How many chromis?

[txg8gxp]

My tank is 36x18x21. How many chromis would be safe to keep? The only other fish will probally be my yellow watchmen and yasha goby. I love schooling fish so the more the better, but I dont want to overstock. I have read that they normally school in group of 6 or more, so I would like to go with atleast 6. Any opinions would be great. Thanks.

[allan]

I have four (well, one has made it to my sump), but I can't tell you that they school at four strong.

Now, when I walk into the room ALL of my fish start schooling. Right up to the glass, and side to side depending on where I am at the moment. They love me.

...or the food. :)

[Mr Cob]

Not sure either...I started with 8 and now I'm down to 3....they keep picking off the weakest....I'm guessing it will be a matter of time before I'm left with 1. They all school, even at 3...but one is always an outsider. Mine also school in my larger SPS colonies, in fact they killed my purple valida colony....I'm down to about a half inch out of a large 7" + colony.

[Europhyllia]

Not sure either...I started with 8 and now I'm down to 3....they keep picking off the weakest....I'm guessing it will be a matter of time before I'm left with 1.
That's terrible! I'd hate to watch that. :hypnotyized:

[txg8gxp]

I wonder if adding something alittle more aggresive would keep the school haveing to work together verses fighting with each other?

[Mr Cob]

That's terrible! I'd hate to watch that. :hypnotyized:


Yeah...kind of crazy but doesn't surprise me...I have had the most uncommon luck with schools and fish....I started with 8 in October....so it's been over the course of 6 months. It's not very brutal either...the school just keeps rejecting the smallest weakest fish and that fish eventually passes.

[Mr Cob]

I wonder if adding something alittle more aggresive would keep the school haveing to work together verses fighting with each other?

...interesting idea...not sure I want anything more aggressive than a Yellow Tang though. I do have other damsels that I would consider competition for the chromis....a Saphire Damsel and 2 clownfish. They don't bother one another though.

[Europhyllia]

Hm. Maybe you still have something going on with your water? Maybe them rejecting the weakest fish is not the cause of its demise but rather a symptom. Like they know something is wrong with it so they keep it away?

Sidenote: my PJs never schooled better than when Moby, the tang was here.

[txg8gxp]

It would make sense, fish school for protection. So if there is no threat, no need to school.


Sidenote: my PJs never schooled better than when Moby, the tang was here.

[Europhyllia]

yeah but I'd rather have them goof off and be worry free...lol

[Mr Cob]

lol...

I'm kind of done trying to figure things out...as long as my coral is thriving then I know my water can't be that bad and I'm happy. I have lost way too much money on fish!

[Europhyllia]

amazing how it puts things into perspective when you go through a rough patch like this doesn't it?

[Mr Cob]

Yep.

OK, sorry for the Hi-jack....if you do go chromis...I think most people try to get at least 5...so 6 in my opinion would be a good number. I would get them ALL at the same time, have them bagged in the same bag and make sure they are tiny/small.

[glennr1978]

Get your torches ready....

I kept 11 chromis in my old 40 breeder for well over a year. They schooled nicely, and I never noticed any aggression what so ever. However, I did neglect to maintain the tank as well as I should have for the last few months that I had it, and in that time they dwindled down to 6.