Anyone have lemon tetras (or any tetras perhaps) and observed this?

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shinyfish

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Aug 7, 2008
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In my 55 i have a school of 25 lemon tetras, 90% of the time they are extremely peaceful out of 25 i can watch them for 30min and not see one even try to nip another.

However, in the morning for the first hour or 2 it seems, some of them are a much duller yellow almost white and they black around their fins is very dark and even the yellow on the tips of there fins becomes white. When they are like this they are chasing and trying to nip constantly. During this time they are scattered throughout the tank and not even trying to school. By the time i get home from work later on they are all back to looking the same and none of them are chasing anyone around and they are schooling normally. When i observe this the lights have been on for 30min-1hr.

are the ones that get very vibrant but white males or something? is this normal behavior in the morning for tetras?

The difference between the ones that do this and the ones that don't is so different that all day i was thinking that i had got 2 different kinds of tetras and didn't notice over 4 days..

This was the fist morning i noticed this behavior, if it happens again ill take pictures to show how different they look.
 

CaitxSith

A little too obsessed with neons.
Sep 30, 2006
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The pond with some Triops
I find that tetras shoal a lot more with some sort of semi-threat in/outside their tank.

i.e, Betta, Person passing by, giant arm coming from the heavens to do a water change :grinyes:
 

Riiz

Apocalypse Pony
Apr 16, 2008
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I have a smaller school of 10 lemons with 2 dozen rummys in my 80gal, when the lights are first starting(staggered CF lighting), mine have about the same color but havent started to school yet until I walk by for feeding time. But I observed in the last month with them, they arent really a tight schooler like the rummys are, they break off in small packs and do their own thing in a way or tag along with the rummys most of the day.
 

shinyfish

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Aug 7, 2008
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during the day mine school pretty well not very night but definitely a school, what confuses me is the extreme difference in behavior in the morning. maybe 1/3rd of them become extremely nippy and are chasing the others around relentlessly.
 

shinyfish

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Right not my angel is only about the same size as them, but once he gets bigger should keep them together.
 

JasonR

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Jan 19, 2008
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my tank turns into a tetra cage match in the mornings, by the afternoon and night they are all schooling peacefully
 

shinyfish

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Aug 7, 2008
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Alright thanks for putting my mind to rest.
 

shinyfish

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fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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Fish often "turn off" their color in the dark. It takes a while for them to color up. Keep an eye on any that don't get the normal coloration later in the day. That could signal illness to me. You haven't had them long, right?, so they may still be adjusting too.
 
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