tiny schooling fish

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Sgooosh

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will different types of rasbora school with each other?
such as different types of harlequin rasboras, or boraras, or emerald rasboras, maybe even small tetras?
 
Yes many species will remain "together" depending upon the species but I am worried about the reason for the question. Rasboras are shoaling fish, this is in their genetic makeup and they expect a largish group. Ten or more has been demonstrated as being essential; the negative effects of fewer are rather startling. So if the question was aimed at getting for example 4 or 5 of one species, the same of another, and intending them to be "OK" the answer is no. A group of ten of each species might still swim around together much of the time, that's fine; but the number of the individual species is clearly very important to the individual fish, if they are to lead healthy normal lives.

I've never kept Harlequins in with the smaller rasboras, so that might be different. I have had Trigonostigma hengeli (one of the smaller "Harlequin" species) in with Brevibora dorsicelata and they were always together, but the latter species had been with me several years and there were four or five left and they were undoubtedly feeling a bit lonely alone. This situation often comes about when a group of fish begins dying of old age and very few are left; I think it is kinder to them to leave them in their familiar surroundings, provided they do not react with aggression toward other fish as a result of their low number--which can unfortunately sometimes happen.
 
I did it. I have sinned. I had mixed Bororas (3 species, 10 years ago), and they sometimes moved around together.

Recently, I got 35 Bororas maculatus, and the story is so different. They don't really shoal - that's behaviour for when the fish are frightened, and they fearlessly rule their environment. But in a large group, they are fantastic compared to my little mixed groups (I had bought them for photos). All comments about them thriving in large groups are true. I feel like I have never kept this fish before.

Secure and happy small shoaling fish break up into little foraging groups. Mine will form 'sort of' shoals of 5 to 25 fish for the long trip across the back of the tank, a 5 second voyage. Once they've crossed the tank, the shoal is gone in a flash, and the foraging groups just go to work. It's a 75cm, 30 inch single species tank - planted but not with plants that have really taken yet.
 
I have harlequin rasboras (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) and a few elderly espe's/lambchop/slender rasboras (T. espei) in the same tank. They may look very similar but they know the difference - they ignore each other.

Unfortunately I have a lot of male and only a few female harlequins, and groups of males spend a lot of their time chasing a female. The espe's are never involved with this.
 
If the fish are the same species but different type eg: tiger and green barb the should still school
 
Yes many species will remain "together" depending upon the species but I am worried about the reason for the question. Rasboras are shoaling fish, this is in their genetic makeup and they expect a largish group. Ten or more has been demonstrated as being essential; the negative effects of fewer are rather startling. So if the question was aimed at getting for example 4 or 5 of one species, the same of another, and intending them to be "OK" the answer is no. A group of ten of each species might still swim around together much of the time, that's fine; but the number of the individual species is clearly very important to the individual fish, if they are to lead healthy normal lives.

I've never kept Harlequins in with the smaller rasboras, so that might be different. I have had Trigonostigma hengeli (one of the smaller "Harlequin" species) in with Brevibora dorsicelata and they were always together, but the latter species had been with me several years and there were four or five left and they were undoubtedly feeling a bit lonely alone. This situation often comes about when a group of fish begins dying of old age and very few are left; I think it is kinder to them to leave them in their familiar surroundings, provided they do not react with aggression toward other fish as a result of their low number--which can unfortunately sometimes happen.
i already have 10+ rasboras, and i sort of want the smaller types :)
If the fish are the same species but different type eg: tiger and green barb the should still school
thanks, it's just that rasboras come in so many differnt sizes lol
 
Fish such as chili rasboras are in the genus Boraras; harlequins are in the genus Trigonostigma. Not only different species but different genus as well. They won't swim together.
 

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