fish drive me crazy!

Sale tanks at LFS are NOT setup for long term maintenance. The rams crowded in a tank are not getting along, they are just too stressed to do anything about it. Since the goal of a home tank is to keep the fish alive in the long run, researching and making certain you can accomodate the 'normal' status of the fish is crucial. 3 rams is asking for trouble in most tanks--they do best kept as a pair or solo.
 
too many fish, can't focus agression on any particular fish.....
with smaller numbers its pronounced, easier to establish a hierarchy or pecking order in small numbers. All the fish do it, I've noticed it amongst different species in the same tank. My male gourami is the boss fish,
next is my male red rainbow, next being my ruby shark, and the rest being subordinate or equal in rank. Suprisingly, my 3 guppies are not picked on by any and come and go as they please without being chased out of territories.
But the platys have to watch where they go or risk being run out of town lol ;)
 
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