Is it worth keeping one chromis?

[Thomasflynn15]

I was looking to add a final, budget friendly addition to my 75 gallon. Currently have a pair of occelaris, an azure damsel, a pair of pajama cardinals, a yellow watcman/pistol shrimp pair. I'd like to add chromis but I understand they prefer groups. But another thing I understand is they're known to have a vicious pecking order where the group slowly gets culled down to the strongest one. For what it's worth, in a 75, is it okay to keep just 1 solo to prevent that heartache? The only deterrent fish would be the damsel but he's a model citizen usually.

 

[fishywishy]

It’s completely fine to just keep one.

 

[Clowning_Around72]

I was looking to add a final, budget friendly addition to my 75 gallon. Currently have a pair of occelaris, an azure damsel, a pair of pajama cardinals, a yellow watcman/pistol shrimp pair. I'd like to add chromis but I understand they prefer groups. But another thing I understand is they're known to have a vicious pecking order where the group slowly gets culled down to the strongest one. For what it's worth, in a 75, is it okay to keep just 1 solo to prevent that heartache? The only deterrent fish would be the damsel but he's a model citizen usually.

They can work as groups but I don't know how often it works. You may actually be better off with a single chromis. I think in smaller tanks without a few larger open water fish (tangs or angels) they have a tendency to pick each other off. So, it's a good idea to try a single.

 

[exnisstech]

I've only been able to keep a single chromis. I've tried groups of 7 twice and both times ended up with one

 

[Newbie727272]

Are they happy as a single? AI is telling me they'll get stressed and die if alone. Love the look of these fish but I can't accomodate more than one in my set up.

 

[exnisstech]

Are they happy as a single? AI is telling me they'll get stressed and die if alone. Love the look of these fish but I can't accomodate more than one in my set up.

AI is just regurgitating info it finds, some may be accurate some is not.
IME they do fine alone. My single survivor from my last group of 7 that killed each other off lived alone for years. I can't vouch for it's happiness ;) but it was healthy and even one if the few survivors of a velvet outbreak.
You may want to research chromis and euronema so you know the signs to look for. Many of the chromis entering the hobby show up with euronema and have a low survival rate.

Uronema / Red Band Disease - Hemdal

Red Band Syndrome in Marine Fishes: Caused by the Protozoan; Uronema sp. Jay Hemdal Introduction: This moderately common disease of certain species of marine fish is so often misdiagnosed that most aquarists apply incorrect treatment methods...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[VintageReefer]

Are they happy as a single? AI is telling me they'll get stressed and die if alone. Love the look of these fish but I can't accomodate more than one in my set up.

It’s wrong.

I have a 75g and I tried a group of 3 and years later a group of 4. All bought together at the same time, as young ones, same size, and added same time.

Both times. Same result. By the end of a year I was down to just 1. Also both times, that solo chromis lived many years. They don’t need groups

 

[design.maddie]

Are they happy as a single? AI is telling me they'll get stressed and die if alone.

I am pretty sure my Chromis is super happy with life. He had two Chromis friends but they 'disappeared' over the years. He loves to swim all over the tank. He is a fantastic eater to watch dart all over the place. Housing a single Chromis is the only way I would keep them unless I had a very large tank with much larger fish.

 

[BeanAnimal]

You will almost certainly end up with only one in most cases, anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I wonder how often the issue is uronema or other health issues that slowly kills them off. I’ve had them dwindle when I got them from an lfs. I’m going to see if quarantined and treated chromis groups work better, since some have been successful.

Dr. Reef Quarantined Chromis: A Review

I had started a thread a couple of months ago asking specifically about Dr. Reef's quarantined chromis. Earlier this year I had done an AquaBiomics TankDNA test that found no DNA evidence of uronema (or other common fish parasites/diseases) and I would really like to keep it that way! I had read...

www.reef2reef.com

Four months later and all 5 of these are still doing great :)

 

[Freenow54]

I wonder how often the issue is uronema or other health issues that slowly kills them off. I’ve had them dwindle when I got them from an lfs. I’m going to see if quarantined and treated chromis groups work better, since some have been successful.

