" plus the 6 from the other 2 fish seems alot in 80 gallons) Does anybody have the lyretails in a tank my size, with no problems? Does anybody have either of the first 2, and do they school well?

As for the chromis, the only ones I like are the blue reef, but with the basslet and the dottyback, I'd like to go more yellow or red, like the anthias.

Something about the cardinals doesn't appeal to me. Thanks for the idea though.

Thanks for the replies, guys, keep em coming...

 

[macronut]

I have purchased 9 chromis for two separate tanks in the past. Have never lost any of them. They are great fish in my eyes. total of 18 and never lost one. mine were med sized when purchased and been held in holding tanks for several months (together)..

 

[spsfarmer09]

you can have a lot of fish as long as waste is being taken out, which means good filtration. i am waiting to setup a 85 g that my dad built and i plan to have 4 0r 5 anthias,,powder blue, mandarin, hawaian flame wrasse. my skimmer will be a little over sized and i will have a refugium . it is going to be sps only.

 

[illsquaddotcom]

I'd say go for the Chromis, I have three that school about half of the day, sometimes they spread out prob to hunt for food.

 

[gabbagabbawill]

Bar Gobies

 

[spsfarmer09]

personally i would go with anthias

 

[Deleted member 7065]

Blue Chromis are nice when you can find them.

 

[dudley moray]

black axial chromis are different and i believe they school

 

[firsttank]

Anthias...they look awesome...I would suggest those...

 

[gabbagabbawill]

Anthias group in shoals... usually 2-4 for a shoal, 1 male and 1-3 females. It's best to get these as a pair or shoal.

I realize that bar gobies also don't really school the way some schooling fish do, but my three swim together almost all of the time. Not only that, but they bring out the shyer fish in my tank... so much so that my firefish goby won't come out when the lights first come on until he sees them.

And chromis CAN stop schooling and become territorial when they get big (if they live very long). I have also been told that chromis have very short stomachs so they must be constantly fed (don't know if this is true but worth looking up)...

 

[robs.mark]

I have 5 chromis in my 55g for about 6 weeks now, and id say they school like 70% of the time..

 

[spsfarmer09]

the thing with chromis is they are damsels, and damsels get mean