What's the best schooling fish?

[mwmp5]

I am looking to liven up the tank, what wouls be a great addition as a group of 4 or 5 with awsome color? I have a 90 gallon reef , LPS, Xenia, Montipora, Star Polyps. A Purple Tang, Blue Tang, Bartlett's Anthias, Percula Clown, Two Latern Basselets, Flame Hawk, Two Pajama Cardinals, with the usual hermits etc.

 

[mike_cmu04]

I love the chromis theey school well however the dominate fish can kill off the others so you may have to keep adding more but they are cheap.

 

[mwmp5]

i tried them, (green chromis), didn't like how they looked.

Has anyone tried a group of Royal Grammas?

 

[purebullet417]

lyretail anthis get my vote but firefish also look nice

 

[mwmp5]

do you think they would have an issue with my Bartlet Anthias, I have thought about the fire fish.

 

[sedor]

I used to consider chromis a shoaling fish, but I have to say that I disagree now. At least in my tank they sometimes will hang out together, but they surely don't demonstrate actual shoaling behavior.

 

[mwmp5]

I agree. I started with four then two gave up. recently the last two were over powered by my Tangs I believe. They never really swam around together, just hung out like my Pajama Cardinals.

 

[Damasta5]

Heilfrichi gobies (pricey) or fire fish or flame gobies

 

[mwmp5]

thanks, I will begin reading up on those too.

 

[GhostCon1]

Fire fish will kill each other off unless you get known groups (of which I have never seen. I have only seen them sold as pairs.

Royal grammas are sold on DD sometimes as a trio (two females, one male).

I was talking to a reefer about having a group of firefish one day, and he told me that he, at one time, had around 20 in a 200 gallon[ish] aqaurium and within about two years he was down to three I think due to fighting and having to give them away.

Whatever you decide, make sure that it truly is a group, otherwise bad things may come.

 

[mwmp5]

Very true. I was at my LFS today and they had 5 firefish in one sale tank, I may put some money down and have him hold them there together for awhile. Thanks

 

[GhostCon1]

Just because a LFS has a bunch of fish together, does not make them a group. You will see all sorts of arrangements in LFS holding tanks that would never work in our tanks. The reason is that those fish are generally under stress, do not stay there long, and will not display their true behavior since they will never truly 'settle down' in those tanks.

 

[mwmp5]

thanks. I will make sure I ask him about that. What do you think about Assesors?

 

[GhostCon1]

I have never had any of them. However, I saw one gold one on DD a few weeks ago and loved it. They are nice looking fish.

 

[Kataro]

Apogon Parvulus is my favorite

 

[scubarob]

How about a group of bicolor anthias? or maybe a small group of black and gold damsels?

 

[landlord]

You cannot go wrong with Apogon parvulus, here's a pic of mime

 

[MabuyaQ]

Most smaller Apogon species are shoaling fish. Apogon parvulus are nice fish but not easy to get or to feed. Many seem never to fully adapt to 'standard' aquarium food and fade away after some months. Apogon leptacanthus is much easier to keep and also a great shoaling fish.

 

[cindre2000]

Cardinals are probably the best, visually, when it comes to schooling. My Threadfins never venture more than 4 inches from each other and always face the same direction. On the other hand, my assessors rarely hang out.

There are also some gold stripe cardinals at the store I work out; also good schoolers, I am taking them home for my frag tank if they are not gone by then.

 

[bryan007]

Firefish and Grammas and a few others mentioned are not shoaling fish. The Chromis which is a type of damsel along with the Anthias are true shoaling species. The firefish unless in a very large aquarium will end up killing one another off until only one remains unless there is a male/female pair. One of the purposes of shoaling is protection of the species. It is unlikely that the Chromis or Anthias will shoal after they have adjusted in a 90gl tank if there are no food competitors or other fish interested in them as a snack. They seem to lose this natural habit in captivity.