Green Chromis

DLR31987 · #1 02/16/2004, 11:02 AM

In my 38 gal I have a baby gold banded maroon clownfish and two green chromises. In about the past month or two one of the chromises as nearly doubled in size. The two of them had previously been very similar in size. Now the bigger one is picking on the little one really badly. Is it because they need more chromises? Does one get bigger than the other like clownfish? I don't know what to do about it becuase i don't want the little guy to get beat up to death.

Thanks
Dave

GoLowDrew · #2 02/16/2004, 12:42 PM

I'm sort of in the same situation. I was told from memebers of this board that green damsels are school fish, so you may want to consider more and with odd numbers like 5, 7, 9, instead of evens.

I will be getting a few more than my current two.

ozadars · #3 02/16/2004, 01:55 PM

adding more chromis in a tank which has an aggressive, established, big chromis means more trouble.
If big one is too aggressive you can solve your problem by taking out the smaller one (or the opposite) or big one may kill the other one

Zepplin · #4 02/16/2004, 06:08 PM

I have perfect timing for this one. I only keep two green chromis. They seem to function pretty well as a pair; too well right now. The larger one is going to be your dominant female. I used to have 4 chromis actually, until the bigger two killed the other pair off. I wouldn't even try to add more now, I know they'd kill any newcomers.

I've kept the bigger two for almost 2 years now and they are constantly spawning at this point. In fact, at this very moment I'm typing, they are spawning-I'm watching them. I should really do a video sequence of it. Only problem with the spawning is, it tends to make the mother extremely territorial. She's been biting and chasing everyone else, including my p. puffer. Poor Hoss, I told him I wouldn't be mad if he ate her, but alas he is too slow to catch her. The female chromis does seem to boss her mate around a lot. She nests in her selected areas, goes and finds him to fertilize, then kicks him out. The little dances they do are cool. I think I'm going to dig out that crappy camera we have.

-Meg

Peter Schmiedel · #5 02/17/2004, 07:10 AM

Meg,

I would say you should have a close look to the sex of your fish - the one hatching the fry is not always the female

Chromis male are territorial and protect and hatch the frey. The females are not longer involved after laying the eggs.

In my 320g the 10 chromis are the most aggessive fÃ*sh as at least 3 males always protect their frey. If I ever change the tank set up these ones are the first to go out and never come back in one of my tangs.

DLR31987 · #6 02/17/2004, 05:01 PM

Thanks guys. I'm going to ask my LFS if they would consider taking the smaller chromis in exchange for a couple bucks store credit. Is it okay since they seem to be a schooling fish that there would be only one of them?

Also...since I would then have two fish a maroon clown and the chromis which are both semi-agressive does that mean i should stick with other semi aggressive fish or is it okay to go with some non aggressive species? I'm trying to research everything before I stock up. Made a ton of newbie mistakes that co$t me a lost.

Zepplin · #7 02/18/2004, 07:55 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the sex identification Pete. I suppose the male is the jerk then. He's a real brute. I've never seen another chromis with streamers.

-Meg

Peter Schmiedel · #8 02/19/2004, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DLR31987
Also...since I would then have two fish a maroon clown and the chromis which are both semi-agressive does that mean i should stick with other semi aggressive fish or is it okay to go with some non aggressive species?

Honestly I think as soon as the maroon (Premnas) is grown up he will be the only fish in your tank. Premnas is the biggest anemon fish species and knon as one of the most aggressive ones. Personally I consider the tank as to small for this fish. Maybe you can consider to exchange him against a smaller Amphipirion species?

spye13 · #9 02/19/2004, 10:54 PM

I was going to post this elsewhere but maybe it is a question that belongs here? I have a 135 with various snails, and hermits. I also have 7 "emerald" mithrax crabs (red joints), a sailfin tang, and a bicolor blennie. I added (5) 1 - 1 1/2" green chromis about 2 weeks ago. Later the evening that I added them I noticed one had been "hit" - bruising and loss of scales localized to one spt on one side. He was at the bottom of the tank sitting in one spot gulping for all he was worth. I new he wouldn't make it long and about an hour later he died.

Day number 2 - same thing with another chromis. He died and was consumed by some crabs as they pulled him into the rock before I could pull him out. That made me wonder if the crabs were the culprits

Day number 3 - fish number three is also killed in the same manner. On day number 4 nothing happened but on day number 5, fish number 4 was also killed. The last chromis is still just fine. No signs or injury or distress.

I assumed at first that the crabs had been doing it but If that were the case I would suspect that #5 would have become chum by now as well. The blennie and the sailfin had shown no interest in any of the chromis.

Is it possible that this one surviving chromis is just a big bully? I know damsels are agressive but I always understood that chromis were much more docile than others. If this chromis is that agressive, would anyone recommend removal before the addition of other fish? I guess I am just looking for some thoughts on my problem here. Thanks for any insight.

Peter Schmiedel · #10 02/20/2004, 03:08 AM

Mithraculs (Mitrax) crabs arer herbivore, but of course if they get some froozen fish foods they eat it too. I would not see that your crabs have been hunting down the living chromis - no way. That the take care of the cracas is normal.

spye13 · #11 02/20/2004, 12:16 PM

I understand about the mithrax but there are 2 that are pretty aggressive and they raise their claws at the sight of me and at the fish that are swimming by. I was necessarily thinking of it as a predator-prey thing more of a defense thing.

If you don't think it is the mithrax (and to be honest i have my doubts since this last fish is doing great with no problems), do you have any ideas what could have been attacking the others?

reefsrus · #12 02/20/2004, 06:44 PM

yea, they can be extremely weird i had 8 for the longest time, and now the smallest getting beaten up very badly everytime he tries to join them. So he sits in the sandbed all day long hidden. I think that odd number would probably work.