SCHOOLING Fish!!

TD13 · Mar 4, 2016

I'm building a 120, my link is in my quote in the bottom. I want it to be a thought out and calculated build, cause it's gonna be the last tank for a WHILE....

I'm interested in some fish that school and will not kill each other off, (green chromis). If you have experience or, even better, pictures, please post here!!!

Thanks!

4FordFamily · Mar 4, 2016

A group of mixed anthias might be neat. IMO though they look like glorified goldfish and are harder to keep than I would like! Just my opinion though anthias are a very sought after and respected fish in the hobby, I am the minority on this one

Pete polyp · Mar 4, 2016

4FordFamily said:
A group of mixed anthias might be neat. IMO though they look like beautiful goldfish and are harder to keep than I would like! Just my opinion though anthias are a very sought after and respected fish in the hobby, I am the minority on this one

Well I must be a minority also

tj w · Mar 4, 2016

Me too guys, haven't had much luck with those fish. Most species are beautiful.

SeahorseKeeper · Mar 4, 2016

It's not a schooling fish, but I have a pair of zebra barred dart fish in my 75. They are pretty active and are always with each other. I also like that they are peaceful.

saltyhog · Mar 4, 2016

SeahorseKeeper beat me to it! Nothing will really school in an aquarium that most hobbyist will keep but for a group of fish I've always been interested in a group of dartfish. A group of zebra barred or scissor tailed would be cool....maybe a group of each?

4FordFamily · Mar 4, 2016

Lol I have always thought the "not schooling" point (although true) is splitting hairs. Just like not all tissues are Kleenex but call my puffs a Kleenex and I know what you mean lol!

A group of fish that appear to "hang out together". Very unscientific but more succinct?

cu455 · Mar 4, 2016

Monos

Damon · Mar 4, 2016

Look downs.. Not cheap, but cool fish in a group..

saltyhog · Mar 4, 2016

4FordFamily said:
Lol I have always thought the "not schooling" point (although true) is splitting hairs. Just like not all tissues are Kleenex but call my puffs a Kleenex and I know what you mean lol!

A group of fish that appear to "hang out together". Very unscientific but more succinct?

Oops! Sorry didn't mean anything by it....can't help it, science is my thing and profession.

ultimatemj · Mar 4, 2016

If you can find them, Guam chromis are hot!, they school, and they leave each other alone!

TD13 · Mar 5, 2016

Damon said:
Look downs.. Not cheap, but cool fish in a group..

Not small either... But neat fish

4FordFamily · Mar 5, 2016

saltyhog said:
Oops! Sorry didn't mean anything by it....can't help it, science is my thing and profession.

No no no I'm just kidding around with you. Scientifically you're absolutely correct

Elder1945 · Mar 5, 2016

I have kept many "Schools" of fish... They all seem to end up not schooling...

Blue Chromis: schools for a while then you will usually start losing fish, The max school I had going was 40 but then started losing them at a alarming rate. I have 2 now in my tank that school

. If you are able to keep a school they seem to school less and less over time.

Yellow Tangs: schools for a while then stops.. The main issues is aggression as then grow. The size of tank needed to have school can be hard to come by. The biggest school I had going was 10 but sold off quickly as even in the length of my tank and feeding non stop the aggression was just to much. I also find 3-4 in a school just seem to do there own thing.

Red Fire Goby: I am attempting to get a small school of this fish right now. They seem to do well but pair off and kick one or the other fish out of there area.

Look Downs: don't bother but will mass school and are quite easy to keep... Just need that 40,000 gallon tank to make look right.

Anthias: I have kept a school of some types... They seem to do the whole school thing for a while then break up and I would say at best loosely school. You would have 2 here 3 here 1 off doing its own thing and just does not look that great as a "school".

Cardinal fish: In large groups will school tight at the begging but will loosen up and then the fighting starts.. In larger schools the fighting does not seem to be as bad I would say 10+ fish.

Clown fish: Some clown fish (skunk) seem to do well in a school in a hosting situation. There is quite a few people that keep a large number in one anemone.

Now the best fish I have found to school is the Mono Argentus. I kept over 20 for 2 years in a tight school. They do grown quite big but takes a while. I would say after 2 years of keeping them a 1" fish was 3" +/-. Still need a larger tank but will school all the time in small groups.

Inverts:

Peppermint Shrimp: They will school but split up in groups this might be because of living space. I think I have 15 or so in my tank and they live in 3 groups around my tank. I think if I had a large cave or more rock work they would all be together. This is just a guess.

