Chromis Long Term?

lkgrenegade22

lkgrenegade22

Member
Has anyone here kept a school of chromis long term? I just read a discussion on another site and lots of the older members were saying after awhile an alpha male will slowly start taking out the group and you will end up with only 1 chromis. Who has experience with this happening or not happening? How many did you have, how big of a tank and for how long? Thanks!
 
slider101

slider101

Member
Originally Posted by LKGRenegade22
http:///forum/post/2911104
Has anyone here kept a school of chromis long term? I just read a discussion on another site and lots of the older members were saying after awhile an alpha male will slowly start taking out the group and you will end up with only 1 chromis. Who has experience with this happening or not happening? How many did you have, how big of a tank and for how long? Thanks!
I have 3 green chromis damsels. I have had them for about 2 months now in a 55 gal and they all seem to get along great. The 3 of them and my littlest false percula clown all hang out. The larger clown keeps to himself though.
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
I had 3 chromis as my first saltwater fish in my 55gal. I bought them about 10 years ago. We ended up breaking down the tank and moving everything into a 90gal after about 3 years in the 55gal. I don't remember how long it took exactly, but I can tell you that when we moved "them" we moved the only surviving one who is still living in our aggressive 90 til this day.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
wow, 10yr old chromis!!
When I bought 5 one time, I ended up with three, then with two and then the tank started leaking. Eventually there will only be one. I don't know if it's just old age, disease, or whatever - but I've always only ended up with one.
 
paintballer768

paintballer768

Active Member
I had 3 and they killed each other off within 3 weeks, until there was 1 left. They were (and the last one still is) very small, like 1 inch maybe
 
lkgrenegade22

lkgrenegade22

Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2911471
wow, 10yr old chromis!!
When I bought 5 one time, I ended up with three, then with two and then the tank started leaking. Eventually there will only be one. I don't know if it's just old age, disease, or whatever - but I've always only ended up with one.
See that's what I'm wondering...If it's old age or 1 turns into the alpha male and slowly picks off the others. And still even if that is the case, is it always the case?
Someone on that other site just posted he has had a school of 8 for 8 years and said he was going to post pics later. So apparently it is not always the case.
 
agent707

agent707

Member
I've never had any luck keeping a "school" of them. I put 6 in my 90 and 5 in my 56. The 90 is down to 3 I think, and the 56 is down to 2. Been about 9 months I guess, since I last stocked them.
I'm always having to put "new" ones in to keep them schooling. Seems when they get down to 2 or 3, they only come out when feeding. When I have 5 or 6 in the tank, they always swim around in a school.
If that is what they are doing - killing one another off - so be it. They seem to get along pretty well when they are schooling and much happier. With just one or two, they just become solitude...
So I'll stick with adding them and keeping the school alive. Heh, they are cheap fish here (like $6), so I don't mind grabbing a few of them every few trips to the LFS.
So I guess it's time to grab a few on my next trip. :)
Oh, and for the guy who has had one 10 years? WOW! Nice.
 
flower1459

flower1459

Member
From the GIRL =) who has the 10yr old chromis...thanks for the compliment!
He's not that big actually. He just chills. He's a good clean up crew for the aggressive tank. I didn't really think about him being that old until I was typing that and realized I set my first tank up while I was still in high school. Bought 3 (as my the cycle is done and I don't want to kill any expensive fish) fishes and he's my sole survivor. I have a sailfin that's almost as old as him as well. Both are doing great.
 
don trinko

don trinko

Member
I have 5 in a 75 for 4 months with other fish. Iwill see damaged scales occasioaly but all 5 are alive and well. They are a very active fish and their color changes depending on the lighting or their mood so It is interesting to watch them move around the tank. Don T.
 
dkcobbs

dkcobbs

New Member
I purchase six when first setting up my tank. They all lasted about 3 1/2 years then about six months ago one disapeared. The other 5 have been going strong for 4+ years. 120gallon tank.
 
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