Yet Another Question: How Many of Each Species

[EagerAqua]

I have another question here: I hope everyone does not mind my questions. I am having a blast learning about my new hobby.

Anyway, a lot of the reading I have been doing suggests that certain fish be placed in a tank with a certain number of their own kind (schooling fish specifically). For example, Aquaria Central suggests, "A school of at least five is recommended per tank." Do most people follow these suggestions? What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks AGAIN ,

Eager

 

[OrionGirl]

Funny thing...Most people will tell you to get schools in odd numbers. Best anyone can determine, this is based on human preference for random groups of odd things (try it--a grouping of 5 knick knacks looks better than a group of 4. A group of 4 plates looks fine, because they can be evenly spaced comfortably).

Beyond that, it takes at least 3 fish, and more is always better (within the specs for your tank, of course!). The behavior of the fish will be better if they are in a comfortable environment, and for schooling fish, this means in a group. For example, a solitary clown loach will hide most of the time, shooting out to feed and then hiding again. Get 3 or more, and they play, chase each other, click, dogpile, etc. They're also hardier in groups-decreased stress=increased disease resistance.

I try to keep my fish in appropriate groups!

And, no, your questions aren't annoying. They are well phrased, thoughtful, and useful to others. Ask away!

 

[EagerAqua]

That is good advise. I think I will try to 'build' groups of fish so that they can exhibit their natural behavior - as natural as possible in an aquarium - The only thing to consider is that by schooling fish, I will be limiting what other fish species I could get due to the load on my tank. It would be cool to get one of this, one of that, to build a collection of neat fish that I run across...however, I think that watching fish act as they are supposed to would be more enjoyable than watching an unhappy fish.

And thanks for your comments concerning by number of questions - I appreciate it!!

Eager

 

[carpguy]

The theory I heard on odd numbers had something to do with disrupting pairs: with 4 fish you could wind up with 2 pairs, but the odd fish would destabilize this and lead to more groupiness. I think this may have more to do with nippy schoolers like tiger barbs than with schoolers in general.

I have 5 different types of fish in my tank right now. I have two different types of rasbora, both school at 4 fish each, one very strongly and the other a little more loosely. A group of 5 dwarf barbs that school more loosely. The two groups of rasbora schooled together a lot at first, but seem more independent now (I think they feel safer with better cover). I have 4 small zebra loaches that are a group and that play together, but its not the same as the schools. (And then a pair of pairing fish, who generally stay together).

I got to 5 types because of the collection instinct (one of these AND one of those AND…), but I find it a little cluttered and confusing now. I'm fishlessly cycling a 10g for the barbs, where they'll live maybe as a slightly bigger school, probably with a pair of small gourami. Once they've moved I'll bump the 2 rasbora schools up by maybe 2 more each.

This is a first tank so I'm still learning and experimenting, but I've found that I like to watch the group behavior of the grouping fish more than I'd want to see more types. That's just my experience, and your certainly free to make different choices, but my tank behaves very differently from the mixed community we had when I was a kid and its interesting to see them do what it is that they do.

 

[RTR]

Minimum numbers is a species thing - some Tetras may school at only 3, but more is always better IMHO. I'd go with 5 minimum for those fish. Barbs above Cherry and Checkerboard should be in larger numbers, especially Tiger barbs - there I would not do fewer than eight, more would be better.

I do not like barbs other than the two small ones mentioned used with Tetras- they are not a good mix IMHO & IME.

Rasboras tend to school well for me, but they are easily disrupted by other fish.

 

[Faramir]

RTR - Baensch says that cherry barbs get nervous if kept in groups, and are happier in pairs. Is this true in your experience?

 

[goldfries]

Tiger Barbs are very nice schooling fish, i had 12 once and it was awesome seeing them race around the tank.

Neons look nice in packs.

 

[RTR]

It may depend on tank scale - I have never kept them in small tanks, only in 55 and larger heavily planted tanks. They do not school unless 4 or more, and school spacing is is greater than with Tigers. They are not steady schoolers as are Tigers, they spend a lot of time searching through the plants for food. But they do spawn routinely and a few fry survive, which does not fit my definition of nervous. I have no experience with them in smaller tanks - Baensch suggests a minimum 20" tank length which may be too small to allow sufficient space per fish if more than one male with one of two females.

 

[goldfries]

what fish are the "they" you're referring to?

 

[RTR]

"They" are Chery Barbs - Faramir had asked for clarification re Baensch info vs my experience on the fish.