Are Danios Aggressive?

[mikev]

A couple of fish in my tank ended up with what seems to be bite marks (damaged tails), and I'm trying to find out who is responsible.

It is a new 65g tank, and it has a few small Giant Danios (1.5"-2"), who are the "primary suspects" (not by their behavior, they seem to be only chasing each other, but by their obvious strength comparing to the rest).

The other suspects are striped loaches (Botia Lecontei), who do seem to behave aggressively, but possibly lack the ability to inflict damage (too slow, too weak -- I think). The other fish are a plec and clowns, who are likely not guilty....

Does anyone keep Danios with other fish? Any problems?

 

[collared_drifter]

what are your other fish?
danios are some what nippy to fish smaller then them if they are up in their area... which fish have damaged fins?

 

[mikev]

what are your other fish?
danios are some what nippy to fish smaller then them if they are up in their area... which fish have damaged fins?

Full list: 65g,

1 Plec (4.5")
7 Giant Danios (1.5"-2")
6 Striped loaches (1.5")
4 Clown Loaches (2.5"-3").

One clown and one striped loach ended up with tail damage.

Striped loaches are the only fish that may swim with Danios (they actually try to chase Danios, which is not exactly possible.).

 

[collared_drifter]

ya its probly the danios... you should try watching them from affar to see what they do when you arent looking...
after all
you are only who you are when knowone is looking...

 

[The-Wolf]

I doubt that the giant danios are the culprits of fin nipping.
watch your botias carefully and you will see them doing it.

 

[laurasmithuk]

i personally had probs with danios nipping. my poor harliquins had no tails left!

 

[Monte20]

my danios are aggressive. i have 5 in my 55 gal. they are like a crime syndicate, sticking together and picking on everyone. even the striped rafael! talk about living life on the edge. (the rafael doesnt do anything to them) dont know how aggressive you can rate them, but i give them a 7 out of 10 for territoriality.

 

[victor]

my danios are aggressive. i have 5 in my 55 gal. they are like a crime syndicate..............

Mine too....I had about 6 and they were like a terrorist cell!!!!.......they had to go!!

 

[jungle jim]

A couple of fish in my tank ended up with what seems to be bite marks (damaged tails), and I'm trying to find out who is responsible.

It is a new 65g tank, and it has a few small Giant Danios (1.5"-2"), who are the "primary suspects" (not by their behavior, they seem to be only chasing each other, but by their obvious strength comparing to the rest).

The other suspects are striped loaches (Botia Lecontei), who do seem to behave aggressively, but possibly lack the ability to inflict damage (too slow, too weak -- I think). The other fish are a plec and clowns, who are likely not guilty....

Does anyone keep Danios with other fish? Any problems?

 

[Monte20]

i used the danios to help cycle the tank. but now im wanting them to leave, no offense to danio fans. but they are hard as hell to net.

 

[jungle jim]

A couple of fish in my tank ended up with what seems to be bite marks (damaged tails), and I'm trying to find out who is responsible.

It is a new 65g tank, and it has a few small Giant Danios (1.5"-2"), who are the "primary suspects" (not by their behavior, they seem to be only chasing each other, but by their obvious strength comparing to the rest).

The other suspects are striped loaches (Botia Lecontei), who do seem to behave aggressively, but possibly lack the ability to inflict damage (too slow, too weak -- I think). The other fish are a plec and clowns, who are likely not guilty....

Does anyone keep Danios with other fish? Any problems?

Hi Mikev i have 7danios in my tank with 8 or 9 glowlights they have been together now 5 months but there has been no aggression at all even though the danios are twice their size, unless some of your stock are new to your tank and they are sorting out who is boss i would look to see if there is an intruder there

 

[cyprinut]

i used the danios to help cycle the tank. but now im wanting them to leave, no offense to danio fans. but they are hard as hell to net.

I think giant danios get too big and need too much swim space for a 65g anyway. Just my opinion. Trade them in if you can, and good luck netting them, lol.

 

[The-Wolf]

firstly, can I point out that the temperment of the giant danio is nothing like that of the zebra danio.
they are two different fish with two very different requirements and attitude.
Danio is too general a term, given that there are 64 recognised species to choose from.

I stand by my previous post, it is not the Giant danios doing the fin nipping.

 

[MegTheFish]

I have 11 danios in my 50 gallon goldfish tank, and they have never nipped the goldfish's fins. The goldfish have long-flowey fins. Maybe its because they're in a large enough group?

 

[mikev]

Thanks to everybody.

After two days of watching, it appears that Danio's are innocent (they seem to have no interest in loaches).

The culprits are almost certainly Clown Loaches (?!) who for reasons unclear decided to team up against the smallest of four (they actually never treated him well, and now became really bad---simply chase him away). I'm short on ideas of how this can be corrected..for now I've locked the poor fellow in a small cage inside the tank (so they cannot get to him, and perhaps he recovers a bit), and added one more -- perhaps it will "rebalance" the group in a positive way.

Was there something about not having an even number of clowns?