Schooling fish are some of the most interesting fish to keep. One of the most enjoyable scenes in an aquarium is a group of beautiful and colorful fish swimming in unison, changing directions in an instant, yet never colliding with each other.
Schooling fish are often seen to be continuously "nipping" at others in their group. Perhaps this is a way for each fish to define its personal space - or maybe it's just plain playfulness.
Do all fish school?
Even though eighty percent of all fish school at some point in their lives, some fish live solitary lives.
Schooling fishes prefer to swim mid-tank, and enjoy going after live food like mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and other small aquatic invertebrates. In the absence of wriggly live food, flakes floating in the current are just as delectable.
Schooling and shoaling fish
Sometimes, one fish truly is not enough. These are my favorite fish, and my down-falling.
I will loosely define schooling as fish who stick pretty closely together most of the time.
School: A group of fish that swim together, usually composed of the same species or sub-species.
Scleractinia: Order of coelenterates, usually producing calcareous skeletons with hexameral symmetry.
School - A group of one kind of fish oriented together in a synchronized fashion, with uniform distance between individual fishes, traveling at the same speed and/or oriented in the same direction and position.
A school of the peaceful (but very energetic!) Threadfin Rainbowfish will make a dazzling display in a show tank!
Threadfin Rainbowfish Contents ...
OLD SCHOOL METHODS
These methods are the most common among fish-hobbyists, especially those that did not have the opportunity to spend much time researching euthanasia options.
Putting the Freeze on Sparkles ...
Schooling is a must with these fish and they must be kept in small groups, usually 3 will do however 6 or more is much better.
Schools are made up of smaller groups which are called harems with one male and approximately six to twenty females.
Schooling fish, they prefer to be in groups of six or more. Danios prefer water with a 6.0-8.0 pH, a water hardness of up to 5.0-19.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 68-80 °F (18-24 °C), the lower end of the temperature range is ideal.
School Angling Society outing, July 1963
I joined the Burgess Hill Angling Society, which had fishing rights to certain waters and went on Sunday coach outings to other clubs' waters.
A schooling fish, the Marble Sailfin Pleco does best in a large community tank of at least 125 gallons of water, although bigger is better.
A school of Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai Cardinalfish) passes in front of a Sea urchin.
Host anemone.. a giant specimen measuring almost 80 cm in diameter).
Zebrasoma flavescens (Yellow Tang) ...
A schooling fish that prefers the company of its own kind. We recommend keeping at least three and ideally five or more multipunctatus together. Prefers crepuscular lighting. Generally peaceful, but may eat very small tank mates.
Huge schools of fish swim above the reef. Photo by Richard Ross.
I believe that part of our challenge as aquarists is to find creative solutions to complex cultural and ecological conundrums. Tawali navigates these issues with grace.
In a school of fish, it is extremely hard to pinpoint a fish and catch it, especially if they are fast swimmers. You can easily lose "the one" when it rushes to the back of the tank or simply with a few fast turns.
This schooling fish should be housed in a planted aquarium, but not too densely planted that there is insufficient free-swimming space as these are active fish.
Some fish school in nature, spending their entire lives in large groups (rather than individually); they never feel comfortable or ``safe'' when kept by themselves.
This third school, often referred to as "el Natural," and sometimes Natural Planted Tanks (NPTs), is based on a low maintenance, low-tech approach pioneered by Diana Walstad.
Since high school, I have used an aqua-clear 50 (formerly aqua-clear 200) on my 30 gallon freshwater tank in my dorm room. I am about to get another one (as I am giving most of my fish to my siblings for christmas and they get the old filter).
Speaking of schools of thought, here's a list of Dupla's Golden Rules for the succesful aquarium, most of which can be accomlished by an expensive piece of hardware. :)
Lighting ...
Piranhas are schooling fish and are generally shy and stressed when kept as single specimens. Unfortunately, they also get big (many species well over a foot long), so most beginning aquarists don't have room to house more than a single Piranha.
This is a shy, schooling species that should be kept in groups of six or more, in an aquarium with similar peaceful species. It does not do well when housed with more active species, such as cichlids.
Likes to be in schools but gets too big for most freshwater tanks.
White Cloud
Mountain Minnow
Can tolerate colder water temperatures and can be very active and easy to breed.
Temperment: Schooling; Usually peaceful and passive but will violently attack invertabrates, such as ghost shrimp and snails as they make up a major part of its diet in the wild.
Description
A school of Blue Green Chromis is sure to add sparkle and motion to your aquarium. They are extremely active fish (think Zebra Danio) and very eager to eat. They make an excellent first fish to an aquarium, be it fish only or reef.
They are peaceful, schooling fish that should not be kept with boisterous tankmates. Provide heavy vegetation for them to hide in (they are usually caught in dense mats of floating vegetation). And provide a brownwater habitat if you can.
Many of the smaller schooling fish make ideal first fish. These include White Cloud Mountain Minnows, the several commonly available species of Danios and Rasboras, and most available species of Barbs.
