Schooling fish?

Jokes · 10/08/2014, 12:17 PM

I've always enjoyed the look of a group of schooling fish swimming around the tank. I've read that most saltwater fish are more aggressive and territorial then freshwater fish. So are there any smaller saltwater fish that I can keep a group of 4-6 in my 90gal setup? If so, which ones?

Paul B · 10/08/2014, 12:28 PM

Threadfin cardinals, small, cheap, peaceful and eat anything. They also readily spawn.

Jokes · 10/08/2014, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul B

Threadfin cardinals, small, cheap, peaceful and eat anything. They also readily spawn.

That's it? Only one species? Haha dang

ichthyogeek · 10/08/2014, 02:43 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1430874
This thread's about a group of the red firefish; how small/big of a fish size were you going for?

Jokes · 10/09/2014, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichthyogeek

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1430874
This thread's about a group of the red firefish; how small/big of a fish size were you going for?

I think smaller would be better so I can get a decent size group of fish.

ichthyogeek · 10/09/2014, 03:35 PM

Would it be possible to get a size indication? Are you looking for a "small" 1 inch fish, or a
"small" 3 inch fish. Compared to a great white shark, a tomini tang is "small", but in comparison to a Trimma goby, it's gigantic. The threadfin cardinals are a good option, but Paul B does feed his live blackworms, clams, etc.

tanksfishtank · 10/09/2014, 03:39 PM

There are other cardinals the school as well. Anthias also school.

EDJFA · 10/09/2014, 03:48 PM

Chromis will school. The blue-green ones have a really nice blue color under the blue LED lights. And they're cheap and easy to care for.

Anthias are more colorful, but you're going to pay more for them.

The Cardinals will technically school, but if you're looking for a very actively swimming fish, they're not what you're looking for.

Dmorty217 · 10/09/2014, 04:24 PM

Chromis school until they single each other out and die. Also urenoma is a huge problem with chromis. I would avoid them at all costs if I were you

Indymann99 · 10/09/2014, 06:43 PM

my blue green Chromis have been 4x for 5yrs. They kind of school... I do have a "dither" fish in my Blue Hippo who puts any Chromis who are fighting in their place.

Dmorty217 · 10/09/2014, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indymann99

my blue green Chromis have been 4x for 5yrs. They kind of school... I do have a "dither" fish in my Blue Hippo who puts any Chromis who are fighting in their place.

How many did you start with? I had 25 at one time and 6 months later there were 12 I think it was I traded back in to the LFS.

Indymann99 · 10/09/2014, 08:31 PM

5x went into QT and I did lose 1 in QT over the course of 4 weeks. I cant say it was agression but if I had to do again I would have provided MORE hiding places in the QT.

billsreef · 10/10/2014, 06:13 AM

Bar Gobies and Scissor Gobies are good choices for a mid to top water schooling fish that is commonly available. Groups of flasher wrasses would also look nice and do well in a 90.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ichthyogeek

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1430874
This thread's about a group of the red firefish; how small/big of a fish size were you going for?

Firefish do not peacefully coexist with each other unless a mated pair. So not a good choice schools, since they don't naturally school.

Bryopsis · 10/10/2014, 07:14 AM

Anyone else vote against blue chromis? I thought about these, but perhaps I should reconsider? :/

firemountain · 10/10/2014, 08:39 AM

I originally wanted to do the blue chromis, but after good recommendations here, I decided to pass on the chromis for my 65g. I think they would probably school better in like a 120/180 that's nice and long.

The problem is that most LFS regularly carry them and are a popular seller as a schooling fish.

D-Nak · 10/10/2014, 10:07 AM

Blue chromis, or most fish for that matter, won't "school" as we envision in our heads. Our tanks are simply too small to see any schooling behavior, where they swim together in tight packs or formations. Furthermore, once these fish are comfortable in our tanks, they swim all over the place. You can get chromis to swim together if you add a fish that they consider to be a threat. In my tank I have a bluethroat trigger but I have since removed my blue chromis. The drawback to adding a predator-type fish is that chromis appear to "freak out" very easily.

When I originally get up my tank, I had 7 blue chromis and 5 blue reef chromis but by the time I pulled them out I only had three blue chromis left. They really do form a hierarchy and the biggest fish will bully the others until only a few are left.

I also have threadfin/blue-eyed cardinals but the problem I had was finding healthy specimens that will eat. They are now readily available, but you may have to go through a dozen or so to finally end up with a small school of 5-7. They are extremely timid at first, and they typically hide in the rockwork. I assume a few of mine starved to death. I now QT all fish additions, and I think threadfins definitely should be QTed to make sure they are healthy and eating prior to introduction to the DT.

E_Aquatics · 10/10/2014, 10:37 AM

Lyretail anthias would be a good choice too. I've kept over 6 in a 90g tank with no problem. Most people say you need to feed them multipul times a day but I always feed them once a day and they were happy and fat.

tanksfishtank · 10/10/2014, 10:43 AM

Just an FYI. Anthias are known jumpers, so make sure you have got the top screened or covered somehow!

10/08/2014, 12:17 PM	#1
Jokes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 34	Schooling fish? I've always enjoyed the look of a group of schooling fish swimming around the tank. I've read that most saltwater fish are more aggressive and territorial then freshwater fish. So are there any smaller saltwater fish that I can keep a group of 4-6 in my 90gal setup? If so, which ones?

