Multiple schooling fish in 40 breeder?

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I have 6 TB's and they have displayed schooling behavior once and it appears that was an accident..lol...I have never seen them do it again...they swim independently, they pair off, lip lock, etc... all over my 55g... IDK but I like watching them play
 
I honestly think alot of schooling behavior depends on tank size, planted or not, and tankmates. In my 220g I have 10 adult angels, the tank is very heavily planted (there is about 5% visable substrate), and my two schools of tetras, rummy nose and diamonds both school. The rummy school is about 25 and the diamonds 13. I think having a larger school of these and having them in a tank with angels plus all the heavy planting combines to encourage schooling behavior. I believe in a tank with similar sized and tempered fish the need for schooling diminishes.
 
Rivercats said:
I like glass catfish and the few times I kept them they would stay together pretty tightly. They don't swim back and forth but tend to hang in a group, usually towards the lower levels and like to hang out at the edge of plantings. They don't hide unless you don't have enough, they just like to hang out and chill, but usually always in view.

I did have glass and now got African glass cats also a really nice choice!
 
Rivercats said:
I honestly think alot of schooling behavior depends on tank size, planted or not, and tankmates. In my 220g I have 10 adult angels, the tank is very heavily planted (there is about 5% visable substrate), and my two schools of tetras, rummy nose and diamonds both school. The rummy school is about 25 and the diamonds 13. I think having a larger school of these and having them in a tank with angels plus all the heavy planting combines to encourage schooling behavior. I believe in a tank with similar sized and tempered fish the need for schooling diminishes.

I agree. If the tank has a larger fish that may pose a threat, than the instinct to school for safety will show up.
 
Rivercats said:
I honestly think alot of schooling behavior depends on tank size, planted or not, and tankmates. In my 220g I have 10 adult angels, the tank is very heavily planted (there is about 5% visable substrate), and my two schools of tetras, rummy nose and diamonds both school. The rummy school is about 25 and the diamonds 13. I think having a larger school of these and having them in a tank with angels plus all the heavy planting combines to encourage schooling behavior. I believe in a tank with similar sized and tempered fish the need for schooling diminishes.

I agree totally I had glow light tetra I had 15 and they never schooled! They annoyed me because I got them purposely to school I had them for about seven months then I chucked in my hujeta garrs they ate one then the other 14 schooled for a month or se tight as anything until they all just contributed to my garrs stomach :)
 
Yep .. it's mostly because the "schooling" fish we commonly refer to in this hobby are actually shoaling fish. They'll hang around in a loose group, or even a couple of groups when they feel safe. It's when they feel a threat or are put in a new environment (one tank to another) does the "schooling instinct" kick in. And even then they're not as tight as true schooling fish in which they all travel in the same direction, turning at exactly the same time.

Among the better "schooling" fish in this hobby I find are Rummynose tetras.
 
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