Tetras are territorial?

S

stoopid

AC Members
May 15, 2003
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I noticed that over time my 6 Black striped tetras and 6 Snow tetras have taken on territories in the tank. When I first introduced the Black tetra they schooled together a lot, then slowly began picking on each other and establishing rank. Then, once the Snow tetras were added, it's become a territory game. The only time they come together is during feeding.

Since I only feed them once a day, should I increase that? I am thinking they're hungry or at least feel food isn't plenty enough so they establish territories to ensure 'their own'.

Reason I ask is I would prefer to not increase feeding frequencies as the water quality's good in the tank ATM. If it's just normal behavior I'll live with that, although I bought them with the intent of having them be my schooling fish.
 
I think that the tank might be a little crowded, and the Tetras may be feeling that and showing it in their behavior.
 
Mine too

My ember tetras have done the same thing. Each has staked out a roughly 3 inch square, I wonder if they take turns sleeping behind the log.

Maybe I'm an optimist, but I think it is done to insure that the school all gets food should it begin to rain from the sky suddenly.
when food does appear, no tetra seems to try to chase the ohters away.
 
I guess overcrowding's a possibility I didn't consider...

If a tetra swims into another's territory it gets chased away, but once food is present they all abandon their stations to eat and seem to return to their assigned seats once the feeding's done... so I can't see much positive from this (maybe I need to round a few up and return them to the LFS).
 
Are they overzealous in their guarding of territories? If not, I wouldn't worry about it *for now*, but as some of the cichlids grow, you may have water quality issues rather than territoriality issues.
 
Territory not set

With the ember tetras, always 8 were out in open water, in roughly the same spots, but not always, and the spots do change. One tetra has a crooked tail fin and I can see he's moved from front and center to the side.

I see the ones toward the back seem to be sleeping, still and slow to notice if food appears. The ones in the front are alert and defend their spot, or maybe the captain is chasing the enlisted men back to their posts out in front where strange things suddenly appear.
 
Black tetra

I can't seem to find the white ones... the ones listed as "snow" and "white" tetra don't look quite right.

They just chase the intruder out of their little section and go back to being fish... maybe I shouldn't care, but it's hard getting decent schooling fish in my tank with 3 medium sized cichlids.
 
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