Care
The Banded Green Chromide is one of only a handful of cichlid species known from Asia. In the wild, this pretty shoaling species is often found in the brackish waters of lagoons and estuaries, but it is known to migrate into fresh or marine waters for short periods.
Banded Green Chromides grow large and require a very spacious and well-filtered hard water or brackish aquarium. The tank should be furnished with plenty of rockwork/driftwood to create shady hiding places and visual barriers, whilst still maintaining ample space along the front of the aquarium for these active swimmers. A substrate of aragonite or crushed coral can be used to help maintain a stable alkaline pH. This peaceful species must be kept in groups of 6 or more due to its gregarious nature. However, despite having a placid personality, we do not recommend that they are housed with very small fish that would be intimidated by their sheer size, and which may themselves be considered just the right size for a snack. Good tankmates would include species that enjoy similar conditions such as larger livebearers including Sailfin mollies and Celebes rainbowfish. In a very large aquarium Archerfish, large brackish gobies, Monos, and Scats will prove very suitable. As these fish mature (in good conditions and provided with a varied diet), the colours and patterns will intensify giving the fish an absolutely dazzling appearance. Interestingly, Banded Green Chromides have been observed in the wild being cleaned by juveniles of their smaller sympatric relatives, Pseudetroplus maculatus, in a fashion similar to that of some of the marine wrasses.
Feeding
Omnivorous. Flake, green flake, and slow-sinking pellets/granules can be given, but frozen foods such as Spirulina-enriched brineshrimp, mosquito larvae, Mysis shrimp, krill, prawns (chopped for smaller specimens) etc are preferred. It is important that these fish are provided with a good amount of vegetable matter such as blanched spinach, kale, Romaine lettuce, dried seaweeds etc.
Breeding
Banded Green Chromides have been bred in the home aquarium, although it is considered quite challenging. In the wild, these fish spawn on a seasonal basis and are classed as clutch-tending bi-parental substrate spawners. A well-conditioned pair should be moved to a separate spacious breeding aquarium (ideally at least 4ft long) with matching water parameters. When ready to spawn, the pair will choose a rock/slate or cave in an area of quiet flow and pre-clean it. Some 500-1000 eggs may be deposited and these are vigorously defended by both parents. The eggs should hatch within 36-72 hours (temperature dependent) and become free swimming after a further 7 or 8 days. The fry will shoal around their parents during the first few weeks of growth, and it is thought that the adults secrete a nutritious mucous which the young initially feed upon (in a similar manner to discus). The parents are likely to refrain from feeding from the time of spawning until the fry become independent. Small first foods such as newly-hatched brineshrimp nauplii, rotifers, and powdered fry foods can be offered. High water quality must be maintained at all times as the fry are very delicate and prone to fungal infections. The colour and pattern is very different to that of the adults and it takes some time for them to develop the adult colour/pattern.
