Neon Tetras and schooling.

[Camescu]

I have 8 neon tetras in my 200L community tank. Now when they were one often only species in there, they schooled quite nicely. Now there are other species they really don't seem bothered about schooling, knocking around in twos or solo.

Any ideas on if this is common or not? I was always under the impression that tetras love to school, especially neons.

For the record, their tank mates are:

Pearl gourami
Lemon tetras
Rainbow praecox
A couple of platies

 

[ArtistGardener]

Mine only tightly school occasionally, too, but when they do it is gorgeous. I think that is pretty normal behavior for them--they are comfortable in their surroundings. My guess is that you would need a huge tank (and maybe a large fish they don't trust!) in order to get them to school tightly and regularly. Rasbora heteromorpha tend to stay in pretty tight schools.

 

[tnfinfan]

It's a good sign that they aren't tightly grouped. Mine come together during feeding time but spend most of the day meandering rather than schooling. If there is some stress (like the evil siphon shows up) they are schooled tightly in an instant.

 

[mrvincent]

They'll school when stressed. The firsts weeks you own tetra neons they school while learning their new environnement, and when they calm down they disperse everywhere. If you stress them, they'll school again.

Rummynose tetras are fishs that school all the time together.

Some folks add ramirezis or a semi-agressive fishs to keep them in school, but it can become tricky to keep the peace and love in the tank...

 

[Fidgetromeo]

Yes they school when stressed but neon a have been tank bred for so long the schooling instinct is fading I think, mine have never schooled

 

[mrvincent]

Note that the professional tanks like this one are fishless tanks until the picture shot time come. They full it of fishs, take the shots, then remove the fishs, so they stay in school during the shot session as they're stressed...

Thoses tanks are topless and are not designed for fishkeeping. Fish can jump out of the tank...

 

[Camescu]

Hmm. Makes you wonder if the stocking rules on traditional school fish will change as instincts are bred out of them?.....

 

[J.Mcpeak]

It's a good sign that they aren't tightly grouped. Mine come together during feeding time but spend most of the day meandering rather than schooling. If there is some stress (like the evil siphon shows up) they are schooled tightly in an instant.

Spot on especially with "the evil syphon" that and the flakes that fall from the heavens, that also gets them together pretty sharpish!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Hmm. Makes you wonder if the stocking rules on traditional school fish will change as instincts are bred out of them?.....

I'm a few generational lines into a Cory group, they still school. DNA doesn't change so quickly. I think forms can be mutated a bit (if you choose) but what they know they tend to stick to by my experience so far. It is genetically imprinted.

It fascinates me, even when the eggs are separate from the parent fish so there is no teaching or passing on of knowledge, they still just do what they've always done.

 

[mrvincent]

Clownfish "learn" a bit IMO. When they see the food container near the aquarium, they start to swim everywhere... They know the food is coming... They didn't do that for the first 3 month I got them.

 

[japbart]

From all the tetras I've kept I would say that rummynose form the tightest schools comfortable or not. I would say neon tetras are more of a shoaling species which means that they don't have to be in a tight group together but need to be within arms(fins?) reach so they can school when threatened or stressed.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Clownfish "learn" a bit IMO. When they see the food container near the aquarium, they start to swim everywhere... They know the food is coming... They didn't do that for the first 3 month I got them.

If you mean clown loach, they are fantastic! You can hand feed them, the only thing I'd say is they get big! Once settled in though they are worth all of the effort and cost that goes into keeping them.

Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) — Loaches Online

 

[mrvincent]

From all the tetras I've kept I would say that rummynose form the tightest schools comfortable or not. I would say neon tetras are more of a shoaling species which means that they don't have to be in a tight group together but need to be within arms(fins?) reach so they can school when threatened or stressed.

I've put my rummynose in my show tank there's 3 weeks. They were tight schooling initially, but with the time they disperse a bit and tend to school when stressed.

I think neons are schoaling because they don't swim a lot, so sometime they lose teammate on other side of an object then they form two group. Rummynose swim a lot, so if they form two group due to fog of war, they'll regroup fast, because they swim a lot vs neons...

 

[mrvincent]

If you mean clown loach, they are fantastic! You can hand feed them, the only thing I'd say is they get big! Once settled in though they are worth all of the effort and cost that goes into keeping them.

Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) — Loaches Online

Ah no, I mean Ocellaris clownfish... I know we in FW forum, but I have both... I''ll start to train them for hand feeding.

 

[Brookster123]

I've had 4 rummynose in my 29 for months and they usually follow after each other, every now and than one will break off but soon return to the school, I'll be adding 4 more I have in qt at the moment, it will interesting to see how it changes their behavior.. Technically a group of 4 should render them on guard at all times but they seem very comfortable in their environment..

 

[mrvincent]

Ah ok, I have 11 of them... 4 will stay tight grouped all the time because they're a bit stressed because they must be kept in group 6+


The more you'll get rummynose, the more the result will be awesome !