Dr. Reef Quarantined Chromis: A Review

I had started a thread a couple of months ago asking specifically about Dr. Reef's quarantined chromis. Earlier this year I had done an AquaBiomics TankDNA test that found no DNA evidence of uronema (or other common fish parasites/diseases) and I would really like to keep it that way! I had read...

www.reef2reef.com

Four months later and all 5 of these are still doing great :)

I bought 3 Lyertails suggestion by shop owner . \odd number 2 females one male. Supposed to change sex to balance I never got to find out 2 days later 1

 

[VintageReefer]

I bought 3 Lyertails suggestion by shop owner . \odd number 2 females one male. Supposed to change sex to balance I never got to find out 2 days later 1

i bought a M/F pair. 3 months later guess what. The female goes male and becomes dominant and harassed the original male to death. I now just have one lyretail anthia. 75g tank

 

[BeanAnimal]

I wonder how often the issue is uronema or other health issues that slowly kills them off.

Good point.

I’m going to see if quarantined and treated chromis groups work better, since some have been successful.

I would assume this to be the only way to improve your chances, or buck the trend.


I tried with dartfish and still failed. I know one or two jumped somehow... but over the course of months, I went from 7 to one then none.... never did figure out what happened and did not find bodies, other than the jumpers. Maybe others made it through tiny holes between the mesh and equipment, or into the sump somehow. I dunno.

 

[exnisstech]

I wonder how often the issue is uronema or other health issues that slowly kills them off. I’ve had them dwindle when I got them from an lfs. I’m going to see if quarantined and treated chromis groups work better, since some have been successful.

Dr. Reef Quarantined Chromis: A Review

I had started a thread a couple of months ago asking specifically about Dr. Reef's quarantined chromis. Earlier this year I had done an AquaBiomics TankDNA test that found no DNA evidence of uronema (or other common fish parasites/diseases) and I would really like to keep it that way! I had read...

www.reef2reef.com

Four months later and all 5 of these are still doing great :)

I don't think euronema killed mine. When I added groups of 7 they did not die quickly. It was a gradual decline that took maybe a year or longer. 7 fish then a month or two later 6 then 5 etc. I had hoped to at least end up with a pair but it was not to be. I'm tempted to try a group one more time since I have a tank larger than I've ever had before with much more open swim room but still plenty of rocks for hiding. But then again after reading it seems once euronema is introduced to a tank it's there to stay so I can't decide if it's worth the risk but I suppose it may already be in my tanks but I don't ICP. Even the QT vendors that I've looked at says it's still possible even after QT so I dunno.

 

[Freenow54]

i bought a M/F pair. 3 months later guess what. The female goes male and becomes dominant and harassed the original male to death. I now just have one lyretail anthia. 75g tank

Is there a fish you can buy a school of?

 

[areefer01]

I wonder how often the issue is uronema or other health issues that slowly kills them off. I’ve had them dwindle when I got them from an lfs. I’m going to see if quarantined and treated chromis groups work better, since some have been successful.

Uronema and getting them through QT is the first hurdle. Fight club would be the second. Both are major challenges.

I'll throw in a third with environment playing a role. Natural habitat vs home aquarium vs feeding frequency. I do not have anything to back this up as I do not keep them. However, I do see them a lot while scuba diving and do not believe we create a proper environment for them. Without generalizing our hobby has a fear of nutrients so some feed less frequently.

Oh, a fourth is source. Left that off.

 

[VintageReefer]

Is there a fish you can buy a school of?

Cardinal fish but they are boring as heck

Anthias supposedly but I had no luck

 

[BeanAnimal]

Is there a fish you can buy a school of?

Not really - there are fish that are community oriented (Like the dartfish, chromis, etc.). But they are not really true schooling fish. To that end, our tanks are not large enough for true schooling behavior.

Somewhere around here or RC there is a very good article. I just don't happen to remember who write it.

 

[Freenow54]

Need to find something that will stay small. I really want to do a minimalist tank, and am ready since I believe my latest is stable enough to not expect anything catastrophic Shhhhhh. So few rock group of schooling fish for low bio load, and Kenia trees and other soft flowing coral they suit me

 

[VintageReefer]

Not really - there are fish that are community oriented (Like the dartfish, chromis, etc.). But they are not really true schooling fish. To that end, our tanks are not large enough for true schooling behavior.

Somewhere around here or RC there is a very good article. I just don't happen to remember who write it.

Correct. I think the term is shoaling? Is that right?