Green chromis and mandarin compete?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Am I correct in thinking that green chromis and mandarins are feeding in quite different locations in the tank and are not competing for the same food?

Thinking of having both tank raised Mandarins (pair) and a group of green chromis, but only if the chromis do not excessively deplete pods and such that mandarins consume (I know the tank raised also eat tiny pellets).

 

[Slocke]

Yes. Chromis are water colomn feeders and mandarins are rock peckers. If you have a good enough microbiome they should do fine together. Only issue is if you are relying on feeding the mandarins pellets and not enough get past the chromis

 

[Llyod276]

Absolutely. I would be wary of adding fish of the wrasse species, leopards and coris types. The chromis are more or less open water feeders. Mine usually always are at the top of the water column.

 

[Slocke]

Absolutely. I would be wary of adding fish of the wrasse species, leopards and coris types. The chromis are more or less open water feeders. Mine usually always are at the top of the water column.

Do you mean Halichoeres? Coris are way too big and aggressive for most tanks. Also I'm starting to think this is a myth as me and many other people with wrasse dominated tanks also have mandarins. They eat different sized pods I believe

 

[Llyod276]

Absolutely. I would be wary of adding fish of the wrasse species, leopards and coris types. The chromis are more or less open water feeders. Mine usually always are at the top of the water column.

Do you mean Halichoeres? Coris are way too big and aggressive for most tanks

Yes, but im a lazy reefer, so coris it is...

 

[Llyod276]

Absolutely. I would be wary of adding fish of the wrasse species, leopards and coris types. The chromis are more or less open water feeders. Mine usually always are at the top of the water column.

Do you mean Halichoeres? Coris are way too big and aggressive for most tanks

Yes, but im a lazy reefer, so coris it is...

Yellow coris*** the halichoeres,

 

[Llyod276]

Absolutely. I would be wary of adding fish of the wrasse species, leopards and coris types. The chromis are more or less open water feeders. Mine usually always are at the top of the water column.

Do you mean Halichoeres? Coris are way too big and aggressive for most tanks

Yes, but im a lazy reefer, so coris it is...

Yellow coris*** the halichoeres,

There's a bug cant quote my self on the app!!!

 

[dangles]

I have 5 green chromis and 2 young(ish) mandarin gobies in my 120 gallon tank. Plus 4 anthias and a bunch of other randos. I haven’t ever noticed the chromis anywhere near the mandarins’ feeding areas (all over the rock/sand bed). The chromis definitely stay in the middle/upper water column.

If you haven’t already decided on a source for the chromis, check out Dr. Reef. I did a write up of his chromis here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dr-reef-quarantined-chromis-a-review.1086027/

 

[Slocke]

Yellow coris*** the halichoeres,

Shame Halichoeres bivittatus is not the Halichoeres. It would be much funnier hobby and I wouldn't get annoyed at people mislabeling their taxonomy

 

[Miami Reef]

Chromis don’t eat the pods mandarins need.

My chromis won’t even touch frozen food on the bottom of the tank; it needs to be fully suspended.

 

[Back2Reef]

I have a mandarin and 3 blue green chromis. My Chromis are never down low. They eat from the top And of course Mandarin are almost always bottom feeder.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks folks!

 

[areefer01]

Thanks folks!

Not your first rodeo I know but Chromis these days are Uronema magnets. Find a reliable and trusted QT source or prepare to do it on your own of that is in your wheelhouse.