Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa east to Polynesia (except Hawaiian Islands), north to Southern Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island.
Size: 4 inches (11 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons, reef channels, and seaward reef slope usually near masses of live or dead corals at depths between 3 to about 100 feet (1 – 30 m) and often found in large shoals where it feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), fish eggs, and algae.
General Husbandry: One of the more commonly seen Chromis species in the trade and quite attractive having all fins and body a greenish blue. Often confused with Chromis viridis.
Very peaceful and best maintained in small groups of at least five to seven members. Should be given wide-open swimming areas, as they are open water swimmers almost always in the upper aquarium areas, and non-aggressive tankmates.
As to diet, will eat most regular aquarium foods, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam, etc., and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and should be offered several times daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Chrominae
Genus: Chromis
FYI: Even though quite passive and will ignore other fish in the aquarium, larger aquariums, e.g., 50 gallons and above provide far more openness for small shoals to ‘peacefully’ coexist.
If maintained in groups of less than mentioned above, they tend to be over dominate of each other and may force some members into hiding. The bigger the group, the less intergroup picking on each other exists.
Often a poor shipper, and the aquarist should wait until shipments to suppliers have settled in for at least a week before being purchased. Quite hardy once fully established.
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Zooplanktivore/Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 84°F (22 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
