How to keep fish schooling

[rasbora]

What is your total stocking list again? And what size tank and filtration please?

75 gal tank, eheim 2075 filter with seachem matrix and purigen.

fish list:
20 rasboras
7 dwarf gouramis
10 panda corri
8 rummynose
3 guppy
1 sae

 

[rasbora]

IDK, but in most of those Amano aquascapes from what I've seen, they have huge schools of around 10-30, depending on how big the tank is. In that big of a school all they would do is school together since there's so many of them. I have always seen cardinals as tightly schooling fish, they were timid IMO.

I heard that even large number of cardinals will not school after tgey feel safe in the tank and they will stay spreaded all over the tank

 

[bruinsbro1997]

75 gal tank, eheim 2075 filter with seachem matrix and purigen.

fish list:
20 rasboras
7 dwarf gouramis
10 panda corri
8 rummynose
3 guppy
1 sae

I think there should still be room in there for at least one gourami or cichlid.

 

[rasbora]

Went to lfs yesterday, looking for bigger fish but only found angle fish, arwana and oscar. I am considering to buy one or two anglefish, but I will make a research before. Finally, I bought 10 rummy nose. I took long time (3 hours) for acclimation, but I already lost 3 of them. one fish even death while acclimating. sad.

 

[Scouser]

Went to lfs yesterday, looking for bigger fish but only found angle fish, arwana and oscar. I am considering to buy one or two anglefish, but I will make a research before. Finally, I bought 10 rummy nose. I took long time (3 hours) for acclimation, but I already lost 3 of them. one fish even death while acclimating. sad.

How are you acclimating them?

Also I'd ask the store for info on their water ie; Ph, Temp and hardness.

With 3 hours of acclimation in a bag there may have been an ammo build up (not sure how likely) the fish may have been weak already and the stress (even though it's minor) of acclimation saw them off.

RiP fishies

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Dont worry, rummy nose tetras are a very sensitive fish and it is common to loose about 3 out of every 10.

 

[rreekers]

IMO, I do not feel like you should get any more fish, I feel like that's a pretty heavy/full stock,. I would hope that you would not introduce 2 angels into that tank! they get big and need space, with all those tetras around 1 of 2 things will happen in my opinion, the little fish will nip at the fins of the angels or the angels will get territorial and kill/eat/pick on your tetras. also IMO, if you add a chiclid into that mix he will eat/kill your smaller fish .. you already have a lot going on in that tank in my opinion you have a high quantity of fish, I realize they don't all get that big but I would discourage you from adding more fish

 

[rasbora]

IMO, I do not feel like you should get any more fish, I feel like that's a pretty heavy/full stock,. I would hope that you would not introduce 2 angels into that tank! they get big and need space, with all those tetras around 1 of 2 things will happen in my opinion, the little fish will nip at the fins of the angels or the angels will get territorial and kill/eat/pick on your tetras. also IMO, if you add a chiclid into that mix he will eat/kill your smaller fish .. you already have a lot going on in that tank in my opinion you have a high quantity of fish, I realize they don't all get that big but I would discourage you from adding more fish

Thank you for your advice. If I add new fish in that tank, I'll try to move some fish to other tank and try to avoid eating/picking incident.

 

[rasbora]

Dont worry, rummy nose tetras are a very sensitive fish and it is common to loose about 3 out of every 10.

Really ? They are really very sensitive fish. By the way, yesterday I lost the 4th. Praying that is the last.

 

[rasbora]

How are you acclimating them?

Also I'd ask the store for info on their water ie; Ph, Temp and hardness.

With 3 hours of acclimation in a bag there may have been an ammo build up (not sure how likely) the fish may have been weak already and the stress (even though it's minor) of acclimation saw them off.

RiP fishies

Standard method (not drip). I adujst the temp first then adding some water until my tank water inside the bag is twice of the original water, in 3 hours span.

 

[Scouser]

Standard method (not drip). I adujst the temp first then adding some water until my tank water inside the bag is twice of the original water, in 3 hours span.

Wait... I'm confused here...

What's the standard method?

What you just explained is kinda drip acclimating isn't it?!

 

[rasbora]

Really ? They are really very sensitive fish. By the way, yesterday I lost the 4th. Praying that is the last.

Just check my tank. I lost the 5th. Is is possible that the fish have just arrived to my lfs before they sell it ? or I need longer acclimation because the pH of my tank water is 6.8 (with CO2 injection) and the pH of my LFS water is around 7.5 ?

 

[Scouser]

I'm not too sure but it could be the CO2, without proper adaption the fish could effectively suffocate.

But don't put that as the reason just yet.

I'd go back to the LFS as ask for a refund if I was you!

 

[rasbora]

just lost another one. I already lost 6 out of 10.

 

[Scouser]

just lost another one. I already lost 6 out of 10.

Tank them out the tank then!

Obviously its something there that's causing the deaths.

 

[rasbora]

Tank them out the tank then!

Obviously its something there that's causing the deaths.

Thank you for your advice. I will try to separate them. For the remaining four fishes, two fishes are still not joining the school. I am afraid about these twos.

I went to lfs today and asking about this problem. According to them it was because I took a very long acclimation (3 hours) and they said I should made it no longer than 1 hour. Because there are a lot of fish in a small plastic bag very long acclimation within the causing a lot of collision between fish resulting injure to the fish. Seems to be logical, but what is the difference if it took 3 hours from lfs to my house ?
BTW, they only willing to replace one fish that dead during acclimation. I replied: no, thanks.

Any comment for my lfs words ?
Should I do acclimation using basket instead of plastic bag ?

BTW, I will try buying some rummy nose tetras next weekend for replacing the lost fishes, but this time I will buy it online (transport time less than 24 hours).

Any advice for the acclimation ?

 

[Scouser]

I wouldn't buy any more fish for a while, till you know what is wrong.

And I've read of people who acclimate for that long with no problems.

I'm really not sure of the cause but I hope the rest live, it has to be something in the tank but I don't for the life of me know what.

Sorry...

 

[F-8 pufferman]

I dont understand why your fish died. (then again im not at your house poking your fish tank) lol. But as for your lfs return policy i would have spoken to management on the matter. I doubt it was the extended acclimation period you used. Although it is true that fish can injure themselves on a bag but its not likely that 6 out of ten did this without you noticing them line up to attack the bag in formation. Also i have acclimated my fish to there tanks for as little as 5-10 minutes up to 4 hours (checking the air available in there bag every 30 minutes.) So i have to doubt your floating them hurt them, Also have you tried a large water change because if it is something trace in your water a large water change might just get whatever it is killing your fish diluted enough not to hurt them.

 

[rasbora]

Thanks everybody for your advices.

Have been searching about the cause of mass of death of my new fishes. Found one articles explaining some reasons for this symptom in tetras (neon, cardinal, rednose, etc). The reason was:
1. Acclimating
2. Tank is still cycling
3. Difference of pH value
4. Fast selling cycle in the shop (when the fish was not fully acclimated to shop's water, the fish was sold to the buyer)

For those reason, I tought a reasonable reason for my case is number 3 or 4. But number 3 should be OK with acclimating..... so number 4 ?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

I don't know if it's number four, depends on the quality of your LFS.
To be sure:
Did you add any chemicals, ex. SeaChem Prime, to the tank recently?