Zebra Danios are chickens?

[KreativJustin]

Hello, so I've fired up a new planted tank. I have put 3 Zebra Danios in there on this past Saturday with an Otocinclus, and got a new blue dwarf gourami this last night. Prior to the new dwarf, the Danios schooled around the entire tank, everywhere. Now that I have put the dwarf in, the Danios school together at the top of the tank, favoring the current coming from the HOB Filter.

I do not believe this to be an oxygen issue as it literally started happening moments after the new gourami. The gourami has not touched or threated the Danios that I have seen.

So are the Danios just chickens? Has anyone else experienced this? Should they eventually return to the mid section or lower of the tank?

 

[Aiken Drum]

I think what you are seeing is normal.

Zebra danios will tend to settle at the top of the tank, especially when other fish are in the tank and establishing their own territories.

They are also social fish and prefer to be more of their own species than 3 individuals. In low numbers they might not feel safe when other fish are introduced and this could manifest as them moving to into areas of the tank where they feel safe.

Your danios might still move around the tank if there is food to be found, but they generally tend to hang around the top 3rd of the water.

 

[KreativJustin]

I think what you are seeing is normal.

Zebra danios will tend to settle at the top of the tank, especially when other fish are in the tank and establishing their own territories.

They are also social fish and prefer to be more of their own species than 3 individuals. In low numbers they might not feel safe when other fish are introduced and this could manifest as them moving to into areas of the tank where they feel safe.

Your danios might still move around the tank if there is food to be found, but they generally tend to hang around the top 3rd of the water.

I was actually planning on grabbing 2 yesterday when I went to the LFS, but only saw one and he was pretty big already, so I passed on him and grabbed the dwarf. Next time I'm down there or at another fish store I am planning on getting 2 more.

 

[ColdKoi]

Yea I’d definitely get some more. Even with the 10 I started with, they acted a bit strange. I added 10 more and they really came to life!

Mine still only hang out at the top third maybe 50% of the time. At any point in time I can look over at the tank and see at least a few buzzing around near the bottom. Luckily neither the red tail shark or the tiger barbs bother them so they hang out wherever they want in the tank

 

[KreativJustin]

I picked 2 up on the way home from another pet store.. when I got home the 3 were already hanging out a little lower, around the top third of the tank. With the new guys, by the end of the night, they ALL were around the tank again.