Description
Name: Chromis viridis
Difficulty: Easy
Max Size: 8cm
Origin: Africa, Indonesia
pH: 8.1-8.5
Temperature: 21-26°C
Minimum Tank Size: 50 litres
The Blue Green Reef Chromis is easy to care for, beautiful, and peaceful. In fact, Chromis viridis is one of the preferred marine reef fish amongst aquarists, regardless of their experience level. This member of the Pomacentridae family is most recognizable by its gorgeous light blue dorsal side that slowly fades into a majestic pale green belly. The Blue Green Reef Chromis is desirable not only for its beauty, but also for its peaceful demeanor (despite its designation as a true damselfish) and ability to be kept with almost all other community fish, invertebrates, and corals.
Native to reefs ranging from mid-depth to shallow lagoons of the Indo-Pacific and South Pacific, wild specimens prefer to school in large shoals amongst branching corals like Acropora. In the home aquarium, the Blue Green Reef Chromis does best in similar environments and will actively swim at all levels of the aquarium water column. In fact, small schools of the Blue Green Reef Chromis add a dazzling and dramatic shimmer of beauty to almost any well-established reef system.
Overall, the Blue Green Reef Chromis is very hardy and can live between 8 to 15 years in aquariums with excellent water quality.
Some aquarists have successfully bred the Blue Green Reef Chromis in the home aquarium. Interestingly, the body color of mature males, ready to nest, changes to a muted yellow color. However, breeding success requires perfect water parameters in only the largest of non-predatory aquarium systems.
The diet of fish such as clownfish, chromis and damsels should consist of a variety of meaty protein rich foods such as Frozen Hikari Mysis Shrimp and Spirulina Brineshrimp as well as high quality dry foods such as Hikari Marine S or Marine A. It is best to feed several small meals several times throughout the day.
