neons acting wierd

[mattbeau]

My neons (5) for some reason have stopped thier regular shoaling and have begun the "peckong order thing" again.

I threw in some brine shrimp to see if it would perhapse chill them out a bit

that seemed to just amplify the issue


any ideas?
shoud I be concerned?

wate levels

amonia 0
nitrite o
nitrate 40
temp 80

tannk mates
2 dwarf honey gauramis
2 coryiadora

new additions are 2 ottoclinus' and one comet goldfish (2 in)

the comet is there till i find him a new home, he was the cycle fish for my 6 gallon
which now is the home for my dawrf puffer

thanks

 

[laurasmithuk]

nitrAte is slightly high could this be stressing them?

 

[millym]

hi
ive always find that neons & other small fish often shoal when they are in a new environment or feel threatened - safety in numbers its an instinct thing. when they feel happy & safe they will often split up & go their own ways pottering around the tank doing their own thing & this usually involves little scraps to see whos boss. i think your neons just feel safe enough to forget about shoaling for safety & now are finding something else to occupy their time ie: the fights.
i dont think its anything to worry about your neons sound quite normal

 

[Sky042]

nitrAte is slightly high could this be stressing them?

[snapback]851341[/snapback]​

I can't consider 40ppm high nitrate.

If so then probably 70% of this boards fishes are stressed out. Many of us have tap water that high or higher.

 

[laurasmithuk]

i added post 2 weeks ago about my nitrate bein40 and everyone said it was too high! am i jus confused? sorry

 

[Maroonostrich]

hi
ive always find that neons & other small fish often shoal when they are in a new environment or feel threatened - safety in numbers its an instinct thing. when they feel happy & safe they will often split up & go their own ways pottering around the tank doing their own thing & this usually involves little scraps to see whos boss. i think your neons just feel safe enough to forget about shoaling for safety & now are finding something else to occupy their time ie: the fights.
i dont think its anything to worry about your neons sound quite normal

[snapback]851368[/snapback]​

I echo this 100%

My fish amused me no end on entering their new tank- they were like a little ball and following eachother everywhere, crossing the bog wood indian file and hanging about near shelter..

After a while they were dotted everywhere- in very large tanks I imagine they would still look like a shoal based on the distance between fish, but in my smaller tank they just looked like a scattering of individual fish- I think they still feel happy if others are in visual range and they are not feeling threatened.

When I introduced the golden eyed cichlids which are larger fish than themselves, I got my shoal back almost immediately. The cichlids were scared too so sorta slinking around and hiding, I bet they looked very predatory.. now they are all used to eachother I rarely see a 'shoal' more trios and pairs- squabbling like yours do! And that's unless you count the 'feeding time' shoal, when I get all my fish in one corner, being very excited!

 

[memnon]

i read somewhere that fish shoal more if they feal threatened and it is a defense, i have lots of neons and black neons and rarely shoal so i wouldn't worry to much

 

[GSD]

i think they could be just abit stressed or sorting out who is boss.Alot of shoaling fish bicker and it is quite normal to an extent.They will argue when getting fed too to see who gets the best bits.Fish only shoal when scared or feel threatened so if they arnt shoaling its a sighn that they are relaxed.I would be more worried about that goldie eating the neons!!!!!!!goldfish will eat anything that will fit into their mouths so watch out.also cories like to be in groups of 4+ to keep them happy
good luck

 

[Teelie]

Occasionally my black neons do odd things. Like one or two will be in the currents of my filters, one on one filter, the other on my second one and the three in the middle get chased away when they get too near. Usually it's just the large (I think) female who does it and forces the other four back from the current when they get near.

 

[mattbeau]

thanks guys,

I guess they're just happy. today i gave them a bit of frozen brine shrimp (the comet gold fish seems to want to hog it all though, he really needs to go)

as for the cories, i think there just fine with the two of them, pre-occupied with scavenging the gravel all day. and the otto's are back to a group of three, it apears that the puffer wants no part of any ottos in his tank.(sigh)