Mock schooling

[lyquidphyre]

You know how cats will nurse rabbits and dogs will raise ducks and things like that- my question is this-

Someone in my tank ate all my neon tetras except one. I feel so sorry for him, so I put him in my guppy tank- there are a lot of baby guppies his size.. is it possible he will join up with one of them, or something along those lines. Im not sure how to explain what im thinking. I know neons do best in schools will he feel less... alienated? with other fish his size?

 

[grimlock3000]

The Tetra might swim with them. I have a small Barb that tries swimming with the smaller Guppies in my tank all the time.

 

[TankGirl]

He might try to join in, but he will not feel comfortable and it is best for him to be with other neons. I have a lone cardinal tetra and I do plan to get mates for him when my LFS has some, but in the meantime I do feel that in spite of his valiant efforts to school with the white clouds, he is not accepted and will ultimately pine away without other cardinals.

 

[Andydg]

At one point I had just one neon tetra and after about a week he began to swim with the sunburst platies and the lone mickey mouse platy. Now we have more neon tetras, so he doesn't know who to hang out with.

 

[PlatyLady]

Aww... all these sad lonely fish remind me of my rosy barb. He generally swims laps around the tank by himself, and circles the guppies and platies. I continue to contemplate getting him some same-species friends, but I keep getting conflicting advice from LFS people. I've heard everything from rosy barbs must must must be kept in groups of at least three and will be fine in the community - to - if I introduce a second one, they'll team up and harrass everyone else in the tank...

 

[TankGirl]

The only thing I know about rosy barbs is that they prefer cooler water, 64-72F. I don't think they are aggressive or nippy, though, and I would go ahead and the some mates!

 

[fearlessfisch]

I always thought that barbs liked to school--I would probably try to get him some friends. Do you have a local pet store or a friend who would take them if there was a problem? I hate the thought of lonesome fish.

 

[tabitha]

he might join up with the others... ya never know... but more than likely he wont truely fit in and you will probably need more of them