Vanderbilt's Chromis vs. Long-Spine Cardinals?

[Steve and his Animals]

I have a 5 foot reef tank that I really want to get a "true" schooling fish for. Not really interested in stuff like green chromis or banggai cardinals, as those seem to school until they get old enough to hate each other.

Currently, I'm trying my hand at a group of Luzonicthys waitei or purple pygmy anthias (first group of four, three dead in two days so not a great start) for the second time. I really love the fish, but from my experiences with them shipping is quite brutal on them, and as a small anthias species they do better with multiple feedings a day, which I'm not always capable of doing (work, school, etc.).

The other two species I'm interested in, as the title states, are Vanderbilt's chromis or long-spine cardinals. Vanderbilt's chromis apparently stay much smaller than their blue and green cousins, but I don't know if they actually school as adults or break out into fighting as they mature.

The same goes for long-spine cardinals, and everything I've seen of their wild behavior appears like "true" schooling unlike their more common cousins. Also, they appear to be diurnal, unlike most cardinals.

Anyone with experience with large groups (probably going to try to do at least 8 of whichever) of these fish? Activity levels? Aggression with each other? Anything would be appreciated.

 

[Big E]

Wild long spines are terrible shippers. These are now being bred in captivity, so best bet is to find a source your LFS can order from. That way you can see them eat and see how healthy they are.

vanderbilt chromis aren't going to shoal.............they are just like any of the other chromis.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Try chalk bassalets. I've purchased the 2nd fish your speaking of at petco several times in the past in the asst. Damsel section. Lol.
I've also seen them labeled as chromis with chromis. I always liked the wierd and different. Unusual or unpopular.

Fwiw they always hanged out with my other chromis in the past. I don't keep chromis anymore as I see them being overpriced.
Hope u figure it our. 5' reef tank is kool and good. How wide?
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

How tall?
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Out*

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Try chalk bassalets. I've purchased the 2nd fish your speaking of at petco several times in the past in the asst. Damsel section. Lol.
I've also seen them labeled as chromis with chromis. I always liked the wierd and different. Unusual or unpopular.

Fwiw they always hanged out with my other chromis in the past. I don't keep chromis anymore as I see them being overpriced.
Hope u figure it our. 5' reef tank is kool and good. How wide?
D

It's an old oceanic, 5ft x 18" x 18"

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Wild long spines are terrible shippers. These are now being bred in captivity, so best bet is to find a source your LFS can order from. That way you can see them eat and see how healthy they are.

vanderbilt chromis aren't going to shoal.............they are just like any of the other chromis.

Thanks for the input. From what I've seen of wild vanderbilts they seem to school, but obviously that can be different in tanks. I also like their smaller adult size and coloration. Is that conclusion from personal experience?

 

[Big E]

They're dither fish, so they occupy the same area around mid level above the corals. This is similar to other chromis like the viridis. They aren't going to school...........the only fish I know of that do that consistently in our tanks are the long spines.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

They're dither fish, so they occupy the same area around mid level above the corals. This is similar to other chromis like the viridis. They aren't going to school...........the only fish I know of that do that consistently in our tanks are the long spines.

I guess I was using the term school a bit loosely, but they do seem to hang out together decently without fighting. Do they continue to do that as they age, or are they like greens that kill each other?

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I guess I was using the term school a bit loosely, but they do seem to hang out together decently without fighting. Do they continue to do that as they age, or are they like greens that kill each other?

Mine hung out together loosely with no issue, as do my current greens and my previous greens. Upping feeding to 3-5x per day, even just using an autofeeder 1-2x during the middle of the day to feed pellets, goes a LONG way toward curbing aggression in Chromis.

I have 5 greens and 3 orange lined in my 75 gallon now with a bunch of other fish, and kept a large mixed Chromis shoal (15 Chromis viridis and 8 Chromis vanderbilti) in my old 380 gallon, along with a wide variety of other fish.

Current 75 gallon:

Old 380 gallon FOWLR: