Schooling fish

Chin_Lee · #1 09-30-2008, 10:27 PM

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.........

naesco · #2 09-30-2008, 10:36 PM

I wouldn't recommend anthias at all as they simply do not last long in our tanks.
The queen anthias has an especially poor survival rate.

Why don't you try a school of cirrhilabrus wrasse. Choose the species of your choice.
Remember that you can only have one male and the rest must be females. You will have to put a special order in for the females as the males are the ones that are commonly imported.
Wayne

sandyd · #3 10-01-2008, 01:32 PM

Have you thought of glass cardinals? Colby usually has them, I've had a few for quite awhile and they tend to stick together.

michika · #4 10-01-2008, 07:13 PM

If you do go the Anthias route you'll probably want to treat them for internal parasites. Parasites seem to be pretty common with Anthias of all kinds.

TheRealBigAL · #5 10-01-2008, 07:45 PM

My good friend WHATIGOT has a school of chalk Bass in his tank. Very nice looking fish. I think he has 5-7 in his 72Gallon. Just have to watch because they can sometimes be jumpers.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #6 10-01-2008, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealBigAL

My good friend WHATIGOT has a school of chalk Bass in his tank. Very nice looking fish. I think he has 5-7 in his 72Gallon. Just have to watch because they can sometimes be jumpers.

Yeah great little fish but they do jump very often. I had three in my last tank. One was eaten by a puffer and the other two jumped.

Trigger Man · #7 10-01-2008, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealBigAL

My good friend WHATIGOT has a school of chalk Bass in his tank. Very nice looking fish. I think he has 5-7 in his 72Gallon. Just have to watch because they can sometimes be jumpers.

I will have to check on Chalk Bass, anyone know if they are easy to keep and how large they get (can't find much about them online, they might go by another name), I have managed to pick up 4 Zebra Dartfish (with plans to get 8 more), and they are currently schooling, so it looks like i will not have to try anthias, but Chalk Bass look cool to, so may have to get them as well.

TheRealBigAL · #8 10-01-2008, 09:25 PM

Chalk Bass Serranus tortugarum (dwarf seabass)
Max length - 3.1 inches
Range-Tropical western atlantic

Very peaceful fish. It is better to keep them in odd numbers ex. 3, 5, 7. Best kept in 70gallon and up.

naesco · #9 10-02-2008, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trigger Man

I will have to check on Chalk Bass, anyone know if they are easy to keep and how large they get (can't find much about them online, they might go by another name), I have managed to pick up 4 Zebra Dartfish (with plans to get 8 more), and they are currently schooling, so it looks like i will not have to try anthias, but Chalk Bass look cool to, so may have to get them as well.

Chalk bass, sel. stkg. 12/24/07

Here is the thread on fish expert Robert Fenner's website www.wetwebmedia.com

Hey crew!
<Mike>
I have a 55 gallon reef with around 60 lbs of rock that I was thinking about adding some chalk bass to.
<Some?>
At current I have 2 Ocellaris clowns, 2 green chromis, a Scopas tang
<Needs more room>
and a scooter blenny. Do you think that one, or even two would be pushing the limits?
<Two too likely... Serranus spp. are territorial...>
It is a show style tank so it is 4 feet long and 20 inches deep and offers a good amount of space to swim with plenty of rockwork for cover, though I more concerned about the biological limitations. your thoughts?
Thanks
Mike
<Think a four foot by one foot bottom is pushing it too much psychologically here. One specimen is all I'd place. Bob Fenner

GreenSpottedPuffer · #10 10-01-2008, 08:16 PM

Quote:

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.