Blue Green Chromis

[Drill Sergeant]

hello eveyone

I currently have 3 Blue Green Chromis in my 90 gallon tank that have been acting pretty wierd lately. I've had the 3 stooges since my tank cycled back in May and they have always swam around together and all over my tank. however in the last 2 to 3 weeks, they only come out to eat. they are always hiding. Is there anything you all can think of, as to why they are not as happy as they use to be. they only got 2 other tank mates (Ocellaris Clowns) there with them so I don't think they are being bothered by them.

I've checked my water, and everything is fine. And I've also done a water change.

Whats going on???????

DS

 

[wooddood]

hmmm i have six and they all swim out in the open water so i dont know but good luck maybe someone else has a clue.





dave.

 

[Woodstock]

Hummm.. that is strange. Is anyone or anything tapping on the glass or scaring them? have you added any new pump or heater to the tank recently (thinking stray current)? Maybe they're just freaked about the water change?

 

[Travelin Reef]

maybe they are democrats and bummed over election results.
try a shot of tequilla in the sump. perks my tank mates up!!!!!!!

 

[Steve Ruddy]

It might be a predetor living in the live rock. I had the same thing happen and started losing fish, it turned out to be a good size mantis shrimp.

 

[Drill Sergeant]

I really haven't added anything to the tank. Its been the same equipment running since day one. Its just wierd. They were always swimming around, and from one day to another.........they just stopped.

If there is a predator (mantis shrimp) in there, how would I be able to tell?

I've been wanting to purchase another fish, but I'm waiting to see if the chromis snap out of it.

DS

 

[Steve Ruddy]

If there is a mantis shrimp in there the best time to find him is at night. Look with a flash light if you don't have any moon lighting. If you find one he most likely it will reteat to a certian rock which can be lifted out. I have had mantis shrimp in various tanks with no problems as long as they are smaller but ocasionally one will get to large and start consuming the fish population. If you haven't lost any fish maybe it is something else. Maybe try purchasing 3 or more chromis and see if that helps. Maybe the clowns are trying to breed and scaring the chromis away when your not looking.

 

[HORNFISH]

I recently lost three green chromis to the same symptoms.They all ate, but slowly vanished? They have a true percula as one of there tankmates. Hmmm? I wonder if it could be the clowns?:smirk:

 

[nigle]

Oi!

If it is anything like mine, then one or more of them are getting old and are becomming aggresive. The others are in fear of their lives, well it's really not that bad but it's close. Mine, 5 then 4 then 3 were showing the same signs except one, I also lost a powder blue tang, a comet, and two other fish [all being found in the same rock hole] during this time.......the end result is that I was able to get a blue damselfish that the LFS didn't want to sell to anyone [because it was EVIL!] so I bought it for $3.00 and took it home since all the other fish that were being killed were more passive, I wanted to see what would happen when a truely evil fish entered the tank.

Well it took about 5 minutes for one of my chromis to corner it into THAT SAME DAMNED HOLE and it was trying to kill it.......but it didn't know that the blue damsellfish was even more evil, the end result was that now all of the blue green chromis are hiding, not just the remaining two. Since then I have aquired 4 more evil fish and have ended up with a mean tank. The chromis will come out of the rocks just long enough to pick a fight and then dart back into hiding.

Chromis are also evil, and will become so in a school and when they get older.....it sounds like that is what is happening in your tank. One of them is getting agressive and the others are keeping away from it.

Clowns are also damsels [obvoiusly] and are also evil in their own right, but since they are not 'blue' they don't attract like the other bluegreen ones to the one that is getting aggresive, plus I think that a clown with it's teeth would make short schriff out of the fight.

The 'hiding' thing is a defensive tact. Also do you notice that sometimes they 'shimmy' like they are trying to lay eggs. Mine are doing that all the time.......I think that is also a 'getting older' responce.

Cheers!
nigle
!~!

 

[Craig Manoukian]

My Green Chromis have slowly dwindled over the last two years. I started with 6 but am now down to one. It is the biggest and most aggressive of the bunch. He used to chase the others regularly, but now it has only bigger and more aggressive fish as tank mates, so no more chase!

 

[SueT]

I started with 6 green chromis back in 1998 when I set my 120g up. Now I'm down to 2. These 2 sometimes will swim around all day long and some days they hide only to come out to eat. I have a new0ish tang that nows chases them but the bigger of the 2 chromis will chase right back.

One of my chromis is obviously larger than the other and the smaller, not by much seems to be submissive to it. Just an example my larger chromis is about 4". The smaller is ~3".