Neons only schoal at night

[Helium_Junkie]

I love it when my neons schoal together, swimming in line from one end of the tank to the other, then grouping for a while... but they only seem to do this when the moonlight goes on and the main lights go out.
What makes them schoal?

 

[luxum]

They are scared by the bright overhead light during the day. Neons are a prey species and they get nervous when they feel exposed, easy targets for predators. To minimize this, get some floating plants if you don't have high light plants in the tank already that won't appreciate getting shaded out. If you do... well i dunno, i have the same issue in my tank with the cardinals. I had some floating plants in there and the cardinals were much more visible, but my sword plants were not happy with the decreased light, so i removed the floaters. The cardinals have not yet forgiven me. I suspect that you may be able to get them out during the day if there was another, less skittish species that would let them know everything is ok... harlequin rasboras would probably work, but i don't want to push my stocking levels any further to try it out. As it stands, my cichlids are being dithers for the tetras instead of the other way around, gah! )

 

[yhbae]

Mine shoaled for the whole 5 mins right after introducing them into the tank. Since then, I never saw them shoal again...

They always seem to fight in a random motion, keeping their head about 30 degree downwards.

If you want to see shoaling species, harlequins do much better for me even with 4 of them. They shoal all the time.

I like both, for different reasons...

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Neons shoal when they feel scared. When the lights go off they obviously feel a little insecure so they shoal. During the light hours they are comfortable enough to spread out.
A not very fish friendly way of seeing this is if you scare the fish during the day. They will inevitably dart off and form a shoal.
Shoaling is a defence mechanism for prey fish (safety in numbers) and some fish only shoal when necessary while others do it most of the time.
I just rearranged my tank yesterday. 3 hours of fiddling and big movements within the tank. the glowlights and black neons shoaled together strongly. 10 minutes after I finished they had dispersed throughout the tank.

 

[David]

I love it when my neons schoal together, swimming in line from one end of the tank to the other, then grouping for a while... but they only seem to do this when the moonlight goes on and the main lights go out.
What makes them schoal?

Choose one. School or shoal, not schoal.

 

[nitro]

Mine shoal togehter all the time but hide usually hide

Anyone know anyways to make them not hide away?

I dont see why they do because they are in a shoal of 12 and there is only a guppy and Bristlenose in the tank.

(makes feeding quite difficult aswell)

 

[bunjiweb]

I love it when my neons schoal together, swimming in line from one end of the tank to the other, then grouping for a while... but they only seem to do this when the moonlight goes on and the main lights go out.
What makes them schoal?

Choose one. School or shoal, not schoal.

Out of all the things you could have added to this thread you have to be pedantic and picky about someones spelling? Maybe you should have kept yourself out of this thread If this is all have to add to the forums.


As for the Neons, I haev 6 neons in my 15G tank and they shoaled when I first introduced them but as they became more comfortable and the shoal broke up. As already stated they only shoal when they feel threatened.

Barbs and Razboras are much better shoaling species despite the common public misconception.

Ben

 

[Helium_Junkie]

Out of all the things you could have added to this thread you have to be pedantic and picky about someones spelling? Maybe you should have kept yourself out of this thread If this is all have to add to the forums.

hehe, thanks Bunji

I realised my error as I started reading my post... oh well

So, i need to scare em to make em schoal ( ) eh? I do have some floaty things btw

 

[nitro]

So, i need to scare em to make em schoal

Maybe adding a larger slighty aggresive/boisterous fish to your tank would make them shoal?


Mine shoal an i hide and i dont know what they are scared of.

To minimize this, get some floating plants if you don't have high light plants in the tank already that won't appreciate getting shaded out

i have a floating plant as well and some tall ones.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Maybe adding a larger slighty aggresive/boisterous fish to your tank would make them shoal?

I'd try it with my pictus (though he's much bigger), but with my luck he'd think that the whole shoal was just dinner served on a platter. Three bucks a pop for neon bites would make my wallet cry, and my pictus die, because I'd kill him....not really. Big tetras, big!!


I seem to naturally scare tetras in peoples tanks, but they shoal behind anything in the tank, and then I can't see them...


I dunno, they are such flighty little things. Course, I would be too if I was that brightly colored and small.

 

[lizard]

My Neons school sometimes. I've noticed that they tend to hang out by the plants, instead of staying up near the top of the tank (my plants aren't very tall yet).

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[clutterydrawer]

I don't undestand why people are saying the feel more secure in bright light i was always led to beleive it was totally the opposite.

anyway, my tetras do it too. as soon as i switch teh light off they all snap together like little magnets

 

[Leslie]

They can see what's coming toward them much better in the light. Many predators come out to feed at night as well.

 

[MrMashashin]

i think the schooling or shoaling is all based on their tankmates. If their in with themselves, then i think they will do what you want them to do.

 

[clutterydrawer]

so why is it recommended to leave the lights off when you buy new fish in order to reduce stress?!