Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico to northern Brazil.
Size: 4 inches (10 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits steep outer slopes and very deep patch reefs at depths between 50 to about 400 feet (15 – 120 m), yet usually found at about 100 feet (30 m) where it feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), and fish eggs.
General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade and attractive as a juvenile having a bright purplish bluish body. As it grows into adulthood, body color fades and becomes dark/blackish blue.
Quite hardy, peaceful, and better maintained in small groups of at least five to seven members. Should be given wide-open swimming areas, yet an aquarium having caves and ledges to take shelter. This is also a low light/deep water species, therefore a dimly lit aquarium would suit this species much more than a brightly lit reef aquarium.
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 for this species 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.
Adults tend to be combative with each other. Juveniles get along with each other.
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: 70 - 80°F (21 – 26°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
