Blue Reef Chromis

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Peaceful   • Maximum Size: 3"
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-82° F, dKH 8-12, sg 1.020-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4
• Diet: Omnivore   • Origin: Indo-Pacific
• Family: Pomacentridae   • Species: Chromis   • Aquarium Type: Reef Compatible

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The Blue Reef Chromis is an attractive schooling species endemic to the Western Atlantic; it's possible to keep just a single specimen, but they really should be kept in groups of 6 or more individuals. Because of their exceptional hardiness, Blue Reef Chromis make a great choice for beginners as well as the more advanced marine hobbyists.

Blue Reef Chromis are an active and peaceful species that prefer the mid to top levels of the aquarium; with their constant motion as a school, they will surely add vibrant color and activity to any reef or FOWLR system. Although not quite as common as their Green Chromis relatives, they are usually on hand at local retailers and can easily be found via online vendors.

Blue Reef Chromis should be provided with a home of at least 30 gallons with a sand or crushed coral substrate in addition to plenty of open swimming space. Plenty of live rock is important for overall health of tank inhabitants and water quality, but the Blue Reef Chromis will spend most of their time interacting with each other while swimming around in the open as a group; they will utilize live rock for emergency shelter and during the night, but mainly rely on each other for security.

They are very peaceful with other fish species, but will sometimes argue among themselves; the frequency of their quarrels with conspecifics is relative to their numbers as a group ("the more the merrier", literally). They can be housed with a wide variety of tank mates as long as they are not highly aggressive or territorial species that will harass or prey on them.

By nature, Blue Reef Chromis are diurnal omnivores; coming out of their shelter at dawn to feed on planktonic surface life and will then head back to their shelter for the evening at dusk. In the home aquarium, they are very easy to feed and will readily accept a wide variety of live, frozen, freeze-dried, and vitamin enriched brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, chopped krill, and blood worms as well as other prepared meaty marine foods in addition to their natural craving for amphipods, copepods, and other planktonic treats. They will also accept carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore pellets and flake foods. Feed 1 to 2 times per day.