Chromis viridis (Blue/Green Reef Chromis)

Source liveaquaria.com

QUICK STATS

• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
  
• Care Level: Easy
  
• Temperament: Peaceful
  
• Reef Compatible: Yes
  
• Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
  
• Max. Size: 3"
  
• Color Form: Blue
  
• Diet: Omnivore
  
• Origin: Indonesia
  
• Family: Pomacentridae
  
• Insert Date: 26 July 2011
  

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. For best care, feed several times throughout the day with a varied diet of meaty foods, herbivore flakes, and frozen preparations. Vitamin-enriched foods may also help to preserve body colorations.

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.

On July 26 I bought two of these fish from our regular aquarium store. Here is a very first shot of one of them.

The next day they showed themselves more from behind the rocks.

Last night I made some new pictures of them.