Schooling reef safe fish

[tryffin]

My single green chromis hangs out with my lyretail anthias, it's cute. The anthias are very pretty, I'm still waiting for one to change into a male. Some people on here with 6+ of them have had more than one change to male over time.

I just picked up 6 threadfins for $25CAD it was a good deal considering they're usually $8-15 ea, they're always together in a little clump, except for one brave individual who likes exploring on his own. It's been a bit of a chore to get them all to eat frozen foods though, I had to mix it with live brine to trick them and trigger a feeding response. I didn't have that problem with other cardinals though.

 

[tryffin]

My single green chromis hangs out with my lyretail anthias, it's cute. The anthias are very pretty, I'm still waiting for one to change into a male. Some people on here with 6+ of them have had more than one change to male over time.

I just picked up 6 threadfins for $25CAD it was a good deal considering they're usually $8-15 ea, they're always together in a little clump, except for one brave individual who likes exploring on his own. It's been a bit of a chore to get them all to eat frozen foods though, I had to mix it with live brine to trick them and trigger a feeding response. I didn't have that problem with other cardinals though.

 

[RichK]

I have 7 Bartletts in my 125 and they are doing great. I used to have one male, but now it seems I have 3. So far, there is no agression with the males except a little chasing at feeding time. I would do either a hardy anthias species, like bartletts or lyretails, or a group of blue fin cardinals.

 

[tryffin]

whoops sorry for the double post, first time that's happened ... can't seem to delete one.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7083822#post7083822 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hmott
I asked this question not long ago.. for as many people as seem to want to do this the info on doing it is amazingly hard to find or doesn't exist.

the poor mans moorish idol I believe will actually school. I think almost all the cardnal fish will. The chromis will not once they get mature they kill each other seems to be the standard answer. I wish I knew more myself I would love a big school of something. I believe the firefish do not school and adults kill each other off like chromis. Clowns also won't school as adults or even mature juvies.

It's because there aren't any schooling fish for saltwater - what's unbelievable is the shockingly large amount of misinformation out there on this subject. And miscommunication - one man's school is another man's several fish of the same species in the same tank.

The threadfin cardinals eventually pair off but sort of hang out together. And i do mean hang - I swear mine are in the exact same place in the tank they started in from day 1. Not very exploring little fish.

And I'm not disagreeing that a passer angel would induce the chromis's to stick to their shoal -

My LFS has a 40,000 g tank with schooling bannerfish - they seem to divide up into very small private schools - like pairs even.

One thing nobody ever brings up is water motion - heavy unpredictable wave action can induce grouping also

And do i sound bitter? yes i am - I am paying my fish to school and they openly refuse :bum:

 

[Sk8r]

We've had several blue chromis at once---but then we had Godzilla the blue devil damsel, the meanest fish we ever had---it approached pan size, and terrified angels.

 

[Palani]

angel*fish, it depends on the type of heniochus, there are the ones that hang out in pairs or trios, and then there are the schooling bannerfish, which are despreutus, not acclemensis (spelling is off). They always come together, but once you know what to look for, they are easy to distinguish. I had a school of heniochus despreutus, they likes to stick together while swiming, but when it can to feeding and sleeping time, they often seperated.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7087626#post7087626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Palani
angel*fish, it depends on the type of heniochus, there are the ones that hang out in pairs or trios, and then there are the schooling bannerfish, which are despreutus, not acclemensis (spelling is off). They always come together, but once you know what to look for, they are easy to distinguish. I had a school of heniochus despreutus, they likes to stick together while swiming, but when it can to feeding and sleeping time, they often seperated.

I'm sorry, but in my opinion whether they are the schooling diphreutes (sp) or what ever they get too big for most of our tanks. Some of the ones in the 40,000 tank I refered to are h-u-g-e fish. they range all over the tank - I can't imagine confining one of those guys to anything smaller than 450g, let alone a school of them.

 

[power boat jim]

Angel*fish -you are correct, I would be happy with a few colorful fish of the same species that will live in the same tank together and not neccessarly have to stay in a tight bunch.

 

[bureau13]

From what I've read, the schooling bannerfish get up to a bit over 7"...not really all that big. Were these definitely the schooling type (heniochus diphreutes)?

jds

 

[tryffin]

They look big when you see them fully grown ... bigger than a 7" tang ... I guess because the heni's are so tall rather than long and slender.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7090406#post7090406 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bureau13
From what I've read, the schooling bannerfish get up to a bit over 7"...not really all that big. Were these definitely the schooling type (heniochus diphreutes)?

jds

For the record I'll check - I've always been a little confused about how to tell them apart but maybe I can get some photos

They look big when you see them fully grown ... bigger than a 7" tang ... I guess because the heni's are so tall rather than long and slender.

tryffin- you're right on target - imagine a plate with a long feather swimming around in your tank

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7091523#post7091523 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Angel*Fish
For the record I'll check - I've always been a little confused about how to tell them apart but maybe I can get some photos

tryffin- you're right on target - imagine a plate with a long feather swimming around in your tank

Now imagine several plates with long feathers swimming around in your aquarium.
Heniochus get big! Research further and get the Bartlett's Anthias. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7089694#post7089694 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by power boat jim
Angel*fish -you are correct, I would be happy with a few colorful fish of the same species that will live in the same tank together and not neccessarly have to stay in a tight bunch. tlett's

That certainly gives you a lot more options.. the Bartlett's are a great choice. I also like the cute little dispars, but I haven't had them long enough to give any experienced advice on them. But so far I love them.. they hang out together alot because they are always bickering - it's hard to do that from way across the tank - they're so cute

 

[power boat jim]

Are anthias difficult to keep? I have read conflicting info on this. some say they area deepwater fish that dont do well in a brightly lit tank. If thats the case how could they thrive in a reef tank?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7092502#post7092502 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by power boat jim
Are anthias difficult to keep?

generalizations are useless. Some Anthias are difficult- not Bartlett's.

 

[mjdlonghorn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7087282#post7087282 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Angel*Fish

My LFS has a 40,000 g tank with schooling bannerfish - they seem to divide up into very small private schools - like pairs even.

:bum:

40k? thats bigger than something you would see at seaworld. Are you sure your not exaggerating?

 

[NexDog]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7092618#post7092618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gary Majchrzak
generalizations are useless. Some Anthias are difficult- not Bartlett's.

Yep, because there are about 15 types of Anthias that are commonly kept in aquariums. Some are ridiculously difficult like the Ventralis which I believe are a deep water species. Some are easy or easier like the Bartletts and Lyretails. I've only had my 6 Lyretails for 2 weeks but they appear to be hard as nails.

 

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7093297#post7093297 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mjdlonghorn
40k? thats bigger than something you would see at seaworld. Are you sure your not exaggerating?

Link to LFS The photos on their website don't give you a hint of how huge that tank is - I guess they're busier maintaining the tank than the website

 

[AcroSteve]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7080718#post7080718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
I agree. Get Bartlett or Lytails Anthias. They are pretty hardy and usually a harem will have one dominant male and teh rest females. I just got 6 Lyretails (currently in QT) and they are so beautiful that I wish I had gotten 10. They school when they feel threatened otherwise they hang out in groups of 2 or 3.

Do you have any advice or good links for a QT setup and method for 6 or 10 of them?

I keep flip flopping between a school of small fish, or one big one.