10/08/2014, 12:28 PM	#2
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Threadfin cardinals, small, cheap, peaceful and eat anything. They also readily spawn. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

10/09/2014, 03:48 PM	#8
EDJFA Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: St. Charles, MO Posts: 1,025	Chromis will school. The blue-green ones have a really nice blue color under the blue LED lights. And they're cheap and easy to care for. Anthias are more colorful, but you're going to pay more for them. The Cardinals will technically school, but if you're looking for a very actively swimming fish, they're not what you're looking for. __________________ Current Tank: 210g mixed reef. 75g sump AquaMaxx ConeS skimmer, Jebao DCS9000 return pump, ATO, Reefbreeders Photon 48 on a custom lighting schedule

10/09/2014, 04:24 PM	#9
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	Chromis school until they single each other out and die. Also urenoma is a huge problem with chromis. I would avoid them at all costs if I were you __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

10/09/2014, 06:43 PM	#10
Indymann99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,447	my blue green Chromis have been 4x for 5yrs. They kind of school... I do have a "dither" fish in my Blue Hippo who puts any Chromis who are fighting in their place. __________________ 120g DT 100lbs LR / 200 lbs LS, 45g fuge, VectraM1 Return, Herbie drain, 4x RW-8, 2x AI Hydra 26 w AWM, ASM G2, Apex controller, Apex BoB w floats ATO

10/08/2014, 02:43 PM	#4
ichthyogeek Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Arkansas Posts: 742	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1430874 This thread's about a group of the red firefish; how small/big of a fish size were you going for?

10/09/2014, 03:35 PM	#6
ichthyogeek Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Arkansas Posts: 742	Would it be possible to get a size indication? Are you looking for a "small" 1 inch fish, or a "small" 3 inch fish. Compared to a great white shark, a tomini tang is "small", but in comparison to a Trimma goby, it's gigantic. The threadfin cardinals are a good option, but Paul B does feed his live blackworms, clams, etc.

10/09/2014, 03:39 PM	#7
tanksfishtank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Bettendorf, IA Posts: 335	There are other cardinals the school as well. Anthias also school.

10/09/2014, 08:31 PM	#12
Indymann99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,447	5x went into QT and I did lose 1 in QT over the course of 4 weeks. I cant say it was agression but if I had to do again I would have provided MORE hiding places in the QT. __________________ 120g DT 100lbs LR / 200 lbs LS, 45g fuge, VectraM1 Return, Herbie drain, 4x RW-8, 2x AI Hydra 26 w AWM, ASM G2, Apex controller, Apex BoB w floats ATO

10/10/2014, 07:14 AM	#14
Bryopsis Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 275	Anyone else vote against blue chromis? I thought about these, but perhaps I should reconsider? :/

10/10/2014, 08:39 AM	#15
firemountain Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Bergen County, NJ Posts: 1,033	I originally wanted to do the blue chromis, but after good recommendations here, I decided to pass on the chromis for my 65g. I think they would probably school better in like a 120/180 that's nice and long. The problem is that most LFS regularly carry them and are a popular seller as a schooling fish. __________________ Eshopps RS100 sump, Eheim 1262 return,Kessil 360WE w/controller, Avast ATO w Litermeter 3, RO Regal 170sss Skimmer, Sicce XStream-e pumps /dc controlled, Spectrapure Dual Reactor Current Tank Info: 65g mixed reef

10/10/2014, 10:07 AM	#16
D-Nak Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 5,797	Blue chromis, or most fish for that matter, won't "school" as we envision in our heads. Our tanks are simply too small to see any schooling behavior, where they swim together in tight packs or formations. Furthermore, once these fish are comfortable in our tanks, they swim all over the place. You can get chromis to swim together if you add a fish that they consider to be a threat. In my tank I have a bluethroat trigger but I have since removed my blue chromis. The drawback to adding a predator-type fish is that chromis appear to "freak out" very easily. When I originally get up my tank, I had 7 blue chromis and 5 blue reef chromis but by the time I pulled them out I only had three blue chromis left. They really do form a hierarchy and the biggest fish will bully the others until only a few are left. I also have threadfin/blue-eyed cardinals but the problem I had was finding healthy specimens that will eat. They are now readily available, but you may have to go through a dozen or so to finally end up with a small school of 5-7. They are extremely timid at first, and they typically hide in the rockwork. I assume a few of mine starved to death. I now QT all fish additions, and I think threadfins definitely should be QTed to make sure they are healthy and eating prior to introduction to the DT. __________________ Tank info: 120 gallon 48x30x20 high DT. Clownfish breeding rack in full swing: C-Quest Onyx, Bali Aquarich P1 Picasso + Rod's Onyx, wild percula + Rod's Onyx.

10/10/2014, 10:37 AM	#17
E_Aquatics Registered Member. Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: FL Posts: 194	Lyretail anthias would be a good choice too. I've kept over 6 in a 90g tank with no problem. Most people say you need to feed them multipul times a day but I always feed them once a day and they were happy and fat. __________________ Eric Current Tank Info: 300Gal DT with 80Gal Sump

10/10/2014, 10:43 AM	#18
tanksfishtank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Bettendorf, IA Posts: 335	Just an FYI. Anthias are known jumpers, so make sure you have got the top screened or covered somehow!