MIA Chromis

Roger30 · 12/08/2013, 03:43 PM

I had three blue green chromis for over a month now. They were doing great, growing, eating very well. Last week I woke up and found only two. I looked everywhere for the body and found nothing! Even moved some rocks! Today I woke up and only found one! No signs of the body again! They all look good, eating well, fat. I check my levels everything is good. Just added a protein skimmer, getting good skim-mate. All I have in my tank WAS three chromis, three turbo snails and a hand full of hermit crabs. Two lps coral frags and two zoanthids frags. Coral seems to be doing fine? Are they offing each other at night? I have two monster hermits that I been thinking of trading in because they are getting too big for my tank. Can it be that my hermit crabs are attacking my fish while they sleep?

shifty51008 · 12/08/2013, 03:59 PM

my guess is the chromis killed off one another, very common. also chromis have been having bad survival rate as of lately, not sure if it is because of shipping or collecting. your crabs and other cleanup crew can make short work of a dead fish though overnight.

Roger30 · 12/08/2013, 04:05 PM

How are they going to school if they off each other? If I get another type of fish will the chromis kill it too?

Jerzey · 12/08/2013, 04:05 PM

you might of had a jumper.... did you check the floor around the whole tank?

Roger30 · 12/08/2013, 04:37 PM

Yes, no signs . Even checked the back compartments of my AIO. Nothing! They showed no signs of aggression towards each other

Mg4life0331 · 12/08/2013, 04:39 PM

I have not kept these fish, but I will tell you why I did not select them.

I read from many places that fish do not school in captivity. Very few shoal, and the Chromis variety will kill off each other till there is only one left.

"There can be only one" Chromis MacLeod.

Roger30 · 12/08/2013, 05:23 PM

I read that too so I got only one. All he did was hide, I had to feed him in his cave cuz he would not come out. I got the other two and they instantly schooled and began to cruse the tank like they owned the place. Well, Mission accomplished! Now he looks all freaked out again! Constantly hiding! Funny little fish.

shifty51008 · 12/08/2013, 06:03 PM

hate to say this but most SW fish in our average size aquarium will not schol

Chevrefils · 12/08/2013, 07:07 PM

I have 6 Chromis in a 75 that have schooled for a year. I also have hermits, snails, peppermint shrimps, cleaner shrimp, clown pair and yellow tang.

From what i have read chromis are hit and miss but they are my favourite fish in my tank personally. I actually almost lost when when i was re scaping, pulled out rocks and i guess one chromis was hiding in a little pocket, luckily enough water leaked out of all the rocks to form about an inch of water to allow the chromis to survive for an hour. Lucky i didnt crush it i was tossing the rocks in and out!

Good luck!

FTDelta · 12/08/2013, 10:18 PM

It's impossible to have schooling fish - particularly chromis in a SW aquarium. Chromis are of damsel family and it's no surprise you ended up with a single chromis.

tthnow · 12/08/2013, 10:28 PM

I also had mine jumped and made a bad smell.

devimik · 12/08/2013, 11:15 PM

When I got my 90g cycled, I bought three Chromis. Lost one the first night - other two were fine and still have them, but the one vanished - never found it.

I've read that you need a large tank with large numbers = 20+ for them to not kill each other off. Check this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...+school&page=2

Sk8r · 12/09/2013, 12:47 PM

One in a 50 gallon tank, 3 in a 100 gallon tank, 5 or 7 in a 200 gallon tank. They do school, but they will adjust their own numbers if they feel crowded. It's about sleeping places at night: if each has a good one, they're cool, if they have enough daytime space. Many damsel species are like this: they don't bother other species unless grossly overcrowded; but they have a real fine idea of how many of their kind are ok in the neighborhood.

Recliner · 12/09/2013, 12:57 PM

I have 2 in a 20 gal. Just them, a coral banded shrimp and a couple snails. They are doing fine and eat from my hand

Jerzey · 12/09/2013, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shifty51008

hate to say this but most SW fish in our average size aquarium will not schol

+1 not in our 50-300g reef tanks

DebbieT · 12/09/2013, 09:41 PM

Love the reference to Highlander!

"There can be only one" Chromis MacLeod.

