schooling fish in a Reef Tank.

[Ed Hahn]

Hello Lee,
I have always enjoyed watching fish do the follow the leader. What would you recommend for schooling fish in a Reef Tank? I already bit the bullet by buying a quadrum of Heniokus Butterflies. My tank was just tore down and put back together. I do not have a ample supply of natural food for Anthias.
thanks in Advance,
Ed Hahn

 

[leebca]

As usual Ed, good that you are thinking ahead and planning. I only have a limited experience with schooling fishes.

Chromis do well as a group. If you want cross-overs, get 5 monos (brackish water fishes). My school of monos swims back and forth in the front of the aquarium. I almost get sea sick watching them too long! It is interesting to watch the 'school' break down when it comes near feeding time. They line up in their pecking order with the alpha fish nearest the feeding area. You can put almost any fish in with them!

Although other groupings will work, e.g., Damselfishes, they don't tend to school and swim back and forth like you mentioned you would like.

In the wild, Nature allows for many fishes to school. When it comes to being in a captive environment most of those 'wild schools' don't work.

That's about all I can contribute to your question. It's feeding time. My fish are staring at me and hanging near the feeding zone. Catch you later.

 

[Jan]

I saw what appeared to be a school of glass cardinal fishes in someone's reef...they looked pretty cool in a group. I'm thinking about getting some for my new tank after it's up and running.

 

[azgard1]

Hi Lee,
Regarding monos (brackish water fishes) would you please advise on how to change them from fresh to salt. Also, do you have an idea on the approx life span of cromis and monos?
Thanks as always.

 

[JRBear5658]

A really cool schooling fish is the Zebra Barred Dartfish. I had a school of 7 in my 75 gallon when it was set up. They are interesting fish and have a really cool design.

The Blue Gudgeon Dartfish (aka Blacktail Goby or Blacktail Dartfish)
also i have heard will school but I have never tried.

I liked the Zebra Barred Dartfish's colors and design more.

JR

 

[roscoe]

I've seen a guy that had a school of chalk basslets. looks really cool.

 

[dailydriven911]

Threadfin cardinals also shoal together as well.

 

[greenmonkey51]

I think a group of flasher wrasse's would be a good substitute for anthias.

 

[leebca]

azgard1,

My monos were acclimated to saltwater over a 6-month time period. At weekly water changes, their brackish water was raised in salinity until at the end of the conditioning, they were in 1.020 sp. gr. water.

My home system was set at 1.020 when they were introduced (after quarantine) into my system. I then allowed evaporation to slowly raise the salinity to 1.025 which is where I usually keep it. At each 10% weekly water change, I used 1.025 water to do the exchange so, between evaporation and the water changes, the final rise in sp. gr. took another 2 months.

None ever showed any signs of a problem. I may have/could have done it quicker. But, I am generally conservative.

The Chromis are usually poorly handled in the trade. Unfortunately, they are inexpensive and don't get much attention at each stop in the system. They may live 10+ years in the wild; up to 5 in captive life. That said, I know of a captive Green Chromis that is 18 years old this June. It was imported directly to me, caught with my directions and stipulations (as far as I know) then handled, staged, and packed as I specified (I hope). I acclimated it and trained it. It began at about 1/2 inch in length. It was 5 inches when I last saw it (2006).

Monos seem to go on forever. They are hard to kill. Mine were about 4 years old when I got them, they are now about 9 years old. I've known others to reach 15+ years in captivity.

 

[azgard1]

Thanks Lee, just the info I was looking for.
Best regards,
Bob

 

[Sparks]

Multiple heniochus will start picking at each other even in 500+g setups.

anthias.