STRESS COAT has been independently tested at the University of Georgia School of Veterinary Medicine and proven to reduce stress in tropical fish.
I may go add a school of 20 neons, but we're still talking 50 inches of fish for 150-180 gallons of water. Combined with the plants, there's plenty to look at.
TANK: A tank measuring at least 48" (122 cm) with capacity of 75 gallons (285 L) is needed for a school of Tropheus . Use a set-up with rock formations that reach the surface of the water.
They can live in a school or by themselves. They get along with other fish but avoid including Dwarf Gouramis in an aquarium with fast moving aggressive fish because they easily become stressed.
In the wild, Discus co-exist peacefully with tight schools of small tetras and anchovies. These small fishes keep the Discus aware of the presence of predators, such as birds, when they get within close proximity.
To ensure you see them during the day, have in your tank a school of Tetras or similar small schooling fish. This makes the Clowns feel more secure and more likely to venture out during the day.
The problem, and this is why the "high flow-thru rate" school of thought is also partially correct, is that aquariums are closed systems which need to be "cleaned" at an efficient rate of speed.
They need a group of six or more due to their natural ability to school. If this is not done the colors and behavior of the tetra will not come through. Full grown the Tetras will only get to be up to three inches long.
This school of thought is known as the ``Berlin method''.
Fluidized bed filters
Very recently, some hobbyists have reported success with a new type of filter which uses a fluidized bed of sand.
They are a schooling fish and should always be kept in groups. Solitary neon tetras will become very timid and withdrawn. It would be best to keep them with similarly sized fish, as larger fish tend to eat them.
Bala Sharks are actually a Barb, and as such are a schooling fish. Because of this they will do best in groups, and, if possible, the larger the group, the better.
Barbs are hardy and active schooling fish. These schooling fish can become aggressive if kept singly or in pairs.
Most do well in a community aquarium and they seem unfazed and undeterred in their behavior by the size of the tank.
Large schools of H. temminckii swim into the submerged forest and spawn there. The eggs float and remain hidden by the waste from predators.
Care: Keep the fish in schools of 6 or more animals in a 80 cm tank or larger, which should be covered. The water should be well filtered, rich in oxygen, and frequently changed. Neutral to slightly acidic, soft to medium hard water is required.
These fish are small and peaceful and will not bother shell dwellers since the Cyprichromis school (and even breed!!!) in the upper levels of the tank. The shell dwellers are only concerned with the bottom of the tank. Altolamprologus sp.
Another problem that many people have with Rams is that they are not very effective at protecting their school of fry. It is not an absence of desire, ferocity or concern.
Otocinclus are diligent algae eaters, but are best kept in schools due to their small size. One per 10 gallons is a useful rule of thumb.
Many Anthias species live in large communities, schools or harems, in and near crests, vertical walls, and tableaus of tropical coral reefs, feeding constantly on zooplankton.
They are normally schooling fish, but do become territorial during spawning season. These fish are more delicate than other popular aquarium species, and are definitely not for beginners.
Aquarium setup: Toxotes jaculatrix (Archerfish) are best kept in schools. A large aquarium with large surface area is more suitable.
You Need to Know: There are two important factors to consider when keeping Cyprichromis in an aquarium environment. 1) They are best kept in schools of at least six specimens. 2) They need and enjoy plenty of swimming room.
Territorial during spawning, this otherwise peaceful fish is among the schooling group, forming a well-defined nuclear family.
Indeed, from a distance a group or school of fish takes on the appearance of a mass that is capable of surprising and intimidating an enemy.
They are generally peaceful schooling fish that make a colorful addition to a freshwater aquarium. Schools of different tetra species can get along very well and create an active community that is interesting to observe. Â ...
They will sometimes school in tight groups. They will do well in an mbuna tank with lots of rocks, caves and hiding places. They are not as aggressive as Auratus and Johannis, though. They need very clear water, so extra filtration is recommended.
Other Info= This fish is a schooling fish, it is a rapid and expert swimmer. They should be kept in light and well covered tanks, as they are very good jumpers. This is a personal favourite of mine, even though I do not keep it.
Loves aquatic plants and lives in schools in the wild. This fish looks delicate but is hardy. It is interestingly individual. Its movements are unlike those of other catfishes, possibly excepting the Glass Catfish, Kryptopterus bicirrhus.
I picked it up and the Danio swam free and chased his school of the other Danios in and out of the hide-out. Dumb fish! He does it again, but wriggles himself free. Just so he doesn't do it while I am at school." ...
Atlantic Spadefish
These schooling marine fish have stripes, but their close relative in the Pacific do not.
Porcipine Pufferfish
This Hawaiian specimen knows how to defend itself.
Naturally schooling, feeds on algae attached to substrates and also free floating algae. Usually found at depths 2 -6 meters. Some trials and few commercial farms growing Siganus in cages, esp. in Middle East ...
 See also: Fish, Water, Aquarium, Species, Plants
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