The Shimmering Jewel, The Blue Green Reef Chromis

Bring Confidence To Your Reef Tank

Our Blue Green Chromis reside many of our tanks to build confidence in other fish

The Blue Green Reef Chromis is a dazzling and peaceful member of the damselfish family, and is my go to fish to bring shy species out of hiding and turn them into confident members of the aquarium. Their vibrant coloration, which appears to change from its light blue dorsal to hues of pale green towards its belly as they school in the middle to upper column of the tank, gives off a south pacific vibe. Its hardy nature and fun schooling behavior, combined with its compatibility with coral and inverts has made the Blue Green Chromis one of the most desired in home aquariums.

Understanding

Native to the Indo & South Pacific region, the Blue Green Chromis

inhabits coral reefs in the mid-water column down to 36 feet and to the upper few feet in shallow lagoons. In the wild, it feeds on a varied diet of algae, zooplankton, phytoplankton and copepods, making it an essential part of the reef’s ecosystem, but it is an omnivore, and they can grow to about 3.9 inches in length.

Compatibility and Behavior

They are very peaceful towards other fish, corals and inverts making them excellent community reef tankmates, but should not be kept with larger predatory fish. I have around 28 in the community tank and have found the males to be territorial with other males when trying to bred with females. However the aggression is limited to display and bluffs with no physical contact or continued pursuit.

My Blue Green Chromis in the community aquarium

One of the coolest things is how they school together and the mirco behaviors displayed by mini groups. In morning around 10 AM they start to school. During the day or when the lights start to dim a male may break off from the school, setting up a temp breeding site and start enticing females to his location by through elaborate displays of fins and shimmering. As the light dim further the school starts to break-up and individuals seek sleeping spots in the soft corals and rocks.

I have had success housing them with clams, hard and soft corals, shrimp, urchins, angels, gobies, clownfish, tangs, wrasses, anthias, jawfish, damselfish, blennies, & filefish.

Reef Compatibility

Completely reef friendly.

Mine are kept in a reef tank with clams, zoa and other polyp corals, hard corals, like chalice and sticks. They don't nip the clams, or corals.

Feeding Your Blue Green Chromis

Diet: Omnivore They should be fed small amounts several times a day, which I make happen via automated feeders by Neptune Systems.

While they primarily eat meaty foods, they do eat a little bit of veggies I feed mine a varied diet to stay healthy:

• About 70% is high-quality marine pellets, brand TDO, size extra small.

• About 25 - 28% percent frozen Mini Marine Mysis Shrimp, bulk 1LB size, of the brand V20 Aquarium Foods from Bulk Reef Supply.

• 3 - 5% live brine shrimp, which we hatch from eggs that we buy from Brine Shrimp Direct.

• A few of them actually eat a little bit of Purple & green Seaweed sheets of the brand "Two Little Fishes" that we buy in bulk from Bulk Reef Supply.

  
  

Setting Up the Ideal Tank Environment

To mimic their natural habitat, you need to create a suitable tank environment:

• Care Level: Easy
  

• Tank Size: A minimum of 30 gallons is recommended for a small group of Blue Green Chromis.

  
  

• Water Quality: The key is to maintain stable water parameters. The less variation you have over a short-time period (24 hours), the better your fish and corals will do.

  • Temperature of 72-78°F. Mine 78.1 to 78.6

  • Salinity of 1.021-1.025. Mine 1.022 -1.026

  • pH of 8.1-8.4. Mine 8.09 to 8.31

  • Alkalinity of 8-12. Mine 8.5 to 9.6

    
    

• Water Movement: Provide medium to high waterflow throughout the daytime. This replicates their natural environment of feeding in the water column above coral reefs.

  
  

• Aquascaping: Provide plenty of rock hiding spots. They appreciate soft corals, crevices, and caves where they can retreat and sleep during the night.

  
  

• Lighting: Moderate to high lighting will encourage algae growth, which these fish naturally eat the copepods that live in the algae.

  
  

Tips for a Happy and Healthy Fish

1. Quarantine New Fish: Always quarantine new additions to prevent introducing diseases to your main tank.

2. Monitor for Health Issues: Look for signs of stress or illness, such as loss of appetite, faded coloration, or erratic swimming.

3. Regular Maintenance: Keep the tank clean with regular water changes and test water parameters weekly. We test our water continuously using Neptune Apex to monitor salinity, temp, pH, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium levels.

4. Observe Behavior: Ensure your Blue Green Chromis is active, eating well, and not overly harassed by tankmates.

   
   

Wrap-up

The Green Chromis is a stunning and dynamic fish that brings vibrancy to both natural reefs and home aquariums. Their shimmering hues, peaceful nature, and active schooling behavior make them a favorite among marine hobbyists. By understanding and preserving their natural habitat, we can ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the beauty of these remarkable fish in the wild and in captivity.

Do you have experience keeping Green Chromis in your aquarium? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below!