# Looking for schooling fishes. . .



## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

Hello,

Recently, sold my crystal red shrimps and replaces them by a couple of apistogrammas macmasteri. The aquarium has 60 liters and is heavily planted with anubias, lotus, cryptos. But with only the couple, the aquarium is unattractive, without movement. I'm looking for a schooling fish with strong colors, my preference is south american small fish, but isn't de most importante. the most importante is that they feel ok with each other.

I like rasboras harlequins, Cardinals and neons (i think is too usual), tetras (too big?)..

What more i can looking for?

Sorry for my english and thank you for your time.


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## dw1305 (2 Sep 2013)

Hi all,
You can use Cardinal or Neon tetras as dithers, they both like soft, warm water.

However they are great fry hunters, so if you want to breed your _Apistogramma_ pair, you need to use any of Pencil Fish (but not Beckford's Pencil (_Nannostomus_ _beckfordi_ )), Hatchet fish (Carniegella strigata), a small tetra like Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae) or Ruby Tetra (_Axelrodia_ _riesei_) or a surface orientated tetra like Black-Neon Tetra (_Hyphessobrycon_ _herbertaxelrodi_) or Splash "Tetra" (_Copella_ _arnoldi_).

Out of these Black-Neon Tetra are the easiest to keep and obtain and are big enough to act as a target fish as well.

If you don't mind them not being S. American, I've used Threadfin Rainbows (_Iriatherina werneri_), Norman's Lamp-eye (Poropanchax normani) and Rocket Killis (_Pseudepiplatys annulatus_) successfully in the past.

I've never tried Harlequin Raspbora (_Trigonostigma_ _heteromorpha_), but most black water fish eat what-ever comes their way, so my suspicion would be that they are pretty efficient fry hunters.

cheers Darrel


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## RolyMo (2 Sep 2013)

I recently bought just 5 Rummy Nose Tetra's and was amazed that they are always together. Quite colourful too with their red noses and black and white patterned tail fins.
My Red Phantom Tetra's tend to stick to a shoal, but are not as active as the Rummy nose ones. 
Cardinal tetras also as you know shoal. 
R


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

Thanks for the sugestions.
i didn't know that cardinals or Neons are fry hunters.  Tomorrow i go to my lfs and see what are available. 
Why not pencil fish?
i thought the  Rummy Nose  need more space than i have.

How many should i buy?

Rummy nose , 6? 7?
Cardinals , 8? 10?
Rasboras Harlequin 10? 12?


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## George Farmer (2 Sep 2013)

Hi,

Darell's advice is excellent - no surprise there... 

I would stock something relatively small in a 60 litre, especially if you want a decent shoal.

Rolymo's idea of Rummynose is good - they are one the best (tight) shoalers, but are a bit big for 60 litres and look best in groups of at least 10.

The vast majority of so-called shoaling fish soon settle into their new home, and consequently stop shoaling.  The shoaling is a defence mechanism from predators.  Once the fish learn that there is no predators, then they usually swim about 'randomly'.  Rummynose are often the exception here and seem to shoal tightly almost all of the time - especiallly in larger aquariums.

I really like Ember tetras (Hyphessobrycon amandae).  They stay small and in appropriate water colour up beautifully.


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## RolyMo (2 Sep 2013)

What about the Dwarf Rasboras?


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## George Farmer (2 Sep 2013)

RolyMo said:


> What about the Dwarf Rasboras?


Yes, excellent choice. Very active and great sense of scale in smaller tanks.


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

With dwarf rasboras, you mean maculatus , galaxy?


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## George Farmer (2 Sep 2013)

JoãoLopes said:


> With dwarf rasboras, you mean maculatus , galaxy?


Possible - but look at Bororas spp. too.


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

I saw Rasboras maculatus on LFS and not seemed much colourfull.


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## saz13 (2 Sep 2013)

They are often very pale in sales tanks. I just saw some settled in a tank like mine and they are absolutely gorgeous little fish! Made the tank look big in relation and the colours just popped! I'll be getting some when they order some next since the seeding and plants should be well in progress.


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

Tomorrow, i will look them.


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## mede (2 Sep 2013)

What about Rasborra Brigittae? Beautiful, small (max. 2cm) fish that is a true schooling fish when putting them together with a minimum of 10-15.... Having them in my own tank, really amazing fish.


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## Curvball (2 Sep 2013)

mede said:


> What about Rasborra Brigittae? Beautiful, small (max. 2cm) fish that is a true schooling fish when putting them together with a minimum of 10-15.... Having them in my own tank, really amazing fish.



Those are beautiful. 


Posted from the comfort of my iPhone...


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

They are so colored like this photo? In lfs the rasboras are so pale.


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## RolyMo (2 Sep 2013)

Hmm I am no expert on these. The Dwarf Rasboras in my LFS look fantastic. But I don't own any so cannot comment on their colour improvement. Wonder if there are different varieties of Dwarf Rasboras?
R


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## saz13 (2 Sep 2013)

The one in the picture is the boraras brigittae, the most colourful of the dwarf rasboras. There are some others like maculatus and merah that are still beautiful but not as bright. The ones I spotted at LFS are exactly this colour and just stunning. They do like plants and the option to hide so that's why they can be pale and skittish in the bare sales tank.


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## mede (2 Sep 2013)

In my LSF they also look very pale.... providing the right conditions (plants, good food) they really turn this red (watching them in my tank daily). If they don't feel happy, you immediately notice this in their color change.

Beautiful in contrast with green plants...


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## squid102 (2 Sep 2013)

My 12 boraras brigittae have coloured up beautifully but they are a bit shy. I wish they would come out into the open more. They tend to blend in with 150+ cherry shrimps in the undergrowth!


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

And what is the favourite part of the water? Top? middle? bottom?


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## squid102 (2 Sep 2013)

Quite a wide middle band. Except when I switch the filter off and they all come streaming to the top at the front waiting for food!


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## squid102 (2 Sep 2013)

I posted that and looked at the tank to see most of them in the greenery up near the surface...


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## JoãoLopes (2 Sep 2013)

That is what i'm looking for,  a top shoal.


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## dw1305 (3 Sep 2013)

Hi all,


JoãoLopes said:


> Why not pencil fish?


Pencil fish all make good dithers, the only reason for not suggesting _N. beckfordii _is that it is a much more efficient fry hunter than the others. The Hockey-stick Pencil (N. eques) is absolutely ideal as it has a little mouth.


George Farmer said:


> The vast majority of so-called shoaling fish soon settle into their new home, and consequently stop shoaling. The shoaling is a defence mechanism from predators. Once the fish learn that there is no predators, then they usually swim about 'randomly'. Rummynose are often the exception here and seem to shoal tightly almost all of the time - especiallly in larger aquariums.


This is true in my experience, I've never kept Rummynoses, but all the other shoaling fish I've had have tended to disperse through the tank, and only group up if disturbed.





George Farmer said:


> I really like Ember tetras (Hyphessobrycon amandae). They stay small and in appropriate water colour up beautifully.


I like Ember Tetras as well, and the little Rasbora spp. look great and would all work, but I think they might all end up in the lower greenery, rather than visible near the top of the tank.

cheers Darrel


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## JoãoLopes (3 Sep 2013)

Hello, i just arrived from the lfs. I bought 15 ember tetras! Awesome!


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