Personality or Species?

Fish Kate

Fish Kate

Don't Eat the Puppies
Sep 9, 2005
126
0
0
Chicago
It seems a lot of the threads about which fish gets along with which fish get into personal experiences....

So...

Do you think it's got more to do with the individual fish's personality or the species of the fish that determines whether they'll get along in combination with others?

For example, someone will say NEVER put fish X with fish Y, and then someone will post and say, "I've had fish X with fish Y for 3 years and they're best friends!"

What up?
 
A combination of both. Species can be generally grouped into agressive, semi-agressive and peaceful, for their normal general bahavior. This can be easily seen when you compare a pirahna with a neon tetra, for example.

However, just like any other animal including humans, every animal has his own personality, and sometimes there is one trhat breaks the rules. Some people consider gouramies annoying little creatures, but mine are docile even with the smaller fish.

The guidelines must be followed to avoid a potential problem. Sure, you can have angelfish with small guppies or neons in the same tank, and it can work for you, but you are risking the smaller fish to become snaks.
 
I believe it’s a combination of both factors, along with an even more important factor – artificial environment. We keep our fish in small glass boxes that rarely come even close to their natural habitat, despite our best efforts. Even a neon in a 250 gallon tank isn’t in anywhere near the size of its native habitat. Many animals in enclosures show distinctly different behavior then that in the wild – sometimes aberrant. How often have we seen a description of fish behavior in the literature based on that observed in aquaria, only to be later contradicted by direct observation in the wild?

I think this is why we see the variability of personal experiences with our fish – from the terrorist danio to the sweet demasoni. There are general rules – yet they are riddled with numerous exceptions. Our goal then becomes to provide the best care we possibly can – at least the best that we can in our glass boxes.
 
me too! I just want to grab the poor little puppy...it looks like she's trying to give it mouth-to-mouth...
 
yofishboy brings up a good point. Here's another: Part of that unnatural environment is the other fish in the tank. How fish behave toward each other is more than just fish x and fish y. The other tankmates (highly variable form tank to tank) can affect how fish x acts toward fish y and vice versa.

Example: Is fish X's prefered microhabitat being utilized by fish A, therefore making it more suseptible to bullying by fish Y? Is fish Y being bullied by fish B, therefore making is more apt to back down from a confrontation with Fish Z?

Sooooooo many variables. All you can do is get as much advise, and do as much research as possible then make a choice.
 
Nicely said, YoFishBoy and Mooman.

Crowded conditions, IMO, play a big factor in how a fish acts with other fish. Some fish become more docile, others far more aggressive.

I think that's one reason why I prefer my species only tanks. Don't have to worry about that stuff. All I have to worry about is making sure one type of fish is content and not whether he'll get along with X, Y and Z.

Roan
 
yeah poor puppy.it seriously looks like she is going to chow down n the puppy.seems cruel.(sorry just had to say.i know its off topic)
 
No Puppies Were Harmed

new2tanks said:
yeah poor puppy.it seriously looks like she is going to chow down n the puppy.seems cruel.(sorry just had to say.i know its off topic)
Click to expand...


Please be assured that no puppies were harmed in the making of this avatar!

I would switch to a purple string one but it took me about two hours just to figure out how to get this one small enough....

My own fish seem to get their fins ruffled more by who's in their "personal space" (mini-territory in the tank) than anything else. Of course my tanks are too small to keep any of the larger species.
 
thanks fish kate, i feel better now.
 
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