Which are best small schooling fish? Success?

[eatbreakfast]

red spot cardinalfish. Apogon parvulus

I've had pink square anthias hunt parvulus cardinals, so if the op will have fish that size or larger in the tank the parvulus may be on the menu.

Also, parvulus do not handle having a day of feeding skipped. So if going away even for a weekend, expect casualties, unless arangements are made to have them fed.

 

[nanomania]

I've had pink square anthias hunt parvulus cardinals, so if the op will have fish that size or larger in the tank the parvulus may be on the menu.

Also, parvulus do not handle having a day of feeding skipped. So if going away even for a weekend, expect casualties, unless arangements are made to have them fed.

I find such cardinals very delicate. I dont like delicate fishes or corals

 

[Maddlesrain]

I have four chromis. All have lived together for years now - about 2-3 with me and for an undetermined period of time with their previous owner. There is almost no aggression. Sometimes two will get a little bristly at one another for a few minutes, but these occasions are few and far between.

Perhaps a more robust cardinalfish? I haven't tried any but the pajama cardinal, but I would recommend NOT getting a group of the pajamas as they picked each other off one by one until only the victor remains.

I see a lot of larger tanks with schools of longspines or flames and they seem decently peaceful. Can't say from personal experience though. Schooling fish are really a hit or miss IME. The same species of fish can be terrors in one batch and completely peaceful in another.

 

[nanomania]

I have four chromis. All have lived together for years now - about 2-3 with me and for an undetermined period of time with their previous owner. There is almost no aggression. Sometimes two will get a little bristly at one another for a few minutes, but these occasions are few and far between.

Perhaps a more robust cardinalfish? I haven't tried any but the pajama cardinal, but I would recommend NOT getting a group of the pajamas as they picked each other off one by one until only the victor remains.

I see a lot of larger tanks with schools of longspines or flames and they seem decently peaceful. Can't say from personal experience though. Schooling fish are really a hit or miss IME. The same species of fish can be terrors in one batch and completely peaceful in another.

Wow..thanks alot. Can u plz give me full names for longspine and flame?

 

[Maddlesrain]

Wow..thanks alot. Can u plz give me full names for longspine and flame?

Flame Cardinalfish (Apogon spp.) and Longspine Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha)

Goodluck with the fish hunt!

 

[Greybeard]

Excepting Clowns, I'm just _not_ a fan of damsels, even chromis. Just never worked out well for me.

In my upcoming 140, I'm planning a small school of cardinals. Won't be PJ, Orbic, or Banggai, but among the other cardinals, I have yet to pick one. Leaning towards Fowleria flammea

 

[Jimbo662]

Blue eyed cardinals. I've got 4 and they show no aggression whatsoever.

 

[WrongGenotype]

Second for the Longspine Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha) or blue eyed cardinal. Great fish and will definitely school for you. The only issue I have had with them is aggression to begin with in their own school. Once the pecking order is solved it is pretty great.

 

[pirate2876]

I like firefish for small, schoolers. I have 6 that hang out in mid-water. Well, 5 that hang out. The one purple one is always by himself for some reason.

 

[nanomania]

I like firefish for small, schoolers. I have 6 that hang out in mid-water. Well, 5 that hang out. The one purple one is always by himself for some reason.

Fire fish u mean fire goby? Many suggest to keep one per tank

 

[mkutsch]

Only cause they get rather large(ish, I know... 3 inches isn't large...), and many keep them in smaller tanks. But they are cool when you've got like ten in a 50 gallon. They will kinda stick around each other, maybe. It'd be seriously cool to see with helfrichi's!
IME, carberryi, dispar, and ignitus anthias all show pretty close to schooling behavior in a tank~ note that, while not everyone, most are unsuccessful with this endeavor. Reef tanks--smaller ones, that is, like under 200 gallons--change the way they behave, even if minute. I'm no expert on this by any means, but I believe it becomes more of a coexist than a pecking order situation, if you will. For example, I chose anthias here because they are very communal, and unlike some popular cardinals and damsels, will not rip each other to shreds until few are left. But hey, that's just IME.;Smuggrin
Good luck!

 

[mkutsch]

I find such cardinals very delicate. I dont like delicate fishes or corals

Then you, sir, would be in for a surprise... if you watched a group of cardinals that have no real order. Yikes, most times they kill one another off till there are just 2 left.

 

[pREEFERed]

i have 4 green chromis in a reefer 170, they all swim together, some bullying at first but all is peaceful now...

 

[dmh]

I have had 6 Pajama Cardinals for 10 years. They were my first fish in the tank and have made it through the ups/downs of owning a tank. There is a hierarchy but they do school together.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Fire fish u mean fire goby? Many suggest to keep one per tank

This is accurate. Firefish don't work out as a group in aquaria. They are intolerant of consexuals, don't change gender like many other marine species, and if 2 do pr off they will dispose of the rest.

Then you, sir, would be in for a surprise... if you watched a group of cardinals that have no real order. Yikes, most times they kill one another off till there are just 2 left.

Some species of cardinals are very social and tolerant of their own kind(blue eye, pj, parvulus), others are quite intolerant of their own kind unless a pr(bangaii, orange stripe, red stripe.

 

[nanomania]

This is accurate. Firefish don't work out as a group in aquaria. They are intolerant of consexuals, don't change gender like many other marine species, and if 2 do pr off they will dispose of the rest.

Some species of cardinals are very social and tolerant of their own kind(blue eye, pj, parvulus), others are quite intolerant of their own kind unless a pr(bangaii, orange stripe, red stripe.

Iv had a bangai kill other bangai. Do u think i should try with 10 chromis?

 

[themcnertney]

Knowing some of your history with reef tanks, go with a group of chromis.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Iv had a bangai kill other bangai. Do u think i should try with 10 chromis?

As long as you have high flow and frequent feedings that sounds good.

 

[nanomania]

As long as you have high flow and frequent feedings that sounds good.

Thanks. Just one last que, can i mix bg with g chromis? Also how often doni feed? Currently feeding 3ice

 

[eatbreakfast]

Thanks. Just one last que, can i mix bg with g chromis? Also how often doni feed? Currently feeding 3ice

Blue-green chromis and green chromis are both common names for C. viridis.