Which are best small schooling fish? Success?

[Big G]

Orange striped cardinals are great! I have four in a 34 gallon nano they all hangout together without a problem. They're the first saltwater fish that I've had successfully school.

I'm thinking of a school of Yellow/Orange Striped Cardinals and a school of Blue/Green Chromis. I like lots of movement in the upper water area.

 

[nanomania]

I'm thinking of a school of Yellow/Orange Striped Cardinals and a school of Blue/Green Chromis. I like lots of movement in the upper water area.

Iv got 5 fishes and my tank looks very empty, as onky my tang keeps hanging arround

 

[DanConnor]

I picked up a trio of yellow (luteus) cardinals at RAP. They are gorgeous and small. Its been 5 days now and they have stayed in a tight school the whole time. I'm expecting them to disperse eventually, but so far no.

 

[Big G]

I picked up a trio of yellow (luteus) cardinals at RAP. They are gorgeous and small. Its been 5 days now and they have stayed in a tight school the whole time. I'm expecting them to disperse eventually, but so far no.

Picture please!

 

[DanConnor]

Here's Quality Marine's pic. Looks nicer than in the pic. Not many found at google. I guess they aren't common.

 

[nagreen]

don't think that is long enough for them to be in a school like group.....

I have a school of blue/green Chromis(6) and they do wonderfully together....i do refer to them as salt water parahna, though. Lol They are relatively tame, beings my tank is in a highly trafficked area of our home, and I'm forever piddling with it, so when I stick my hand inside they think it's dinner time and nibble on my fingers. Lol Also follow me around the room as I move, makes me feel like Evan Almighty. [emoji23]
I also have a paired set of firefish goby...i don't think putting any more than two in a tank would be very successful.
We also tried to school banner cardinals(some people have success), it didn't go so well for us. We have one lone ranger left. [emoji15]
Now, our bar gobies are very hardy fish, fairly big bodied, and all hang out together with no issues what so ever.

What type of tang is that in the middle? Yellow eye kole? I've never seen one so purple like that if that is what it is!

 

[pireefgirl85]

Really nice tank. What size is it? How long have the Chromis been in there together?

It's a 100 gallon tank, and they've been together I'd say close to a yr or longer.

 

[pireefgirl85]

What type of tang is that in the middle? Yellow eye kole? I've never seen one so purple like that if that is what it is!

Yes, that is a kole tang....entire reason it had to come home with me that day, such beautiful coloration. Also had a Tomini, but the Kole won the spot in my tank. Lol

 

[ReeferDave01]

Howmany times do i feed the chromis to reduce the agression just in case.?

When I'm home I feed mine twice a day with frozen food. When I'm traveling I do 4 small dry portions a day via apex feeder

 

[klp]

red spot cardinalfish. Apogon parvulus

I never realized all these small fish would school. I knew about the Chromis which I personally do not want, but am interested in the others. Thanks all for the info!

 

[Big G]

When I'm home I feed mine twice a day with frozen food. When I'm traveling I do 4 small dry portions a day via apex feeder

What kind of dry do you prefer to use? Which frozen food do they seem to prefer?

 

[ReeferDave01]

I feed variety. To me it's always been about variety if they eat same food all the time they will become picky & wont eat. Dry food when Im traveling =- I feed cobalt flakes and Omega One pellets. Put in container, mix it up then dump into Neptune auto feeders. Frozen I put cubes in salt water to thaw but feed variety from mysis, brine shrimp, algae, chopped up clam, etc. They all go at it. I have like 25 fish & it;s a feeding frenzy.

 

[Stigigemla]

Wy do fish school?
In my opinion there are two major reasons.
Number one is protection. Many fishes see more than one so they can take protection quicker if needed.
In aquarium one big fish often will increase the schooling of smaller ones.
Number two is feeding. In a big group everyone sees where the other fishes eat so they go there.

There are other factors too. I have 12 blue-green chromis in a frag tank with very strong circulation. The tank is 6 feet and they school all of the time.
In my shop with much less circulation they never school. The Anthias like very strong circulation too.

The cardinals will have problems in that circulation. Most of them are only good in pairs but the Pyjama Cardinal and Zoramia leptacantha will do good in a group of ten. But the other are best kept in pairs.

The firefishes are very careful. In a tank with high circulation and swimmers like Tangs or Anthias you will only see them by feeding. Or never.
They are best kept in pairs. I usually buy ten for my shop and some times I can have them in one tank but most of the time I have to move one pair that gets aggressive to the other. And after a few days the next pair. And so on.

The Ptereleotris is just a little bit braver and will do better in a bigger group. But usually they will pair off so you will see them pairwise but with no aggression between the pairs. They are often very sweet to each other in the pairs.