Chromis

[FishyReef]

I know I'm still a few weeks away from my first fish, but have been dreaming about and planning my stocking list! As of now, the small fish on my list are a red velvet fairy wrasse, a pink-spotted watchman goby, and a sunrise dottyback. Most of the fish on my list are semi-aggressive, but I know I should put the peaceful fish in first. The wrasse is the only small peaceful fish on my list, but at $100, I'm not sure I should make this my first ever fish! So I've been thinking I'll start with a pair of b/w occelaris instead, since I've read these are good starter fish. Then after thinking more about this today, and reading that some have found these guys to be pretty aggressive, I'm thinking I need to find something else to start with. My latest idea is a black axil chromis (looks like and according to LA behaves like the blue/green chromis). My question is whether I can have a single chromis or do I need at least 3 of them to thrive (as suggested for the blue/green chromis)? I don't really want to have more than one as it would severely limit the number and variety of later fish, and I'm already struggling to narrow down my later and larger fish choices!

Thanks

 

[wontonflip]

They're a schooling fish, so they would do better as a school, but I don't think it would be bad to just have 1. But having a school of them makes for great activity in the tank :) If you do get more than one, make it an odd number.

 

[FishyReef]

Hmm, yeah I think they would probably look better in a group of 3 rather than a single, and would probably be happier since they are a schooling fish. I just wish I could add more than 9 fish to my 90g! 3 chromis and a pair of b/w occelaris take up 5 of 9 spots - that doesn't leave me a lot to work with! Anyhow, my tenative stocking list up to this point (before considering the Chromis or Occelaris pair) has looked something like this:

Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse
Pink-Spotted Watchman Goby
Sunrise Dottyback
[maybe Schooling Bannerfish]
Yellow tang
[maybe chocolate tang or white-tailed bristletooth tang]
Coral Beauty Angel
Pink-tailed Triggerfish (small, as I know it will eventually need a larger tank)

I just don't see how I can fit 3 chromis on here without bumping out several others....

 

[little_fish]

I think you would be fine adding a pair of B&W clowns first, the percs, and osc. are really pretty mellow. If you wanted tomatoes or maroons, then I would add them last.

Also, I wouldnt put a trigger in a 90 for any length of time.

 

[FishyReef]

Also, I wouldnt put a trigger in a 90 for any length of time.

Yeah? I thought if I got a tiny one it would be okay for at least a little bit since I thought they were slow growing. That's a bummer :( I saw this fish at an lfs a few weeks ago and it rocketed its way to the top of my favorite fish list. I guess I'll have to scratch that idea for now and hold off on it until my next tank (will likely be a 250 or 300 fowlr tank so I can have some angels - though that's years down the road!). I think for now I'll go ahead and start with a school of 3 chromis, then the b/w occ or percs, followed by the wrasse, watchman goby, and sunrise dotty. We'll see how it goes, and if everything is still alive by the time I get towards the end of my stocking list, then I'll make decisions about the final edition (probably a tang).

 

[little_fish]

Sounds like a good idea. Triggers actually grow really fast, they will double in size in just a few months.