Blue Green Reef Chromis

big pat

big pat

Member
I have a 75 gallon tank with 1 yellow tang, 1 percula clownfish, 1 yellowtail combtooth blenny, 2 pijama cardinalfish, 2 yellowtail damselfish, and 4 blue green reef chromis. The chromis always sit in the corner of my tank. Why is this? Are they doing this because I don't have enough of them? Should I buy 3 more so I'll have 7? What will make them stop hanging around in the corner and start swimming around in a school?
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Hello.
How brisk of a current do you have? My Chromis love to swim in the current.
4 should be fine, just be sure to watch for aggression in the school. Large numbers are suggested to spread out the aggression so no one single fish gets picked on too much.
Also, are the Damsels picking on them? They tend to hide when being picked on.
 
big pat

big pat

Member
The only current I have is from my filter. None of my fish are picking on my chromis. Is there any other way I can get them out of the corner?
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
A reef tank should have a turnover of 30-35 times volume per hour (example: a 10 gallon tank should have 350gph worth of powerheads, pumps etc.)
Welcome to the boards, btw.
Tell us more about your tank. Substrate? Rock? Skimmer? Water parameters? How long has it been set up, etc.
The Chromis are definitely not acting normal, so let's start at the beginning.
 
big pat

big pat

Member
But other than that, my water quality is fine. I have crushed coral for my substrate and I have a little live rock and a bunch of lace rock, but I couldn't tell you in pounds of how much rock I have, over 50 lbs. for sure. I don't have a skimmer. It has been setup for a year, and you already know the fish in the aquarium and the size.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by Big Pat
I know that my pH is low. Could that cause this unusual behavior?
How low? Too low pH can kill your tank, but there is probably some other issue. Why is your pH low? Do you have glass covers on the tank?
 
big pat

big pat

Member
Well my pH is not so low that everything is dying, I have a starfish, an urchin, hermit crabs, and snails, they are all surviving. Yes, I do have glass covers on the tank.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Ok... we're getting somewhere possibly. :jumping:
With only one filter and glass tops you may not be getting enough gas exchange in the tank. (could also be why your pH is low). Try removing one of the covers for 24 hours and see if your pH goes up (be sure to check it at the same time of day as pH dips when lights are off on the tank).
Chromis are active fish, they may possibly be wanting more O2. Of course, I've heard Tangs are also very oxygen needy fish so this might not be the problem at all.
 
big pat

big pat

Member
Is there a chance that my fish will jump out of the tank, and if so how do I prevent that when one of the tops are off?
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by Big Pat
Is there a chance that my fish will jump out of the tank, and if so how do I prevent that when one of the tops are off?
There is a chance, but hte fish you have aren't really known for jumping. If you are concerned, prop the lid up but don't take it completely off.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by Big Pat
I just checked my pH. It's about 7.8. Is that really low?
Well, that's low. The problem is I bet it dips lower at night. Check it in the morning and see where it is. If it dips lower then yes it's an issue.
 
ecooper

ecooper

Member
I have three of the green chromis in my 75. They are very active (that's why I got them). However, they're the only fish that are in the open area of the tank. The other fish (coral beauty, maroon clown, mandarin) are lower level and like the live rock. I'll bet they're scared of something.
Good luck!
 
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