Is This True?

[trew]

hi

two questions

1)i was using a stocking calculator and it told me that i could fit 30 inches of fish in an 16 gallon tank

2)do black widow tetra shoal or do they school if thats the right spelling )

 

[dthoffsett]

The rule of thumb for small, slim bodied fish is 1 inch per gallon. So a 16gal tank could hold 16in of fish. However, depending on the temperment of the fish, and if you over filter, you can go over that a little bit, like maybe 20in of fish. However under no circumstances would I recommend 30in of fish in a 16gal. As far as the tetras, most of them will school, however if they are comfortable in your tank they won't stick too close together, a tight school is a sign of stress.

 

[trew]

wow i didnt know that was a sign of stress

thanks

 

[SamUK]

its not a sign of stress.


its a sign that theres bigger fish around thats all.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Basically, schooling is a defence mechanism (don't eat me, eat my mate!). It will be used whenever the fish perceive there might be some need, so not necessarily when they're dangerously stressed, but may simply be when there's bigger fish around, like Sam said. When they feel absolutely secure, like there's nobody in this tank can stand up to me, then they won't feel the need for it. On the other hand, if they're sticking tightly together all the time, never wandering off for a nibble, then they probably do feel a bit threatened+ stressed.

 

[DebraAustin]

Basically, schooling is a defence mechanism (don't eat me, eat my mate!). It will be used whenever the fish perceive there might be some need, so not necessarily when they're dangerously stressed, but may simply be when there's bigger fish around, like Sam said. When they feel absolutely secure, like there's nobody in this tank can stand up to me, then they won't feel the need for it. On the other hand, if they're sticking tightly together all the time, never wandering off for a nibble, then they probably do feel a bit threatened+ stressed.

Thanks for the info. I just happened on this thread and it will help me a lot as I stock and care for my new tank. My two fish are supposed to be schooling, but they just come together to play once in awhile. Now I know it means that they feel safe. When I clean the tank they hang out close together. Now I'll know what to do to look for stress in my little fishies as I will be introducing the rest of the clan over the next couple weeks (very slowly).

Debra

 

[andywg]

Schooling is a very specialised form of shoaling. There is a lot of information on it in one of the FAQ threads.

TBH, I don't think we ever have the numbers and environment to instigate schooling in our tanks.