More Tetras= More Schooling?

[juhason]

I have 8 serpae tetras in my 35 gallon long tank, and they shoal closely sometimes, but not very often. I don't like how it looks when they spread out cause it makes my tank look messy, but I really do love them. If I get more serpae tetras will they school more?
 
 
Current tank mates are 3 gold dust lyretail mollies and a dwarf gourami. I also plan on putting in a pair of german blue rams.
 
Tank Dimensions: 36x12x18
 
Heavily planted with plenty of rocks, including a rock cave, and 3 medium sized pieces of driftwood. 
 
(Gave you all my details in case anyone wants to recommend to me a fish that will keep them closer.)
 

 

[Lillefishy]

Schooling is a defence mechanism, your fish feel safe so don't need to stick tightly together

 

[DreamertK]

  That poor gourami might get ripped to shreds by those tetras.
 

 
That said it is relatively boisterous and doesn’t make an ideal companion for very shy, slow-moving, or long-finned fishes such as many livebearers, cichlids, and anabantoids.
Robust fishes inhabiting similar biotopes in nature, especially comparably-sized, open water-dwelling characids  perhaps constitute the best choices but other potential options include gasteropelecids, lebiasinids, smaller callichthyid or loricariid catfishes.

 
Though if you did get more tetras, they would occupy more space and therefore have more of a shoaling appearance? Though they also get aggressive when there isn't enough space.

 

[BerryAttack]

i find that those tetras are aggressive and are nippers, so watch your other fish. 
Now for schooling fish, they use it in a very large tank, ex. 100+ and if you want fish that stay together rummynose are good, and or cloud tetras. they just stay at the top though.

 

[juhason]

  That poor gourami might get ripped to shreds by those tetras.
 

 
That said it is relatively boisterous and doesn’t make an ideal companion for very shy, slow-moving, or long-finned fishes such as many livebearers, cichlids, and anabantoids.
Robust fishes inhabiting similar biotopes in nature, especially comparably-sized, open water-dwelling characids  perhaps constitute the best choices but other potential options include gasteropelecids, lebiasinids, smaller callichthyid or loricariid catfishes.

 
Though if you did get more tetras, they would occupy more space and therefore have more of a shoaling appearance? Though they also get aggressive when there isn't enough space.

Yeah I had another dwarf gourami in there but they shredded his fins. I removed him and he is recovering (and probably staying there permanently) in a 10 gallon. They don't seem to go after this current gourami though. Probably cause he is actually pretty aggressive himself and I've seen him chase them out of his territory. 
 

i find that those tetras are aggressive and are nippers, so watch your other fish. 
Now for schooling fish, they use it in a very large tank, ex. 100+ and if you want fish that stay together rummynose are good, and or cloud tetras. they just stay at the top though.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll take a look at the cloud tetras. I LOVE rummynose tetras but this tank stocking is mostly for my aunt. I don;t think she'll want to part with any of my current fish. Can I get any recommendations on schooling fish that are about the same size and color of the serpaes but more peaceful?

 

[BerryAttack]

Corydoras would do good, they like to school together on the bottom, just make sure you have 6+ to get the full schooling affect. (make sure its a small breed) and make sure that you don't over stock your tank.
if you want to switch the fish you can always "sell" it to her lol, that's what my mom would say when i wanted to switch a species of fish out.. lol all the pros and cons. and at one of my LFS they would give me $ for it, or i'd sell it online

 

[juhason]

Corydoras would do good, they like to school together on the bottom, just make sure you have 6+ to get the full schooling affect. (make sure its a small breed) and make sure that you don't over stock your tank.
if you want to switch the fish you can always "sell" it to her lol, that's what my mom would say when i wanted to switch a species of fish out.. lol all the pros and cons. and at one of my LFS they would give me $ for it, or i'd sell it online

Oh I would totally sell them back but my aunt wants the tank to have "color" but according to her stripes or patterns are not color. She wants the fish to be fully one color. So picky 

 That's why I'm looking for a schooling fish that I might be able to convince her to switch with. I love corys but they are not colorful like she wants. And apparently neons or cardinals are too small. Ugh.

 

[daveg6529]

I have a tank full of Tetras 60+ (260ltr). The Penguin Tetras and the Glass Catfish shoal very well but my Glowlights tend to stick together at the back of the tank.