# [Wet Thumb Forum]-School, or else!



## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

What fish would you add to encourage schooling behavior? I have a few ideas but want to hear from the peanut gallery.

So I have about 20 black neons in my 55G tank and I would like to see them school. They hang out together but don't school too much. I think it's because they're getting soft. They need a little encouragement.

I'm not interested in Angels, Large Gourami's (even if Moonlight G. are one of my favorite fish) or any fish that would actually eat the tetras. I just want to force them to school. I'm considering Dwarf Gourami's, as I have some snails too. I also have shrimp that I would like to keep around. 

The only tank inhabitants thus far are 
20 Black Neons
12 Serpae Tetras
2 cory cats.
x Cherry shrimp

Sorry admins, I didn't realize I posted in the wrong forum until too late.


----------



## JERP (Feb 4, 2003)

What fish would you add to encourage schooling behavior? I have a few ideas but want to hear from the peanut gallery.

So I have about 20 black neons in my 55G tank and I would like to see them school. They hang out together but don't school too much. I think it's because they're getting soft. They need a little encouragement.

I'm not interested in Angels, Large Gourami's (even if Moonlight G. are one of my favorite fish) or any fish that would actually eat the tetras. I just want to force them to school. I'm considering Dwarf Gourami's, as I have some snails too. I also have shrimp that I would like to keep around. 

The only tank inhabitants thus far are 
20 Black Neons
12 Serpae Tetras
2 cory cats.
x Cherry shrimp

Sorry admins, I didn't realize I posted in the wrong forum until too late.


----------



## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

Well, I think schooling behavior is highly dependent on the fish type. Rummynose Tetras and Harlequin Rasboras tend to school without any outside prodding, whereas schoaling fish, like Neons and Cardinal Tetras will need some form of stimulus to get them into a defensive mind set. Otherwise they scatter.

In my 40g tank I have 8 Rummynoses that are constantly together. In the same tank I have 14 Cardinals that hide among the plants. The closest they come to schooling is maybe having 5 or 6 out in the open at the same time.

In my 125g I have 45 Trigonostigma (Rasbora) hengli that flow throught the tank like a school of herring with no predators affecting their behavior (the biggest fishes in the tank are 4 3" Bosemani Rainbows).


----------



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I agree that it depends on the fish, some species of Tetras will school and some will shoal, so I don't think adding fish will force them to school. I have some Neons in my 55G tank that school and some Von Rio tetras that don't. In this tank I also have a variety of Rainbows & Dwarf Gourami


----------



## Plant idot... (Jul 6, 2003)

My cardinals school with no "encouragment" but my neons dont. Also my M.Praecox school beautifully all the time. I have ten of them in my 90 (cards in a 75)and they are always togetehr and look awesome.


----------

