Tetras feel too safe

[spitz006]

I have a bunch of different species of tetras in a 90 gallon tank - and I want something to chase them around a little bit so they actually school with their own species instead of just mingling around. But I don't want anything to actually hurt them or eat them. Got any ideas? They are small tetras like neons, yellow phantoms, emporors, rummynose etc. I have a couple bolivian rams, but they aren't chasing anybody around. And I have corys and a pleco and ottos and they aren't doing anything to help either.

 

[esoxlucius]

Well this thread's a refreshing change from the usual "my fish are kicking the sh*t out of each other" threads, lol.

Most hobbyists would kill for a peaceful drama free set up where all their fish get on. Why try and upset that chilled apple cart?

Be careful what you wish for. If I was you I'd just enjoy that tank as it is!

 

[Jexnell]

What water peramaters are you running?

If softer lower PH water I would use a pair of Andinoacara Pulcher.

If harder higher PH water then I would go with a breeding pair of Honduran Red Points or Nanolutae.

All three of these stay on the smaller side of cichlids. Pulcher being the largest of the three so would be the most capable of eating smaller sized tetras such as Neons, Rummynose. But overall all three tend to be on the friendly side of cichlids. With Nanolutae being the least aggressive.

The reason I say a breeding pair is as let's say single male in a 90gal won't have much reason to be aggressive in anyway. Now a breeding pair has a reason to be a tad bit aggressive. But all three of these are not insanely over aggressive even in protecting fry. Will chase away interlopers and keep about a square foot around the nest clear.

 

[jjohnwm]

So...you have a tank full of small peaceful fish that are doing well and living comfortably together...and you are looking for advice on how to keep them constantly stressed-out and terrified so that they will display tight schooling behaviour...but you want to do it without causing physical harm to them? So the goal is merely low-grade emotional torture without actual physical abuse...does that about sum it up?

Rather than buying more fish to do the job...why not situate a big woofer-type stereo speaker with its face tight up against the side of the aquarium and then crank up the volume? Or maybe hang a rubber mallet next to the tank and just give the aquarium stand a few healthy whacks at random intervals? The best solution to most problems is the simplest one.

I can't wait to see how this thread goes.

 

[spitz006]

So...you have a tank full of small peaceful fish that are doing well and living comfortably together...and you are looking for advice on how to keep them constantly stressed-out and terrified so that they will display tight schooling behaviour...but you want to do it without causing physical harm to them? So the goal is merely low-grade emotional torture without actual physical abuse...does that about sum it up?

Rather than buying more fish to do the job...why not situate a big woofer-type stereo speaker with its face tight up against the side of the aquarium and then crank up the volume? Or maybe hang a rubber mallet next to the tank and just give the aquarium stand a few healthy whacks at random intervals? The best solution to most problems is the simplest one.

I can't wait to see how this thread goes.

What a smarmy ******* reply. My brother has a 29 and achieves the effect I’m talking about with blue rams. If you think it’s emotionally stressful for tetras to have to live with a ram, you’re too sensitive for the hobby.

 

[jjohnwm]

...you’re too sensitive for the hobby.

Yeah, I get that a lot.

 

[Friller2009]

Not all tetras school. Most of the small ones we keep in aquaria shoal. Emperor tetras have territories and the males will defend their spots in the tank much like cichlids. Neons shoal, same goes for phantoms. Only fish that will 'school' in your tank is the rummynoses.

Furthermore, if a predator or something is around, wouldn't it make more sense to swim together than in separate species? My rainbows are different species than the Retropinna semoni in my turtle tank, but they both school together when the big macleays swim by.

John's comment is actually a good one. If the fish are always stressed, then they won't colour up, display and may die to stress (Whitespot, ick etc). You do want alive fish right?

What fish is in your brother's tank? I can't see a ram scaring anything other than little rasboras.


I think being unable to take a smidge of critisicm suggesting the welfare of the fish suggests that you may be too sensitive for the hobby as well?

 

[Trouser Bark]

What a smarmy ******* reply. My brother has a 29 and blah blah blah blah..

Dude. Listen to the kind of responses you're getting. You hear multiple people tell you what you don't want to hear so you swing your purse at them. That's probably a good point to stop and ponder the issue for a moment.

Your brother's 29 may appear to school up when you stick your head in front of the tank but I can guarantee you the rams aren't intimidating anyone. Stick a lone tiger barb in there if you want one jerk to be constantly badgering tank mates without eating them but watch your rams. They're not going to dig the barb either.

 

[Ansorgii]

In my experience Tetras don't school because the are afraid of sth, they school due to their nature which needs enough space and individuals to show. And they are not picky of whom they school with, just watch some clips of them in nature, it's often 3+ species swimming together.

I kept mine with Myleus for a bit, the Myleus had no interest in them whatsoever, but their fast and rapid nature scared the small tetras a lot. The result ? They spent all day and night hiding in the plants or swimming at the edges.

You can achieve that some tetras like rummy nose swim in tight groups even with just a few individuals by giving them a strong current, but the effect is only really there in a larger Tank.

If you want true schooling, get a large Tank and buy several hundred of a fitting species, like rummy nose.

 

[duanes]

When you say "a bunch of different species", do you mean, singles or couples of each species?
I find when there are lots of separate species, the shoaling activity is minimal, to almost none, but if I have half dozen (or more) of a single species together (or similar types), they will easily shoal together.

And they don't seem to need outside stimuli to prompt that shoaling behavior, although they do tend to circle more tightly where water is most turbulent.
In the 180, the species in the photo above, tend to shoal more tightly on the west end of the tank, near where influent cascades in the tank, while the other species (Roeboides) shoal more loosely on the east end.

The different species almost seem territorial about where they shoal.
Roeboides below

In most cases where I catch them, here in Panama, flow and current are quite strong, with a much stronger flow rate than most aquarists would even consider reasonable for a tank.
Below the average flow rate in my tank with the above Tetras, and cichlids
https://youtu.be/x2j-3_IE_2c
Below a more moderate flowing (but still strong current) river where I caught, plenty of tetras
https://youtu.be/cVsyNl_LqLI
You can see strength of flowabove, by how the current pulled my heavily weighted net, with ease.