expert/experienced advice about schooling fish. Read this:

[gregcuoz]

Ok, Im putting together my stock list for my 120g tank. I thought I was narrowing it down until I read something on a website (45 yrs of selling fish). I wont link it (yet) because I dont know if the powers that be frown upon that here. I copied and pasted it. Quick read: Id like to know if you agree or not. Thanks

"We've Changed our Mind. ;^} After many years of thinking that the advice on this page was true and seemed to make sense, we began to change our mind. Here's what happened.

We set up a nice 29-gallon aquarium with an Eclipse Filter, a thin layer of gravel, some pretty plastic plants, and lots of pieces of lava rock. Just like we recommend on many pages in this web site.

We wanted to keep lots of different species to photographe and wanted fish with no nicks in their fins so the photographs would really look nice.

When we kept 6 to 10 fish of a schooling species, they tended to quarrel and nip on each other. We knew in our bigger aquariums that often contained hundreds of a schooling species, there wasn't much nipping. But in this 29-gallon aquarium, there was, and there wasn't enough space in a 29-gallon aquarium to keep hundreds of a species let along several species!

We decided to to try something new, keeping just one fish of each species, even of the schooling species that we'd always kept in groups of at least 6 and usually more than 10.

We were surprised to see that these schooling fish did very well with no other members of their species in the aquarium. They didn't seem to be overly nervous or to be searching for more members of their species. Generally they didn't show nicks from nips by other fish. Most nips are inflicted by a fish of the same species during battles for higher status.

Now we have a 29-gallon aquarium with many species instead of just a few, and we enjoy watching the greater variety of fish more!

We learned this after keeping fish in aquariums for more than 45-years! ;^ }

It's never to late to learn and to forthrightly admit that we've learned something new. Our aquariums keep providing us with opportunities to try new things, to see new things, and to learn new things about our wonderful fish.

[Jill]

That is INTERESTING to say the least. I've never tried keeping just one of a schooling fish. I'd love to hear experiences with it if anyone here has done it.

[Mlani]

I haven't got just one fish from schoolers but I have noticed a difference in keeping smaller numbers with more types. I have 5 each of cardinals, glow lights and rasboras. They school together and there seems to be a more cohesive balance, where as when I had 14 cardinals, 10 rasboras they schooled separately and there was always someone nit picking on someone.

[Darkseid76]

That is interesting. I had a small school of neon tetras that have whittled down to only 3 members. I have been meaning to replace the lost members but havent gotten around to it.

What I have noticed is that although they have plenty room in my 55 they do tend to quarrel amongst themselves quite a bit. For example any two would square off and chase and nip in a very tight circle. No serious damage or noticeable stress but I never knew neons to display this type of behaviour.

[gregcuoz]

Agreed that it is an interesting theory. It makes a difference too when considering my stock. I might cut the suggested number for schols. Instead of say 6-8 Bala Shark, I can go 3 and grab an additional type of scholing fish. More variety works for me.