how to get my fish to school

[1972ford]

First off a list of inhabitants in my 200 gallon 7' long 2' wide and 2' deep tank.

5 mature bosami rainbowfish
5 mature turquoise rainbowfish
11 nean tetras
6 black nean tetras
6 glowlight tetras
6 blackskirt tetras
1 4" albino rainbow shark
1 4" upsidedown catfish
6 Albino cory cats
3 to 5 bamboo shrimp
1 20+ inch pleco
6 zebra danios
6 4" redfin tetras?
2 2" asian cichlids
6 2" penguin tetras
3 hatchet fish plan on getting more very soon then and the neon tetras are the only fish that scooh togather.
Alot of java moss, java fern, and anubus

I was thinking about adding a solitary larger fish that would be compatible(suggestions appreciated) and or changing the layout of the tank currently everything is towards the back leaving the front of the tank open kind of considering making a large island in the middle and adding more flow with power heads. Any ideas or suggestion greatly appreciated.

 

[lilme]

dwarf gourami
bolivin ram

 

[ImACoolguy]

IMO that's good if your fish are not schooling.. That means they are comfortable enough with the tank they feel that can free swim without danger and needing to school.


Caleb

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[NigelK8485]

Caleb is right, it's better to not make your fish school tightly. Freshwater fish mainly hang out in numbers for protection and really only school when they feel an imminent threat. There are some types that do school together more than others, but not extremely tightly. My Denison barbs often hang out in the same area and when swimming mainly stick together which looks cool...maybe look into adding those?

What are Asian cichlids? Chromides are all I can think of as being from Asia which if I remember correctly is actually a brackish water fish.

As far as a single large fish, maybe look into a severum? Mine does perfectly fine with my rainbows and Denison barbs. When I had little baby rosy barbs she was fine with them. You may just want to look out for aggression between the severum and Asian cichlids. Nicaraguan cichlid may work, I think if you introduce a young one with your tank it'd be fine. If you'd be okay with adding a group rather than a single fish a nice group of tinfoil barbs would look cool.

Do you have a picture of this tank? Sounds like a really cool setup.


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[PB_Smith]

a schoolbus?

 

[1972ford]

IMG]http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/94222-albums14127-picture68733.jpg[/IMG]

Sorry for the mess today is weekly water change day after work.

 

[1972ford]

 

[ImACoolguy]

That's one large pleco.... Tank looks great though.


Caleb

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[ScotJudd]

I have a mixed species tank, mainly Tetras, and they only shoal for a day or so after being put to not the tank. After that they all go their own way. They seem quite calm and serene. I think that's a good thing.


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[friscuba]

I like schooling fish, if I'm lucky I can watch 75% of my cardinals on the same half of the tank. The 2 fish I have that really school and give me the look I want are rasbora hets and rummynose tetras. Those guys are active schoolers, I've got 8 of each in a 40 breeder and they really stick together with their own kind, and often with each other, with usually the rasboras in the lead. My platies have surprised me on how much they group up as well.


Eventually I'd like to have a long aquarium and play around with groups to see what really schools best. Be happy that your fish seem happy.

 

[trennamw]

I don't know much about much but mine hang out with their peers more if I have larger groups. Seems your tank is big enough for it.

I also get more interesting to watch behavior with more current.

I don't have a lot of experience but I watch a lot, and I do find that each time I expand one group of fish to 8-10 they conglomerate more. I lost one of 6 glowlight neons and they tended to scatter. So I added 6 more. The 5 big guys and 6 bitty guys stayed separate for awhile but after a week they negotiated a tribal merger and they're usually together.

Try 12 danios. You'll have quite a show then.

And then my harlequins always shoal with the danios, following the little daredevils through whatever nonsense they're trying. Go figure.


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