Brycon shoal; how succesful are they?

[mynheers_a_pint]

Hi all,

I've jsut picked up my first Brycon Melanopterus (sp.) who is a rather small fella- the smallest fish in my 180 is the Brycon at just 4" with the Gld Wolf and L200 just ahead at 6".

The reason for my question is that since the demise of my Rhaph. (the Tat.took a severe disliking to the little fellow on his first night in the 180. By morning the 8" Rhaph was dead with 2 puncture wounds in it's side from the Tat.) and the upgrade to my 180, i am interested to find out just how well Brycon shoal? Are they similar to Dorado and fight constantly, or are they fairly gregarious? My new Brycon certainly seems to prefer his own company and is not sociallising with the other mid-water charcins.

These chaps are quite hard to come by here in the UK so building a shoal will be a callnge but if it will work, then i'd love to give it a go!

 

[krichardson]

I'm not sure how they would do in a shoal but with a big enough tank you should be able to house a few.There is a store here that has a few brycons and the biggest of them is almost if not a foot in length,so they may grow even bigger.I had one before but had to get rid of it due it going after every other fish in the tank,and they were bigger fish.

 

[mynheers_a_pint]

thanks for the response (kinda forgot about this post)

The Brycon has a very interesting personallity. It is exceptionally aware; the Tat is consistently going after the little fella but failing every time. He also seems to hustle the Chalceus by 'nuzzling' thier flanks. There doesn't seem to be any hostile intent but it does seem very strange.

I am still interested to know how well the shoal and whether or not their personality changes when they are in groups?

Cheers.

 

[mad ness]

with dorados, the aggressivity lowers the higher the shoal number is or rather they prefer infighting, and the higher number keeps any one fish from injury, so it's more like aggression stays same, keeping with in and spread thin over the group.

brycons aren't as aggressive as dorados. I've never kept one but see them in tanks together all the time, mixed with other fish like Pbass. never seen any aggression but then again i've never actually kept one. My guess is it should be fine.

 

[channarox]

brycon can be very aggressive when they want...even more so than dorado.
but it seems they shoal better than dorado and do not fight among themselves as regularly.

 

[krichardson]

I purchased two brycon the other day and I intend to get one or two more of them.I have'nt been able to find any info on them as far which species they actually are but they are very colorful,bronze body,red fins and so far they get along well with my Dorado which is bigger than they are.