Question about shoaling fish, Tetras etc?

Question

I have been reading up on fish and i'm a little confused, i hope you can help. In the books it gives the details of each fish species and how many of one species is best to keep together in your tank.

For instance... It says under 'Neon Tetras' that these are shoaling fish and should be kept in groups of at least 6+. I understand that, but it also says the same thing under 'Cardinal Tetras' and 'Lemon Tetras' and the other Tetras.

My confusion is aren't these all different varieties of the same species (i.e Tetras) so wont they all school together?

Answer 1

In my experience all this schooling stuff goes out the window in a peaceful tank.

Harlequin rasboras, rummy nosed tetras, cardinals are super timid fish, spooked easy and will school no matter what.

The rest after a week once they realize there in a peaceful tank

don't school at all and just putz around the tank.

I've had tanks with pairs of different tetras (not 6 and up) and they have a ball and it shows nice variety in the tank.

A single one however is a bad idea, they need to see another and most times if they school they will all hook up together.

Bottom line in a peaceful tank don't expect much schooling at all unless you get some of the ones I mentioned.

remember most are breed, not caught in the wild. theres a difference.

If your ever lucky enough to run into a pet store with wild caught neon's

you will see the difference.

Just because fish school in the pet store does not mean they'll school at home.

good luck!!!

Answer 2

Well, let me explain it to you. Tetra is a name for a group of similar species. Like mammals are a groups of similar species,but a cat would not want to spend all of her time with a guinea pig!lol! Tetras of any kind need to be kept in a group of at least 3+, 6+ is better.

Answer 3

No-one told them that they are all tetras - so they have to go by external appearence. Consequently, they tend to group themselves according to physical characteristics - colour, etc.

Not that dissimilar to humans, when you think about it...

EDIT: that said, I have an unknown, unidentifiable fish that I got simply because the pet-shop was going to kill him, on account of his being all bent and twisted - birth defects - but he's happy and healthy enough. He seems content to shoal with my harlequin rasboras, even though he's definitely not one of them.

Answer 4

yes thats right all tetras are shoaling fish.

Answer 5

No because they look different.  My fish only school together with fish of their own species.

Answer 6

not nessicarily....

neon tetras are different from lemon tetra, while there all tetras they look different, and are often different sizes and of course different colors, and those different "looks" also have different personalities.

some will...

its not unsuaual to see neon tetra group with cardinals

Or lemons to group with pristellas

but it is BEST to have a group fo the same subtype.

shoaling fish if not kept in large enough groups of their own type will often stress, they wont display natural behavious and can sometimes stress to death.

this is most common in neons and cardinals which can be delicate.

you also have to remember while some tetras (neons and cardinals come to mind) are very quiet fish...others (serpeas for instance) are notorious fin nippers.

i currently have a group of 5 black neons, and a group of 5 pristellas who, in a 30 gallon tank have decided its more fun to swim together...however their were 5 serpeas in there origionally wihtt he 5 pristella, pristella get a little larger and usually are a good match for serpeas, and the serpeas were driving them sooo crazy i had to emergency place them in my 55 gallon cichlid tank...where the group of 5 little 2" serpeas keep a group of currently 5 3-5" african cichlids in their place!