Neon tetra hierarchy?

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AlexTheGreat

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 26, 2017
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Location
Northern Virginia
I have been keeping my neon tetras in a 20g high with some of my other fish and they dont seem to bother the others but when it comes to themselves they chase each other around and try to nip at there tails. I have like two neon tetras whose fins seem to be rip apart and i can only assume it was another neon. Do they have some hierarchy or is this abnormal for them?
 
I found lots of reports of them nipping each other and bettas. Some have even mentioned that they will nip the tailfins completely off, successfully killing other neons.

From another forum:
Neon tetra trouble ! please help.
Wow they are distant relatives to piranhas! But so far change the tempature to 73° and try melafix those were the two solutions that i hope will work.
 
Just about any species of anything I've kept, fish, dogs, even horses have a pecking order. Strongest to weakest. Besides fin splitting, the weakest of the school (Tetras, Barbs) or groupings, (Cichlids) sometimes becomes stunted.
 
Just about any species of anything I've kept, fish, dogs, even horses have a pecking order. Strongest to weakest. Besides fin splitting, the weakest of the school (Tetras, Barbs) or groupings, (Cichlids) sometimes becomes stunted.
I just hope that they wont end up killing themselves especially since some of them already have there fins ripped
 
Dont worry too much about those vicious Neons. In a few years you will probably own something like these two. That's when you will need your fish anger management skills. Lol.
 

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Thanks. The blue green one is a Rivualatus, False Green Terror and the red one is a Festae, Red Terror. They aren't quite as bad as their name sounds.
 
How many neons do you have? Ignoring tank size, the larger the school the better. IMO, as large as possible before you get lost trying to count them.

Serpae tetras took a dozen before the school settled down here. Neons I never had too many issues with though.
 
How many neons do you have? Ignoring tank size, the larger the school the better. IMO, as large as possible before you get lost trying to count them.

Serpae tetras took a dozen before the school settled down here. Neons I never had too many issues with though.
I have 7 neons right now. I had more before but due to ich I lost 4 and I have a 20g tank with other fish as well. I’m worried that I may be overstocking if I get more neons
 
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Update on the neon school its now down to 6. I don’t know where he is. I’m checking all possible locations and he wasn’t there so now I can only assume that someone may have killed it, either another neon or the african banded barb did it.
 
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Never kept banded Barbs but looked like a decent school was needed as well. Tiger Barbs I found needed a school over 10.

Can you re-home either the neons or barbs and then increase the remaining school size?

Also I’m not sure what you have in tank but perhaps more driftwood / ornaments to break up lines of sight.
 
Never kept banded Barbs but looked like a decent school was needed as well. Tiger Barbs I found needed a school over 10.

Can you re-home either the neons or barbs and then increase the remaining school size?

Also I’m not sure what you have in tank but perhaps more driftwood / ornaments to break up lines of sight.
I can try to rehome the neons but I only have my qt tank and unfortunately for the banded barb i havent been able to find any more to increase the school size.
 
Never kept banded Barbs but looked like a decent school was needed as well. Tiger Barbs I found needed a school over 10.

Can you re-home either the neons or barbs and then increase the remaining school size?

Also I’m not sure what you have in tank but perhaps more driftwood / ornaments to break up lines of sight.
1510410244819.jpg this is what i have in my tank right now for hiding spots
 
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