Green Chromis

Chromis viridis

Animalia›Chordata›Actinopterygii›Pomacentridae

📍 Indo-Pacific — Red Sea to Tuamotu Islands

The quintessential schooling reef fish — shimmering apple-green in open water above Acropora. Incredibly hardy and peaceful. Best kept in groups of 6+ for the most natural look.

Size3.5"

Min Tank30g

School6+

peaceful

Zonemid

Care Guide

Diet

Green Chromis are omnivores that thrive on a varied diet of small frozen foods and high-quality pellets. Feed mysis shrimp, copepods, and zooplankton once daily in small portions, supplemented with quality marine flakes or micro pellets. They naturally graze on small crustaceans and plankton in the water column, so foods that remain suspended are ideal.

Behavior

Green Chromis are highly social and peaceful schooling fish that exhibit natural, coordinated swimming behavior when kept in groups of 6 or more. They spend most of their time in the mid-water column, darting and hovering above coral formations in a characteristic shimmering pattern. They are non-aggressive toward other fish and rarely display territorial behavior, making them excellent community reef inhabitants.

Breeding

Breeding Green Chromis in captivity is difficult and rarely successful in home aquariums. They are egg-scatterers that require very specific environmental conditions, including perfect water quality and minimal disturbance. Most captive specimens are wild-caught, and successful breeding requires expert-level care and large, well-established systems.

Tank Mates

Ocellaris Clownfish

Similar peaceful temperament and reef-safe behavior; both thrive in established reef systems

excellent

Pink Skunk Clownfish

Peaceful reef fish with compatible water requirements and non-aggressive nature

excellent

Neon Goby

Small, peaceful reef fish that occupy different tank zones and have similar care needs

good

Cleaner Shrimp

Reef-safe invertebrate that will not compete with chromis and provides beneficial cleaning behavior

excellent

Fire Shrimp

Peaceful reef shrimp with compatible saltwater requirements; chromis are too small to threaten them

good

Common Diseases

Ich (Marine White Spot Disease)

Symptoms

White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, flashing against rocks, lethargy

Treatment

Increase temperature to 28-29°C, maintain excellent water quality, consider copper-based treatments or hyposalinity in quarantine; UV sterilization helps prevent spread

Velvet Disease (Oodinium)

Symptoms

Fine golden-yellow dust on body, rapid gill movement, loss of appetite, scratching behavior

Treatment

Quarantine immediately, raise temperature to 28-29°C, use copper treatments or hyposalinity; ensure excellent aeration as the disease damages gills

Bacterial Infections

Symptoms

Torn fins, open sores, cloudy eyes, behavioral changes, loss of appetite

Treatment

Maintain pristine water quality with frequent partial water changes, use antibiotic treatments if severe, ensure adequate nutrition to boost immune function

Stress-Related Illness

Symptoms

Fading color, hiding, reduced appetite, erratic swimming, increased susceptibility to disease

Treatment

Ensure group is at least 6 fish, minimize tank disturbances, maintain stable water parameters (pH 8.1-8.4, temp 24-28°C), provide adequate hiding spaces near coral