[pandacory]

What's your favorite schooler?

After I introduced a German RAM, my harlequin rasboras have been dying of what looks like fin rot. Not sure if their immune system is weakened due to bullying or just old age.

Parameters are fine, did large wcs few days in a row and serviced filter. Other fish are fine, but now only the 3 that didn't show any signs are left.

I am debating on more rasboras, or trying something new. I find neon and glolight tetras to be boring, with some of the neons turning to fin nipping. They also did not school as tightly as the rasboras for me. Tried black phantom tetras but they seem to spend half of their time in fighting and the rest harrassing everyone else.

Suggestions for smallish schoolers?

 

[zachary908]

Rummynose are amazing schooling fish in my opinion. I have a video in my 75 gallon journal (Link in my sig, I believe it's on page 24 or so) And it shows them schooling.

Also Emerald eye rasboras school pretty well and they stay real small.

 

[astrosag]

Espei Rasboras are like Harlequins but stay smaller.

I heard Chili Rasboras are great schoolers but I have to disagree...the fish are so small that I don't even enjoy the way they swim - they swim in short bursts darting from direction to direction rather than the less disjointed and smoother swimming behavior of larger fish.

I recently added 3 bloodfin tetras to my 8 neons and they school better than the neons. My harlequins also school nicely but less now.


Here's the deal with schooling...its a defensive behavior. With that in mind, whats more important to your chances of getting nice schooling behavior has more to do with how the fish will react to your tank than the fish themselves. Almost any fish known to school that anyone will mention school equally as well given the right environment - or may not school given the right environment. This is why there are just as many accounts of any fish that may be mentioned of not schooling. Yes that include rummy nose and cardinals and neons and harlequins. I saturated these and other forums when looking for a nice schooling fish (what I wanted most in my tank).

When I first introduced my harlequins, I had what seemed like a deranged or confused guppy that kept following the fish - acting just like them. This prompted the harlequins to adopt a tight schooling pattern as they swam back and forth. The guppy was more than likely causing them to school. Once the guppy unexpectedly passed away, the harlequins were more relaxed and schooled much less frequently.

Similarly, the three bloodfins that I picked out of a tank that had close to 10, stick together quite well. But its only been a week and I fully expect them to act more like the rest of the neons. My two rams are not very aggressive and really no one in the tank fears them.

SO, pick whichever fish looks the best to you (I prefer harlequins others prefer cardinal tetras, etc) and go with it. The only other thing I will add is be aware of your tank size. Rummny nose and the larger tetras that get to be closer to 2" won't look as great in a relatively small tank (i.e. 2 ft long and under).

 

[jkan0228]

Harlequins ftw. Just saying.

 

[zoea]

Otocinclus are my favorite schoolers! They never stop moving and I've had a big group of 20 that looked like a black cloud moving around my tank!

 

[astrosag]

Yes ottos are awesome schoolers - in my opinion the best. However, they stick to the bottom of the tank.

 

[zoea]

Not mine, I had a 125 they were all over the place. Wouldn't hurt to have a school that cleans and is fun to watch!

 

[mgamer20o0]

ember tetras are by far my fav schooling fish

 

[astrosag]

Not mine, I had a 125 they were all over the place. Wouldn't hurt to have a school that cleans and is fun to watch!

And you'll hear this sort of stuff with any typically known as schooling fish. Environment matters quite a bit.

Zoea,your ottos are just exceptionally comfortable in your tank...a good sign :icon_smil

 

[jkan0228]

Put a nice size BN plecos or Ram and they'll school tight as hell. Haha

 

[150EH]

Hands down the Rummy is always in tight formation!

 

[Zac]

Rummy nose looking like a swarm of bees!

 

[jkan0228]

Rummynoses get a bit long IMO.

 

[zoea]

I know this sounds weird but I've noticed my angels school a lot. It's cute