Different species schooling together?

[trennamw]

This is such a delightful surprise ... Does it happen often?

About 10 days ago I got 6 each Harlequin Rasboras and Glowlight Neons, and they started schooling together the minute I put them in the tank. After adding 6 Kyathit Danios this weekend, they still often do school all together.

When not schooling, they do often imitate each other. It's very funny. The danios for everyone to be more adventurous, challenging the current more and trying different routes around the tank. Now I've got one harlequin, very fat and gravid, swimming sorta like a Hummingbird in this one very current-y spot. For a few minutes all the danios were imitating her very silly swimming style.

I don't know if it's typical, I'd been told things school with their own species ... Could it be the combo of feeling really safe, and that the power head focuses the current a little? The 29 gallon is just 60% stocked according to aqua advisor, it's heavily decorated, and there's a 200gph filter and a 175 gph power head. And no big fish.

 

[Aqua_Goddess]

Wow!that's awesome! I've never heard of different species schooling together although when in comes to danios I'm not all that surprised.they have very silly characters and oddly like a dog.XDI've caught mine doing very strange things challage the current of the power filter or Let me hand feed them blood worms XD.

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[trennamw]

Yeah the harlequins and neons did to begin with. The harlequins have gotten more daring since the danios came in, and now it's often the harlequins and danios together while the neons are paired off.

 

[Pandicorn]

My Glo-Danio schools with my neons...

 

[schoeplein]

I've had danios school with guppies on the regular. It is funny seeing guppies take the "Current Challenge" - aka, swimming hard into the powerhead current like the danios often do.

 

[Mark_L]

Personally I think it's really cool when that happens, I wouldn't be too worried. I've had my Harlequin Rasboras and neons, and glow lights all school together.

 

[Rivercats]

It isn't uncommon at all for different species of fish to school together. Mine often do in my 55g nano fish tank and in my 220g angelfish tank.