"best" schooling fish...

[jbird69]

-------For every "rule" there will almost always be an exception-------

This hobby is the epitome of this comment. I bet God gets a good laugh at all our struggles and experiments with reefkeeping.

[Canadian]

How about Chalk Basslets (Serranus tortugarum)?

I've heard mixed reviews about their behaviors in aquaria.

[sassafrass]

Originally posted by davocean
That's an odd comparison(though I just happen to have 400 jumps!LOL) and not a fair one.
I don't consider my exp to be a freak accident, since I have read and seen many others w/ the same exp as me.
I'm not saying there will be absolute success w/ these guys, since I also read about the pecking each other off stories(which still baffles me) I'm just saying I don't like hearing the opposite, which some preach as certain failure.
Lets have an open mind since there IS a decent amount of conflicting experiences among reefers, not just one random freak thing.

Didn't mean to sound unfair , it has simply been my experience and the experience of those around me . I have worked at 2 LFS's and spent the last couple of years building ,installing ,stocking and maintaining reef tanks of large sizes from 120 to 720 so I do have some experience. Also the comments I make on RC tend to err on the side of caution in order to preserve the lives of our salty friends!

[davocean]

I can respect those who err on the side of caution, and tend to do the same.
And I don't take your example personally(though being in that hobby I know your example has happened like 3 times in the history of the sport, and that's why I say unfair comparison)
I just like to keep an open mind, share experiences, and I don't preach that my exp is the only certain outcome.

[noahm]

With Chromis and a lot of fish in general that have a pecking order, the 3-5 range seems too be more trouble. It is also probably the most oft gotten number making for unhappy results.

5 + seems to spread the social group out enough to avoid picking on. As for swimming together, seems to have a lot to do with tank environment/mates.

[Teen Aquarist]

If you have a large enough tank a school of yellow tangs looks beautiful. Also you can't go wrong with anthias.

[atoa]

I've had a group of 5 chromis for 9 months without problems. They stay together most of the time. They love swimming against the current of the Vortech. I've noticed that when I turn the Vortech off then they start picking on each other a lot more. So it seems that flow may be a factor in their group behavior.

(noticed how I avoided the school/schoal words? )

-- Oliver

[dzhuo]

Originally posted by justinpsmith
Not impossible at all. Impossible is a bit of a strong word You are correct about the reason fish school but I have a school of Scissor Gobies that rarely leave each other side. 6 of them follow the leader all over the tank...if one goes into their cave, they all do. When one comes out, they all do. I have rarely ever seen one or two out and about on their own.

Even eating, they all stick together.

So tell me, what is Scissor gobies?

[Elysia]

A scissor goby is a dartfish, scissortail dartfish, Ptereleotris evides. I have read and have been told that these fish will live in groups, unlike firefish (also dartfish) which do not seem to like one another and will only do pairs if in big enough quarters.

When I asked about peaceful shoaling fish on a seahorse forum to which I belong, I was left w/ cardinalfish species (many of which aren't often available in the trade), the Vanderbilt chromis (a more expensive, but pretty and small, chromis), the chalk bass, scissortail dartfish, and I think one anthias species that I didn't have room for.

dzhuo -- I have a randall's shrimp goby, too!

[snorvich]

Considered superficially a school of fish is merely a metaphor for lost individuality. Shoals, Schools, and Mills are merely assemblages of fish showing social behavior. A Shoal refers to an assemblage of fishes in which the individuals do not demonstrate uniform polarity. A shoal may or may not have only one species. The necessary criterion of a school is movement in synchrony which requires group polarity. A mill, which we see occasionally in aquaria, is a stationary assemblage of individuals of one or more species. Shoaling and schooling are transformed over space and time, that is shoals can transform into schools and then later disintegrate. Fishes in a school must move forward, maintain polarity, and respond to changes of their companions without bumping into them. While schools are kept together by visual sensory input, there is some evidence that lateral line perception generated by swimming motions of individual fishes may aid in mediating schooling. So, schooling is a very explicitly defined form of shoaling.

Much more than you wanted to know?

[familiar1985]

what about the blue reef chromis? i heard that they are less agressive toward each other then other chromis. Im looking for a group of fish for my reef also. I was thinking 7 blue reef chromis or 7 Anthias. Leaning toward the chromis because they are smaller.

[dzhuo]

the red strip cardinals is suppose to school best but their survival rate is poor. a while back, i came across a tank video in youtube.com which feature a school of tiny fish that are amazing. unfortunately, the quality of the video does not allow me to see clearly what these fish are but they are definitely school not just shoals. So I know there are fish that will school in a home aquarium, just the common ones that mosts mentioned here won't.

[FishNFun]

Originally posted by snorvich
Considered superficially a school of fish is merely a metaphor for lost individuality. Shoals, Schools, and Mills are merely assemblages of fish showing social behavior. A Shoal refers to an assemblage of fishes in which the individuals do not demonstrate uniform polarity. A shoal may or may not have only one species. The necessary criterion of a school is movement in synchrony which requires group polarity. A mill, which we see occasionally in aquaria, is a stationary assemblage of individuals of one or more species. Shoaling and schooling are transformed over space and time, that is shoals can transform into schools and then later disintegrate. Fishes in a school must move forward, maintain polarity, and respond to changes of their companions without bumping into them. While schools are kept together by visual sensory input, there is some evidence that lateral line perception generated by swimming motions of individual fishes may aid in mediating schooling. So, schooling is a very explicitly defined form of shoaling.

Much more than you wanted to know?

Well someone knows how to use Google. All I know is that every time I look over at my tank, my 5 chromis are swimming together in a nice little shoal/school/mill/whatever and have been doing so for about two years. Another exception I guess.

[snorvich]

Actually, it is not from Google although is quite useful. I am sure Google will provide that information as well.

[dzhuo]

does anyone know what fish these are at the 5:13 mark of this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxfAV...eature=related

the fish looks tiny.

[dnsfpl]

Originally posted by davocean
Technically a shoal rather than school, but still my favorite.
SAME SIX CHROMIS FOR SIX YEARS, w/ NO AGRESSION!!!
I hate when people always say absolutely for sure they kill each other off ALWAYS.
And I've also had 5 in another system over a year w/ no probs(so I don't buy into the odd even theory either)
This pic is about five years together, and this is how tight they would still group after all those years.

i hope my eyes is not playing tricks on me but i saw 7 chromis

[snorvich]

In the picture, there are, indeed, seven. Maybe one is the ghost of Chromis Past?

[Letmegrow]

Squint harder, that bottom most ''chromis'' is actually a Tang.
Juvinaile orange shoulder if I am not mistaken.
But looks like a different type of Cteno the more I look at it.