Favorite schooling fish
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RobB'z Reef
2500 Club Member
are green chromis schooling? I've been thinking about getting a bunch of them for my new build, just wanting a reef safe schooling fish. Looking forward to see what others reply to this thread with!
BackToTheReef
Valuable Member
Firefish (exquisite or helfrichi(?)) and Banggai cardinals are among my must haves for my tank but not sure if they are truly considered schooling/shoaling fish.
I was just reading a thread, about chromis maybe, and it looks like some of my favorites aren't really schoolers and will gradually murder each other. Also finding this with some of the wrasses I was hoping to have.
I would love to have a school of 6 captive bred yellow tangs in the dream tank at some point.
I was just reading a thread, about chromis maybe, and it looks like some of my favorites aren't really schoolers and will gradually murder each other. Also finding this with some of the wrasses I was hoping to have.
I would love to have a school of 6 captive bred yellow tangs in the dream tank at some point.
Maxx Yung
Active Member
Just got 7 Green Chromis two weeks ago into a 200g tank.
If 'schooling' fish means that they stick together - then yes, they are awesome schooling fish.
However, they like to bully each other so you have to buy several of them (according to my LFS). 1 Green Chromis already died from the dominant Chromis.
OP
OP
Spare time
10K Club member
They do school but I believe you need a decent amount so they don't pick each other off.
BackToTheReef
Valuable Member
There was a thread about this recently and it seemed like what usually happened was one dominate fish usually took care of the others.
Maxx Yung
Active Member
Yes, they do, hence I started with 7. In hindsight, I should have gotten like 15 or something lol - I like the schooling fish.
RobB'z Reef
2500 Club Member
I was wondering if 6 or so would be too many for a 180 gal?
waterskiguy
Active Member
There really are not any schooling fish that will actually form schools in the home aquarium. t least nothing smaller than a few hundred gallons. You can add chromnis or anthias. They tend to stay together in their group "hiding places". I have 12 chromis and 10 lyretail anthias and they do group around one large rock in my tank but they don't swim anywhere together. My tank is only 260 gallons though.
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RobB'z Reef
2500 Club Member
at this time a small powder blue and two clowns
Maxx Yung
Active Member
6 should easily be enough in a 180g.
I have 200g, with 7 (6 now) Chromis with hippo, chocolate, purple, dussumieri tangs, leopard wrasse, 2 clowns, 2 lyretail anthias, filefish and one other I forgot.
RobB'z Reef
2500 Club Member
hopefully you hold the line at 6 haha
Tried green chromis - fought to the death.
Tried firefish - chased by other fish (mostly bicolor blenny) and eventually got so week that they were all caught by a crab, starfish or something else in the thank.
Tried Bartlett’s anthias - also fought to the death and wouldn’t let each other eat.
Finally, at recommendation of Elliot Lim of Marine Collectors, I tried 5 bimaculatus anthias - jackpot!
They are beautiful and really don’t fight - definitely a pecking order though from the single male down to smallest female. I’ve never even seen a nipped fin. They loosely school in mid to upper water column. Pigs too and will eat anything I put into the tank ( .5mm Coral Frenzy pellets, various flake and frozen food, and love Aqua Edibles super eggs).
Plan to add 3 more females to the school soon.
Tried firefish - chased by other fish (mostly bicolor blenny) and eventually got so week that they were all caught by a crab, starfish or something else in the thank.
Tried Bartlett’s anthias - also fought to the death and wouldn’t let each other eat.
Finally, at recommendation of Elliot Lim of Marine Collectors, I tried 5 bimaculatus anthias - jackpot!
They are beautiful and really don’t fight - definitely a pecking order though from the single male down to smallest female. I’ve never even seen a nipped fin. They loosely school in mid to upper water column. Pigs too and will eat anything I put into the tank ( .5mm Coral Frenzy pellets, various flake and frozen food, and love Aqua Edibles super eggs).
Plan to add 3 more females to the school soon.
Damian reef boi
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My engineer gobies stick together so maybe them
