Schooling fish?

[chelli]

I have this in my tank already:
one barred goby
2 engineer gobies
2 clowns
1 hermit
one yellow damsel
and other small snails etc.

My boyfriend wants a small school of fish to add to my tank. What small fish (that stay small in adulthood) school together in a fish tank and what type of fish would be affordable to do this with. I assumed that they wouldn't "school" in a 40 gallon and that if they did the type of fish that did would be devilishly expensive. Any thoughts?

 

[malkore]

40 gallon with those fish....its basically stocked.

 

[melosu58]

I agree that you wont get too many more fish in there without messing up the bioload. But when you do there is no better schooling fish than the green chromis. I have seven.

 

[TheRealFF]

Wouldn't fire fishes school together too? I've heard they like to live in communities in the wild right?

 

[Guest]

But when you do there is no better schooling fish than the green chromis.

i have 9 blue green chromis and they are wonderful to watch...they always travel together. but ive read that they do better with odd numbers, dont quote me on that though but it seems to be working in my tank. great schooling fish! but i do agree with the consensus that your tank is already fully stocked.

 

[Guest]

Wouldn't fire fishes school together too? I've heard they like to live in communities in the wild right?

Some species of Dartfish can be kept in groups. But firefish are not 'grouping' or 'schooling' fish. They do tend to group up as juveniles, however once they reach maturity (and even sometimes before so) they are highly aggressive and territorial fish towards other firefish within the group, especially in a 40 gal tank.

 

[melosu58]

I`ve heard that also about the uneven number bet I dont have any scientific proof just experience