12/08/2013, 03:43 PM	#1
Roger30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 339	MIA Chromis I had three blue green chromis for over a month now. They were doing great, growing, eating very well. Last week I woke up and found only two. I looked everywhere for the body and found nothing! Even moved some rocks! Today I woke up and only found one! No signs of the body again! They all look good, eating well, fat. I check my levels everything is good. Just added a protein skimmer, getting good skim-mate. All I have in my tank WAS three chromis, three turbo snails and a hand full of hermit crabs. Two lps coral frags and two zoanthids frags. Coral seems to be doing fine? Are they offing each other at night? I have two monster hermits that I been thinking of trading in because they are getting too big for my tank. Can it be that my hermit crabs are attacking my fish while they sleep?

12/08/2013, 03:59 PM	#2
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	my guess is the chromis killed off one another, very common. also chromis have been having bad survival rate as of lately, not sure if it is because of shipping or collecting. your crabs and other cleanup crew can make short work of a dead fish though overnight. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

12/08/2013, 04:05 PM	#4
Jerzey Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cape may, New jersey Posts: 375	you might of had a jumper.... did you check the floor around the whole tank? __________________ 54g corner BB, 30g acrylic sump, SRO 1000 int skimmer, Jebao dual controller WP25+(2)WP10, dim4, DIY (142w) cree led(142w)/t5(96w) hybrid fixture, refugium, media reactor, ATO, 70lbsLR, mixed reef

12/08/2013, 06:03 PM	#8
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	hate to say this but most SW fish in our average size aquarium will not schol __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

12/08/2013, 11:15 PM	#12
devimik Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: KC, KS Posts: 637	When I got my 90g cycled, I bought three Chromis. Lost one the first night - other two were fine and still have them, but the one vanished - never found it. I've read that you need a large tank with large numbers = 20+ for them to not kill each other off. Check this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...+school&page=2 __________________ Mike D Coral Beauty, Green Filefish, One Spot Foxface, Springeri Dottyback, 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Watchman Goby, Flame Hawkfish, Spotted Mandarin Current Tank Info: 90g Softie Reef, 150# live rock, 30g sump w/refugium, Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO, Octopus NWB 150 Skimmer, Mag 950 return, Maxspect 120w Razor 10K LED light X2, BRS Phosphate Reactor; Apex Lite

12/08/2013, 04:37 PM	#5
Roger30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 339	Yes, no signs . Even checked the back compartments of my AIO. Nothing! They showed no signs of aggression towards each other

12/08/2013, 04:39 PM	#6
Mg4life0331 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Tallahassee Posts: 353	I have not kept these fish, but I will tell you why I did not select them. I read from many places that fish do not school in captivity. Very few shoal, and the Chromis variety will kill off each other till there is only one left. "There can be only one" Chromis MacLeod.

12/08/2013, 05:23 PM	#7
Roger30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 339	I read that too so I got only one. All he did was hide, I had to feed him in his cave cuz he would not come out. I got the other two and they instantly schooled and began to cruse the tank like they owned the place. Well, Mission accomplished! Now he looks all freaked out again! Constantly hiding! Funny little fish.

12/08/2013, 07:07 PM	#9
Chevrefils Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 242	I have 6 Chromis in a 75 that have schooled for a year. I also have hermits, snails, peppermint shrimps, cleaner shrimp, clown pair and yellow tang. From what i have read chromis are hit and miss but they are my favourite fish in my tank personally. I actually almost lost when when i was re scaping, pulled out rocks and i guess one chromis was hiding in a little pocket, luckily enough water leaked out of all the rocks to form about an inch of water to allow the chromis to survive for an hour. Lucky i didnt crush it i was tossing the rocks in and out! Good luck!

12/08/2013, 10:18 PM	#10
FTDelta Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Central NY Posts: 1,124	It's impossible to have schooling fish - particularly chromis in a SW aquarium. Chromis are of damsel family and it's no surprise you ended up with a single chromis.

12/08/2013, 10:28 PM	#11
tthnow Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hughson Posts: 513	I also had mine jumped and made a bad smell.

12/09/2013, 12:47 PM	#13
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	One in a 50 gallon tank, 3 in a 100 gallon tank, 5 or 7 in a 200 gallon tank. They do school, but they will adjust their own numbers if they feel crowded. It's about sleeping places at night: if each has a good one, they're cool, if they have enough daytime space. Many damsel species are like this: they don't bother other species unless grossly overcrowded; but they have a real fine idea of how many of their kind are ok in the neighborhood. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/09/2013, 12:57 PM	#14
Recliner Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 289	I have 2 in a 20 gal. Just them, a coral banded shrimp and a couple snails. They are doing fine and eat from my hand

12/09/2013, 09:41 PM	#16
DebbieT Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Ladysmith, Quebec Posts: 32	Love the reference to Highlander! "There can be only one" Chromis MacLeod.