URGENT: Should I return this aggressive fish?? Help Please!
So, I bought 3 Zebra Danios nearly a week ago to cycle in a 20 gallon tank. This is my first experience keeping fish.
I have done a lot of research, obsessively checked water levels (still 0 ammonia..) and done a single 10% water change (no need to do more w/o change in ammonia). I am confident I am doing the cycle the right way.
One of the three Zebra Danios is much larger than the other two. It constantly chases and nips at them. It seems to have gotten progressively worse the last day or two. Tonight, it wouldn't allow the others to eat, and would nip at them every time they came to the middle or top of the tank (the natural tank space they occupy). The other two Danios have been lurking around the bottom of the tank while the big one swims around the rest of it. This doesn't seem like normal Danio schooling behavior from what I have read.
I know Danios can be aggressive when sorting out social order in a new tank, and when they don't have a full school (also if water levels are off, but they aren't), so I was giving this some time, but the degree to which the aggression is occurring tonight is making me wonder if I should just return this fish, and get 3 new ones at my LFS. I was planning to add 2-3 more anyways, so returning the other would mean I could just buy an extra new one.
Do you guys think I should do this? Is this concerning behavior?
I am hoping to do this tomorrow or Saturday so I appreciate the feedback!
So, I bought 3 Zebra Danios nearly a week ago to cycle in a 20 gallon tank. This is my first experience keeping fish.
I have done a lot of research, obsessively checked water levels (still 0 ammonia..) and done a single 10% water change (no need to do more w/o change in ammonia). I am confident I am doing the cycle the right way.
One of the three Zebra Danios is much larger than the other two. It constantly chases and nips at them. It seems to have gotten progressively worse the last day or two. Tonight, it wouldn't allow the others to eat, and would nip at them every time they came to the middle or top of the tank (the natural tank space they occupy). The other two Danios have been lurking around the bottom of the tank while the big one swims around the rest of it. This doesn't seem like normal Danio schooling behavior from what I have read.
I know Danios can be aggressive when sorting out social order in a new tank, and when they don't have a full school (also if water levels are off, but they aren't), so I was giving this some time, but the degree to which the aggression is occurring tonight is making me wonder if I should just return this fish, and get 3 new ones at my LFS. I was planning to add 2-3 more anyways, so returning the other would mean I could just buy an extra new one.
Do you guys think I should do this? Is this concerning behavior?
I am hoping to do this tomorrow or Saturday so I appreciate the feedback!
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