Schooling fish

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

i've tried many times to get schooling fish and i realized that they will school at first and at the pet stores because they have fear. When the fear subsides, they will stop schooling. Schooling for fish is an instinctive behavior to survive when there is a threat or fear for their safety. After being in your tank for weeks and months, they no longer perceive any threat and they will stop schooling. Put a predator fish in with your schooling fish and then its a different story.........

Fish school in my tank! LOL

But they have to avoid being eaten by my 10" grouper (He has eaten a few in the past month)

I think your right on about why most fish don't school in aquariums. I had some chromis before the grouper and they used to fight constantly. After adding the grouper, the chromis have stopped fighting and school along with the damsels and coral beauty. They really stick together now in a very strange looking group! No more aggression once the predator was added.