Should I get a Blue Green Chromis?

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

My lfs used to have a sale every yr. U could get them dirt cheap.
D

 

[BostonReefer300]

I'm in the same boat - just upgraded from a 40g to a 125 and looking at additional stocking. A schooling group of chromis would be lovely, but everything I've read scares me off...

Like you mentioned, Uronema doesn't ever go fallow as it will survive off detritus. If I were to do it, I'd definitely want to quarantine and proactively medicate. Plus, most people I've read say they don't really school together. Seems like the most luck regarding aggression has been due to feeding multiple times per day.

I'm still on the fence, but given the Uronema issues, and that they don't really school and the intra-species aggression, that is 3 strikes plus not sure I want to add the recommended 6+ and have that much bioload all for one species. I think I'm going to stay away and add a single azure damselfish for a blue color (supposedly the least aggressive of damsels), although I'm following this thread for more experience

Don't get a damsel! I fantasize about killing the three yellowtails that I have and they're supposedly one of the less aggressive damsels. I should have turned all three of them into cat food when I did my tank re-boot few months ago. They bully everyone and bite me every time I put my hands in the tank! Blue Green Chromis are great, they definitely school in my experience, and I wouldn't get fewer than three. Just make sure they're all the same size and ideally have been in the same tank for a while. I'm not flippant when it comes to the health of my livestock (other than the damsels which are also impossible to kill by the way), but if you lose chromis, it's not the end of the world for your pocketbook. Regarding the disease concern, I can't comment because I respectfully disagree with Mr. Baldassano on his QT approach.

 

[Scott Ulrich]

Don't get a damsel! I fantasize about killing the three yellowtails that I have and they're supposedly one of the less aggressive damsels. I should have turned all three of them into cat food when I did my tank re-boot few months ago.

LOL. So no to the damsel

Blue Green Chromis are great, they definitely school in my experience, and I wouldn't get fewer than three.

I've read 6+ which I'd want at least that many for a school effect, at least in a larger tank.

Regarding the disease concern, I can't comment because I respectfully disagree with Mr. Baldassano on his QT approach.

Maybe I'd just qt for a month and treat if any symptoms develop...

 

[schuby]

I have 5 green chromis in my 150 gal DT. I started with 9 in my QT. The 4 died in the first few days: I don't think they were very healthy from the start. One or two of the surviving 5 had Uronema in QT that went away. After 2 doses of Prazipro, one treatment of Cupramine, and about 3 weeks of time, the 5 went into my DT. At least one of them showed Uronema again. It went away. I've had the 5 in my DT for 2 years now. No fighting amongst themselves. I suspect that adequate feeding, good water quality, and plenty of hiding places in my rockwork keep aggression down among all my fish.

 

[N3mo]

They are really nice fish that bring movement to the tank. I call them disposable fish as somewhere down the line they will start to take each other out.

I had 5 in my 30G that were happy for 4 months then they started getting taken out and within a week I was down to 2.

Now I have 7 in a 160G tank, waiting to see how it plays out.

 

[Mooneyhan22]

I have had the plain green chromis in a previous tank and they were really aggressive with each other. The 3 Blue Green I have now are stellar tank mates. They are great for schooling fish in a smaller tank in my opinion. I feed a variety of pellets daily so they have a healthy diet.

 

[ctopherl]

Was thinking about getting a Blue Green Chromis from my lfs. Mostly because I want a blue fish to add in my 40 gallon breeder.

My main concern is Uronema Marinum and the fact that I don't quarantine. It may seem like blasphemy but it's what I'm doing. This forum post https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-other-way-to-run-a-reef-tank-no-quarantine.534274/ really convinced me not to quarantine. Maybe I'm going against what this article says by being worried about this but the disease sounds pretty scary and also it seems to never goes away.

The problem is Uronema Marinum is pretty nasty and seems to be a permanent thing once it's introduced to your tank, but it only seems to effect a few kinds of fish (chromis, butterfly, wrasses, ect..) but I only plan on maybe getting a wrasse eventually. I've read all kinds of things about this disease. A lot of people suggest taking the whole tank down and bleaching the whole thing once it's infected and I will definitely will not do that. Other people just live with it. I guess my question is a series of questions.

1. Should I just skip the fish and maybe get another blue fish or just settle without?
2. How common is Uronema Marinum actually?
3. Technically shouldn't it be assumed that this disease lives in everyone's tank including the fish store to some degree?
4. How badly does this disease effect fish like clownfish, gobies, wrasses, ect..?
5. Is there a way I can make sure that if I do get the fish, it is free of Uronema Marinum without actually quarantining in my own home?

I know it seems odd to fret over this just for one $6 fish but thought it might be interesting and maybe this topic can help someone else some day.

Didn’t know about diseases/uronema when I started. One of my first fish added was a chromis. My tank now has uronema. I’m convinced it is the cause of all my fish deaths across a whole variety of species... once the parasite gets going it does not discriminate. Never ever ever again will I buy a chromis.

 

[fishmonkey]

I'm in the same boat - just upgraded from a 40g to a 125 and looking at additional stocking. A schooling group of chromis would be lovely, but everything I've read scares me off...

Like you mentioned, Uronema doesn't ever go fallow as it will survive off detritus. If I were to do it, I'd definitely want to quarantine and proactively medicate. Plus, most people I've read say they don't really school together. Seems like the most luck regarding aggression has been due to feeding multiple times per day.

I'm still on the fence, but given the Uronema issues, and that they don't really school and the intra-species aggression, that is 3 strikes plus not sure I want to add the recommended 6+ and have that much bioload all for one species. I think I'm going to stay away and add a single azure damselfish for a blue color (supposedly the least aggressive of damsels), although I'm following this thread for more experience

yea im probably not going to get one. they arent even all that blue and it seems too much to worry about especially since im running an immunity tank. but who knows i might change my mind

 

[Tamberav]

I wouldn’t... I have a springers damsel.... a lot prettier IMO and a true blue. They also are good for flatworms.

 

[fishmonkey]

I wouldn’t... I have a springers damsel.... a lot prettier IMO and a true blue.

are they peaceful? no uronema or anything like that?

 

[Tamberav]

are they peaceful? no uronema or anything like that?

Any fish can carry uronema. It’s just that blue chromis are very susceptible to it. Anthias too.

Mine is very mild mannered. My occy clowns are meaner and people keep them all the time. I added many small fish after it without issue.

 

[fishmonkey]

Any fish can carry uronema. It’s just that blue chromis are very susceptible to it. Anthias too.

Mine is very mild mannered. My occy clowns are meaner and people keep them all the time. I added many small fish after it without issue.

wow i might just get those instead then. way better color. thanks!

 

[kzenoni]

Our tank has been up for 5 months. We have 4 that were our starter fish and they are nice to watch and doing great

 

[SkinnyMcGinny]

I have a 300 gallon mixed reef, tried 7-10 chromes twice... never got them to shoal, and they slowly pick each other off. "there can be only one." The one left has lived a pretty long time, I'd guess 5 plus years.

 

[Blumon18]

I just bought 2 Blue-green Chromis and they seem to be getting along good with my 2 clowns male and female and my lawnmower blenny and sailfin Molly nice looking color in my 40 gallon cube

 

[Zionas]

Still, maintaining 9 Chromis for 10+ years is a feat to me.