Neon Tetra aggression

[Cluelessone]

Hi all,

77L 60cm x 30cm x 45cm
Fully cycled
0/0/7
27°C
PH 7
Hardness 56ppm
4 x Cory cats
1 x Dwarf Gourami
10 x Neon Tetras
2x make Guppy’s (I know these like harder water but from speaking with a local breeder they have never had an issue with the local water supply hardness and keeping Guppy’s)

I have just added the 10 neons last night and they were shoaling perfectly. My DG was charging a little but he always does this to my guppy’s after he eats and never nips and loses interest quickly. He charged a few times at neons so I turned the lights off early and it all settled down.

This evening the DG is playing nicely but I have discovered that one of the NT’s has claimed a spot that the front of the tank and is charging his other NT buddies if they enter his space?? I really didn’t expect that.

Also on observation the shoal is not really a shoal now because I guess the DG isn’t as threatening today??

Can someone tell me if this is normal in a shoal of NT or I just have a little rogue soldier?

 

[Guppylover3x]

Hi all,

77L 60cm x 30cm x 45cm
Fully cycled
0/0/7
27°C
PH 7
Hardness 56ppm
4 x Cory cats
1 x Dwarf Gourami
10 x Neon Tetras
2x make Guppy’s (I know these like harder water but from speaking with a local breeder they have never had an issue with the local water supply hardness and keeping Guppy’s)

I have just added the 10 neons last night and they were shoaling perfectly. My DG was charging a little but he always does this to my guppy’s after he eats and never nips and loses interest quickly. He charged a few times at neons so I turned the lights off early and it all settled down.

This evening the DG is playing nicely but I have discovered that one of the NT’s has claimed a spot that the front of the tank and is charging his other NT buddies if they enter his space?? I really didn’t expect that.

Also on observation the shoal is not really a shoal now because I guess the DG isn’t as threatening today??

Can someone tell me if this is normal in a shoal of NT or I just have a little rogue soldier?

Hi and welcome to the forum

The good news is your water parameters are fine. I’d say nipping in neon tetras is completely normal they may settle after a few days into being in their new home.

You haven’t mentioned if you have live plants in the aquarium unless I have missed this, therefore I apologise. However, the point is live plants really help and offer shelter and hiding places.

If all isn’t settled in a few days I would personally rearrange the tank a bit and hopefully this helps. All fish can get a bit territorial.

Best of luck.

 

[Byron]

This evening the DG is playing nicely but I have discovered that one of the NT’s has claimed a spot that the front of the tank and is charging his other NT buddies if they enter his space?? I really didn’t expect that.
Can someone tell me if this is normal in a shoal of NT or I just have a little rogue soldier?

Without seeing this for myself, this is likely normal and nothing to worry about. Even small "peaceful" fish like neon tetras will establish hierarchies within the shoal/group and interact accordingly.

Also on observation the shoal is not really a shoal now because I guess the DG isn’t as threatening today??

"Shoaling" and "schooling" are somewhat misunderstood within the hobby, so perhaps I can clarify. Freshwater fish that are a shoaling species means they live in very large groups of their own species. There is safety in this obviously, hence the shoaling behaviour you describe when a group is added to a new space and feel threatened to some degree. Once they settle in, the shoal will behave differently.

Generally, shoaling freshwater species do not remain in a tight formation, with a few exceptions. Rummynose tetras tend to remain together at all times, and some of the rasbora species do this more. Angelfish and discus also shoal fairly tightly when they are properly housed. In the confines of the home aquarium the fish are still in communication with each other chemically, releasing pheromones (these can be read by others of that species) and allomones (read by other species). And of course they can usually see one another, and they can "hear" each other through their remarkable sensory perceptions.

"Schooling" more technically refers to fish that remain in fairly tight and compact groups. The best example of this are the marine fish species that live in groups of thousands. Most of these also hunt and feed as a group. This does not occur with freshwater species that we keep in our aquarium.

Shoaling fish must have a group, but to our observation it may not seem like it, but to the fish this is essential. Different species may use this shoaling for different reasons, but in all such species it is necessary that there be several of the species. They will tightly band together at any danger, but otherwise most of them will disperse.

 

[Cluelessone]

You haven’t mentioned if you have live plants in the aquarium unless I have missed this, therefore I apologise. However, the point is live plants really help and offer shelter and hiding places.

Yes I wouldn’t say it’s heavily
Planted but there is certainly enough cover and some barrels to his in also. I’ll try to get a photo on here. I did take a video but it won’t upload

 

[Cluelessone]

Without seeing this for myself, this is likely normal and nothing to worry about. Even small "peaceful" fish like neon tetras will establish hierarchies within the shoal/group and interact accordingly.

I do have a video but I can’t seem to upload it on here?

Thank you again for the knowledge, I didn’t know there was a distinct difference between shoal and school of fish.

 

[Cluelessone]

Video of the little rouge soldier

 

[Colin_T]

the bully is a male. He is just defending his little spot

school vs shoal. I can't remember which is which but one is a group of fish from the same species and they all hang out together. The other is a group of fishes that can consist of multiple species.

 

[Guppylover3x]

Video of the little rouge soldier

I see what you mean about the nipping, I hope this calms down. It may be a case of just having to add a few more in to create a bigger shoal. Your tank seems big enough.

On the other hand - your tank seems to look lovely and coming on well. You may want to enter the tank of the month contest. Every month the moderator runs a contest that welcomes new members to post pictures of their tanks and a brief description of stocking/parameters etc.

At the end of the contest members on the forum can vote which tank they think is best. The winner gets their own little neat TOTM banner at the side of their avatar as you can see near mine. The next contest starts at the beginning of May.

You can’t win if you don’t enter