Sick blue reef chromis

[Lovemyfish]

Does anyone know what this is? It seems like either loss of color or loss or scales...seemed to appear pretty quickly. Nitrates are 10, ammonia and nitrites 0, salinity 1.025, temp 78. It is on two of them. They are eating and swimming around fine, showing no other symptoms. Pease help! Thanks!

 

[salt_for_brains]

Welcome to the site!! Are there any signs of aggression between the two chromis? They are generally pretty ruthless with each other. How long have they been in there?

 

[Lovemyfish]

Thank you! Well, there are three total. I do see the large one chase the smaller two from time to time, just for a few seconds. That's about it. They have been in there for several months. The larger one does have one very small spot, it looks almost brown while the others look more white. The larger areas are on the other two.

 

[salt_for_brains]

I can't tell much from the pic. It sounds more like a hierarchy dispute between the chromis but take a look at this and see if anything jumps out at you Marine Fish Diseases and Parasites

 

[Lovemyfish]

Oh my gosh...I think you are right about the aggression. I tried turning the lights out to see if things were different at night, and the big one started chasing them immediately. They cowered in caves in the rocks while he paced back and forth like a guard. Shoot. Is there anything I can do about this? Also is there anything I can add to the water or food to help the wounds heal on the smaller fish?

 

[SarahSmile]

Sadly, there have been many threads identical to thIs. It's a common situation with chromis. Try searching in the search box for chromis and you'll see. They will soon die off. I've lost 6 this way. They are caught with cyanide and not that hardy. Two turtles in Akron, my lfs, says they lose 90% of the chromis they get in.

 

[SarahSmile]

I've even tried just buying one and the same thing happens.

 

[MitchReef]

I started with 3 and ended up with one HUGE one....

 

[Lovemyfish]

Ugh that is so sad. I researched so much before picking my fish too, I don't know how I missed this. I thought they were good in schools, in odd numbered groups. What the heck!?

 

[SarahSmile]

I know, it's a bummer. Such a pretty fish. Look up highlander fish. That's what everyone calls them. They fight til one is left. I couldn't even get one to live thou.

 

[2XAl]

I had 4 that quickly dropped to 3, then two weeks later down to 1 over a 2 day period. I haven't seen that 1 in a few days either so I don't have high hopes.

 

[Lovemyfish]

I was wondering...since the aggression just happens when the lights go out...could I just leave the lights on at night? Or would that stress them out? I have a fowlr system. How important is the day/night cycle for them?

 

[SarahSmile]

Day/night is very important. You don't want your lights on for more than 10 hrs a day. You'd have stressed livestock and algae. :(. Good brainstorming though. I know it's hard to have fish not get along...

 

[MitchReef]

If you have a really large tank and can support a shoal of like 11 or 12 fish they do good, otherwise I will only keep one at a time...

 

[PsiStar]

@Mitch... .. I have read that several is better than a few. I have 5. Was supposed to be 6 but someone did not check the bag before she threw it away.:frustrat:

Anyway, they are pretty snarky with each other. There is definitely an odd man out in this group ... wishin' I had the 6th guy. The 5th is smaller & blotchy. The blotchyness comes and goes, so maybe he will last but it has become the runt. The others almost dance with each other. They flitter around protrusions on the rock several times ... like a dance. Sometimes there are 2, sometimes 1 by itself. I recently saw 1 doing this by itself around some algae on the back wall. Might have been saying, "Jeff, clean this cr@p!". Not sure that was the message, but the back wall is now clean.

They are related to damsels and clown fish. So the aggression as they get larger is in character. I will say 5 is the bottom limit and that is with plenty of live rock stacked for lots of hiding places.

 

[MitchReef]

Like I said I had 3 and it was like watching a gladiator....the two missing agents disappeared after about a month, within a couple of days of each other....bad thing is my old giant serpent star must have engulfed both of them before they were missed....

 

[MitchReef]

The star was named Lumpy because he would inhale huge food and then have a big lump in his disk....

 

[PsiStar]

I should add that the lights are on a timed on/off schedule for the fish & reef tank. I have entertained and am still thinking about the light cycle for the refugium to which I have a lot of plants growing quite well.

One argument is to have those lights on 24x7. The other is to have them on an opposite cycle of the fish & reef. I haven't sorted thru this very well as yet. In a way, the "lights" are on for the ref 24x7 as those tank lights are on all night. When they go off, that tank gets a lot of daylight because of where it is located. Not as intense as the Aquatic Life lights, but significant.

The point is the fish must have a definite day & night cycle and they get that.