Schooling fish

[LKravitzDO]

Hey guys,
I have 5 neons, I was told that they would be a good schooling fish, but all they seem to do is be in pairs or just swimming all around, once in a while the 5 get together (would they school with a another type of tetra like glow lights if i mixed them?). If there was one small schooling species people would reccomend which would it be?

 

[LoachLover]

Schooling fish sometimes forget they are

 

[littlefishie]

Harlequin Rasboras are supposed to be good school fish, which is why I bought some. But they don't school. So I am taking them back.

My neons pull the same thing almost all the time. Maybe 4 times a day I see them school, so you're not the only one.

 

[DarkSide]

Technuically they are schooling, just really loosly. If you notice when you put your hand in the tank or a net, they'll all bunch together, only because their scared. So not schooling tightly is a sign that their calm.

 

[a1wonder]

My question to you is how big is your tank. If you want to see fish actually school somthing like a six foot or even a 4 foot would be your best bet the fish will travel together as a group not to mention with a school of 5 your really not going to see that much action. If you have a group of 11 now that's a nice school of neons in a 6foot tank. There are alot of other schooling fish that school all the time but I wouldn't recomind them for anything smaller than an 80 gal as they need to be in groups of at least four or more and they are a fairly big fish.

 

[SnowyzMom]

Yep, I have 5 neons, 8 glowlights and 5 black neons and sometimes they hang together, sometimes they mix it up and sometimes one or more of them goes off on a foray by themselves, which is a good sign that they don't feel threatened.

For active schooling in a smaller tank try corydoras....say 3 females to 2 males? Or 2 and 2...the males are always crowding round the females trying to get personal attention ) and they do love staying close together in "packs" so if one finds something good to snack on they can all get into it. They really do seem to like swimming and being together, more than any other fish I've got. They just all chug along the tank together 90% or more of the time.

Oops, forgot to mention that schooling out in nature is a defensive mechanism, meant to protect them from predators by presenting either too many targets for the predator to focus on one, or safety in numbers, ie. not everybody gets et! So clearly your neons feel right safe where they are.

 

[fufanu360]

one day, i will have a 200 gallon, and it will have 20 silver dollars in it, you wanna see a school?

 

[DeadlyAlliance]

You should try the Tetra Jumbo Neon Fish. ( I think thats what they are called) I bought 10 of them for my tank and they are always together and they are really fun to watch.

 

[DarkSide]

^ Jumbo neon tetras


Yeah my black skirts, and prvious danios shoals (bless their souls)

They used to be together all the time.. whenm my cat was watching them

 

[Bryan]

My question to you is how big is your tank. If you want to see fish actually school somthing like a six foot or even a 4 foot would be your best bet the fish will travel together as a group not to mention with a school of 5 your really not going to see that much action. If you have a group of 11 now that's a nice school of neons in a 6foot tank. There are alot of other schooling fish that school all the time but I wouldn't recomind them for anything smaller than an 80 gal as they need to be in groups of at least four or more and they are a fairly big fish.

Also, I've had better luck getting my fish to school if the tank is fully planted, I mean from to back top to bottom. Enough to where you can't see more than a foot, they will usually stay within site of eachother, so if the plants are thick they'll stick closer together.
I'm working on a tank like that, just waiting for my last batch of plants to make it to the top of the water, then I should start seeing the fish school better.

Also, i noticed my Rosey Tetras school very well but it could be cause there new to the tank...

 

[Inchworm]

For a schooling fish, you can't beat corydoras catfish. Corys not only swim together, they seem to enjoy each other's company. They play together too, and they will all try to crowd into their cave at the same time. Sometimes you will find them sitting on top of each other in there.

 

[Ben]

IME in some cases schooling fish will only school when scared. i think when they dont school together it means that they are comfortable being away from the group i.e when there is no danger. but i have three mixes of tetras(neons,glow lights and harliuen rasboras) and they all seem to mix with each toher but mostly the harliquens stick together

HTH

DD

 

[LKravitzDO]

ok, so my tank is a 20gal. long (just under 3 feet), wasn't sure if i should add more neon tetras (i believe the jumbo version) or add another type of tetra (like glow light) versus add a whole new species of schoolers..

question on the cories... Everyone says they like to school, but aren't they primarily bottom dwellers?

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[DarkSide]

They are bottom dwellers, and the do shoal together

Sorta like Rapheal (sp?) catfish. Its so cute how they give each otehr piggy back rides.

 

[-cAtFiSh-]

i have 8 harlequins and they school very well