Community Schooling Fish

Hi.

I am looking for brightly coloured schooling fish for community or semi-aggressive tank. Except for neons or cardinals.

Any ideas?

 

My Red colombia tetras school nicely together they can defend themselves pretty well.

 

Hi
I have some Rummy-nose Tetras. They share the tank with some angels.

 

I am reading semi aggressive, meaning they would most likely eat the fish if they can catch them?

 

I've also been reading up on schooling fish. Really would like to get a hand full of small tetras. But seems like tetras like neons don't school unless they feel threatened. this true?

 

silver tip Tetra or even penguin Tetra those are cool

 

they get quite big, don't they?

 

I like the rummy noses. I prefer cardinals to neons though they don't school alot of the time.

 

emperor tetras ? the long fin variety is quite attractive ,

 

silver tips get about 3-4cm not very big
But the penguins get about 8cm

 

My tanks been attacked with white spot at the moment. Am treating it.. But my tetras have never schooled so much before damn.. Hopefully this might keep them once they get through this.

 

It does seem as though fish school better in bigger groups and when feeling threatened. I should think being in a bigger group gives a sense of security

 

I think space also has to do with schooling behavior . I had a small tank with about 16 neon tetras in quarantine for a couple of weeks and they didn't seem to school. I then transferd them to a 30gal cube and their schooling behavior is amazing to watch.

 

If you get a bigger fish in your tank that your schooling fish might perceive as a predator they would also start schooling.

 

I read Keyholes are perfect this. I'm planning on getting shrimp at a stage so keyholes won't do well as they will eat them.. I'll just have to run up the glass every now and again and go BOO! to the tetras to get them into form. lol

 

Keyholes are not predators and defo are not let tetras shoals (other way around hahaha). They are super friendly !!!!
Why cause stress in a tank so fish will shoal??? Rummynoes are the only real shoalingfish !

 

@DoubleDutch: The tetras dont know that. And shoaling is not a stress behaviour it is a survival tactic. So introducing bigger fish they start to shoal like my neons did when I got my rams.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

 

My tetras and other fish aren't in no way afraid of my Keyholes.
They're not stupid !!! To me using survival tactic in a tank means unnecessary stress to me. If you've another opinion on that fine with me, but I disagree on that.

 

@DoubleDutch: Might be stressful to you But the fish have been doing it for millions of years and they haven't gone extinct because of stress just yet. Pretty good article regarding the shoaling instinct of fish: Why fish shoal