Why 6 as a minimum # for schoolers?

Well I have 30, in my 135g and they are more expensive here lol, But they are worth it, they account for most of the activity now.... Unless one of the breeding pairs of angels fight, then its like every fish is whatching them lol
 
Oh yea, price is definitely a factor. I originally wanted 8 Harlies, but they are $2 each. I know that's cheap compared to what other people here have to pay, but compared to $1 neons for a similarly sized schooling fish it seems expensive ($1.66 each, 5 for $5).

I bought 5 neons, 2 died within 2 days. I bought another 5 and 2 more died within the first day. Leaving me with a total of 6. No Harlies have died, but its only been 2 days. I might up the school to 8 in a week or so.
 
Oh I also forgot my 18 fish school of rummynose tetras, they are really active too. so are cories, infact they are breeding in this tank :dance:
 
Well I have had 7 neons in my 30g for about a month now, they seem to be schooling most of the time. Could I add 3 more or would that school reject them?
 
Well I have had 7 neons in my 30g for about a month now, they seem to be schooling most of the time. Could I add 3 more or would that school reject them?

I don't see any reason why they would reject them. My 6 neons in my 20g don't even school together anymore. They just hover around different parts of the tank and sometimes chase each other. Occasionally 3 or 4 swim past the front of the tank together, but they break up again.
 
I think schools of 6 look a bit whimpy, I try for at least 10. Of course I've had terrible luck with my neons from petco, I have 5 out of 11 bought. A lot of the time though they're 1$ each.
 
3 more neons would shoal with the other 7 with no problems.
 
I normally go for between 5-12 fish depending on the size of the fish. Anything more than that is just icing on the cake. Even or odd numbers are fine with me. A school of 10 fish can be 2 groups of 5. It's all on how you look at it really. If you have 8 fish in a school, each fish sees 7 other members of the school. :)
 
I have 5 Praecox Rainbows in my 29 with 2 Diamond tetra's. The tetras hang together, and occasionally hang out or school with the Rainbows.

Oddly enough, my 1 platy often hangs around them as well.
 
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