chasing Danios

[calicorpsgirl]

I have two zebra danios and it seems like on of them is a bully. One of them is always chasing the other one around. It is always the same one (Fishie II) who is doing the chasing. And the one being chased (Danny) will put up with it for a few seconds, then retreat down to the bottom of the tank where he can "hide" from Fishie II. Danny will stay down there awhile, but as soon as he ventures back towards the top of the tank, Fishie II immediately chases him back down again. Is this normal behavior for danios?

And would the behavior change if I added one or two more danios so they could "school"? I don't really want to, since I have such a small tank (10 gal), and I'd like to leave plenty of room for a few other types of fish. But I will add another zebra danio or two if it keeps Fishie II from chasing Danny so aggressively. Any advice?

 

[Cody]

may b there being playful or doing sum kind of mating thing, dunno

 

[David]

Definitely get some more danios as dithers, they need to be in schools anyway.

 

[fishdudein]

Welcome to TFF! I think you're probably already on the right track thinking that you might need a couple more danios. If your tank was larger, you would probably be more likely to see the schooling behavior. However, in a 10 gal tank, the fish will most likely always be in sight of each other. So although they may scatter instead of school, they will definitely feel more comfortable with a few more of their own kind, and rather than one fish constantly chasing the other you will see them alternating and no one fish will get the brunt of being chased around the tank. The chasing around seems to be normal behavior for danios and a group disperses any aggression.

Don't know what else you will have in mind for your tank later in the year, just remember that a ten is really easy to overstock. Might want to consider a small group of corys, an otto or two, maybe a pair of platies. ( My personal opinion only, everyone's tastes are different...do you have any plans yet?)

 

[calicorpsgirl]

OKay, I will probably add two more danios then. But first I want to add a few cories. They are cute, and i could definitely use the bottom feeders to pick up fallen food. I want a couple colorful fish....something fairly small...any specific suggestions?

 

[Auratus]

In a ten gallon you could get the cories (3) and the 2 more danios for a total of 4. That would be pretty stocked imo for a ten, but you could get a colorful centerpiece fish like a dwarf gourami.

 

[Discomafia]

zebra danios need a minimum of 20 gallons. they need room to swim.

 

[The-Wolf]

to the forums
Most danios will become very aggressive, to the point of killing all other tankmates and then theirselfs, if kept in less than a group of 5. Please check out my website for more information. A 10 gallon is not ideal for them as they are very active fish, they will chase eachother for fun but only when in a group.

 

[Erised]

Danios indeed like to be in a large group. I used to have 4 in my 10 Gallon and soon found out that its way too small for them. They're way too active & playful. Right now I've got a group of 8 in my 15 Gallon and they're doing ever so well. Here they've got the whole tank for themselfs, and them being in a group of 8 has cut down the aggression towards eachother big time. Now they just chase eachother in a playful way

Putting other fish in with danios is gonna be fun as well, because they're this active they'll take up the whole aquarium and will not tolerate many fish at all (which results into serious fin nipping or indeed killing). In a big tank you'd be fine putting them in a community tank, but in anything smaller than a 30 Gallon I'd not try adding anything but danios with perhaps some corries, ottos and low staying fish.

I think you're best of either seeing if anyone is willing to take the danios from you, or get a bigger aquarium (15 gallons at Least) and give them a bigger school.

 

[outofmybin21]

wow i never knew they killed other fish and themselves Wolf i`ve kept danios for years i love the little buggers maybe even half as much as you!

I aint gonna dispute that tho since you are the man when it comes to danios quite clearly

 

[calicorpsgirl]

Hmmmm....thanks for the advice all.

Unfortunately I absolutely do not have enough money to spend on a larger tank, as much as I would love to have one. So I will just have to be careful with my stocking.

If I had 4 danios, 3 cories, and possibly a small male platy and did water changes often, would that work out? I know it won't be the ideal situation for the fish, but it won't be horrible for them either, I don't think. But it'd be nice to be allowed at least 3 different kinds of fish, you know? Since I can't have another tank...and the platy would add some nice color.

BTW, do platys do well on their own, or do they need pairs or groups to be happy? Are there ANY fish that do well in a small community tank as the only one of their species?

Thanks!

 

[David]

Bettas, but they will almost definitely get their fins nipped by the danios.

 

[Discomafia]

Bettas, but they will almost definitely get their fins nipped by the danios.

Yea, I found that out the hard way

 

[The-Wolf]

wow i never knew they killed other fish and themselves Wolf i`ve kept danios for years i love the little buggers maybe even half as much as you!

I aint gonna dispute that tho since you are the man when it comes to danios quite clearly

I have, no personal experiance of this, I have read it on many a forum and have had personal accounts relayed to me from several breeders.

I have seen ZD's attack other fish, in much the same way as dolphin will a shark. I.E they swim as fast as they can and ram the fish on its side causing internal damage.

 

[calicorpsgirl]

I am hoping I won't have that problem, but what would I do if it did become a problem? If one of the zebras became attacking and injuring other fish, what should I do? Obviously he must be removed from the tank. But I don't have a second tank to put him in...where would he go?