Why is it that people are told to/pushed into putting fish like neons, barbs, and other small-medium sized schooling fish in proper schools, and yet bigger schooling fish like rainbows, silver dollars, tinfoil barbs etc., are ignored for the most part?
If someone wants to put 2 neon tetras in with 2 glowlites, they are told that the fish need to be with their own specie and they should have at least 3 of each, six is far better. However, if someone wants to stick 2 Boesmani with 2 Irian Reds, they are told that that's fine, but they need to have six in total? Rainbows need to be with their own specie too. Same with silver dollars, you really need to have six of one specie.
I've never heard anyone here, including myself, tell someone they need to have six tinfoil barbs, and you really should. People say, "Scats need to be in a school, so you have to have at least three." Why not six like the small schooling fish?
So, why is this done?
Is it because they won't do it anyway?
Because people usually have a tank that is *way* too small for schools of the bigger fish?
Is it because the little fish appear to be more fragile and in need of schooling support?
Are bigger schooling fish being penalized for, well, being big?
I've decided, for myself, that not recommending full schools for bigger fish is not fair to the fish, and IME, especially rainbowfish. They need to be in schools with their *own* specie and not mixed with others to make a school. So, I'm not doing it anymore. Not going to say, "yah, you can mix Boes with Goyder River and make a school". Nope, no more.
As to why I *was* doing it. I honestly don't know, I think I was trying to avoid an argument with people who would say "so and so kept blah blah and it was fine".
Not trying start a war, just curious.
What do you think?
Roan
If someone wants to put 2 neon tetras in with 2 glowlites, they are told that the fish need to be with their own specie and they should have at least 3 of each, six is far better. However, if someone wants to stick 2 Boesmani with 2 Irian Reds, they are told that that's fine, but they need to have six in total? Rainbows need to be with their own specie too. Same with silver dollars, you really need to have six of one specie.
I've never heard anyone here, including myself, tell someone they need to have six tinfoil barbs, and you really should. People say, "Scats need to be in a school, so you have to have at least three." Why not six like the small schooling fish?
So, why is this done?
Is it because they won't do it anyway?
Because people usually have a tank that is *way* too small for schools of the bigger fish?
Is it because the little fish appear to be more fragile and in need of schooling support?
Are bigger schooling fish being penalized for, well, being big?
I've decided, for myself, that not recommending full schools for bigger fish is not fair to the fish, and IME, especially rainbowfish. They need to be in schools with their *own* specie and not mixed with others to make a school. So, I'm not doing it anymore. Not going to say, "yah, you can mix Boes with Goyder River and make a school". Nope, no more.
As to why I *was* doing it. I honestly don't know, I think I was trying to avoid an argument with people who would say "so and so kept blah blah and it was fine".
Not trying start a war, just curious.
What do you think?
Roan
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