Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Eastern edge of the Indian Ocean, including Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and the northern Great Barrier Reef.
Size: 3 inches (8 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits rubble areas in sheltered lagoons and subtidal flats at depths between 3 to about 30 feet (1 – 10 m) and mainly feeds on planktonic crustaceans (copepods, mysis, and shrimp larvae), fish eggs and algae.
General Husbandry: Quite attractive and common in the trade, with the female having a blue body with the black spot at the rear base of the dorsal, and the male, also blue with a black spot at the base of the rear dorsal, but with an orange tail.
One of the better behaved members in this genus and usually makes a good addition to a peaceful community fish home aquarium. Nevertheless, males will pick on more peaceful fish such as gobies, cardinalfishes, blennies, and firefishes.
As to diet, a meaty diet, e.g., live fortified brine shrimp and/or finely chopped various frozen or fresh meaty foods such as mysis, squid, fish flesh, shrimp, clam and plant material, e.g., flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina should also be offered several times daily.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Pomacentridae
Subfamily: Pomacentrinae
Genus: Chrysiptera
FYI: Best maintained in small groups, three to four females and one male.
A single male and female can be kept in small aquariums, while a male and several females are best maintained in larger aquariums, e.g., 50+ gallons.
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 84°F (22 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