Sexy Shrimp: I have a school of them living in one RBT they all seem to hang out together during the day and spread at nite. I added 5 I believe and seem to have close to 10 now. This might be because of the Moorish Idol bugging them so forced them to school for protection?

Pistol/Snapping shrimp: they will school on mass..... I think this is just a short term thing but I have had 3 living with one goby so would class that as a lose school.

So in the end the only thing I could get schooling fish wise was the Mono's. They were in a tight school 24/7 and gave me the look of a school all the time.

On a side not when you feed all fish become schooling fish

.

Damon · Mar 5, 2016

TD13 said:
Not small either... But neat fish

No, certainly not, but it doesn't grow that big(about 10 inches) .. Yes, it needs swimming room for sure, just like a Tang..

Damon · Mar 5, 2016

Elder1945 said:
I have kept many "Schools" of fish... They all seem to end up not schooling...

Blue Chromis: schools for a while then you will usually start losing fish, The max school I had going was 40 but then started losing them at a alarming rate. I have 2 now in my tank that school . If you are able to keep a school they seem to school less and less over time.

Yellow Tangs: schools for a while then stops.. The main issues is aggression as then grow. The size of tank needed to have school can be hard to come by. The biggest school I had going was 10 but sold off quickly as even in the length of my tank and feeding non stop the aggression was just to much. I also find 3-4 in a school just seem to do there own thing.

Red Fire Goby: I am attempting to get a small school of this fish right now. They seem to do well but pair off and kick one or the other fish out of there area.

Look Downs: don't bother but will mass school and are quite easy to keep... Just need that 40,000 gallon tank to make look right.

Anthias: I have kept a school of some types... They seem to do the whole school thing for a while then break up and I would say at best loosely school. You would have 2 here 3 here 1 off doing its own thing and just does not look that great as a "school".

Cardinal fish: In large groups will school tight at the begging but will loosen up and then the fighting starts.. In larger schools the fighting does not seem to be as bad I would say 10+ fish.

Clown fish: Some clown fish (skunk) seem to do well in a school in a hosting situation. There is quite a few people that keep a large number in one anemone.

Now the best fish I have found to school is the Mono Argentus. I kept over 20 for 2 years in a tight school. They do grown quite big but takes a while. I would say after 2 years of keeping them a 1" fish was 3" +/-. Still need a larger tank but will school all the time in small groups.

Inverts:

Peppermint Shrimp: They will school but split up in groups this might be because of living space. I think I have 15 or so in my tank and they live in 3 groups around my tank. I think if I had a large cave or more rock work they would all be together. This is just a guess.

Sexy Shrimp: I have a school of them living in one RBT they all seem to hang out together during the day and spread at nite. I added 5 I believe and seem to have close to 10 now. This might be because of the Moorish Idol bugging them so forced them to school for protection?

Pistol/Snapping shrimp: they will school on mass..... I think this is just a short term thing but I have had 3 living with one goby so would class that as a lose school.

So in the end the only thing I could get schooling fish wise was the Mono's. They were in a tight school 24/7 and gave me the look of a school all the time.

On a side not when you feed all fish become schooling fish .

Wow, I have had monos in 3 tanks(including my 180 now), and I forgot about those.. They are also very schooling(and yes, excellent for that, in an inexpensive package) , but at the same time, they are extremely scrappy(and greedy) and mean! With each other, and other tankmates..

And lol, I'm not sure what you feed your monos, but mine, I always purchased them for around 15.00 and about the size of maybe a silver dollar at the most.. And in a year, they have always been one of the fastest growing fish I have ever had! Without a doubt(maybe with the exception of my Mata Tang)..

For example, the one I have now, has gone from that size to about 5 inches in a little over a year.. I mean he looks great! But.. All of them easily eat a massive amount of food(ridiculously aggressive eaters), and grow Fast! Just something to keep in mind..

jdl513 · Mar 5, 2016

Schooling fish do this for protection from predators in the wild. I believe the lack of this stimulus in the aquarium is why they usually end up doing their own thing.

Maritimer · Mar 5, 2016

Absolutely.

At our public Aquarium, we've got an oval-shaped tank designed for schooling fish, and filled with alewives (a kind of herring that lays its eggs in freshwater rivers). We've found that there are two ways to get that "schooling" look - one is to fill the tank with fish and run a circular current, so that as the fish move with the current, they present a shimmering wall to the visitors. (This is what our tank does.) Alternately, introduce a large, predatory fish. In that circumstance, the schooling behaviour will look amazing . . . but it won't last forever . . . . .

~Bruce