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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!yale!Ram-Ashwin
From: Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu (Ashwin Ram)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.pets
Subject: Neon Tetra schooling behavior (or the lack of it)
Message-ID: <28533@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>
Date: 5 May 88 20:23:13 GMT
Sender: root@yale.UUCP
Reply-To: Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu (Ashwin Ram)
Organization: Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Lines: 33
Keywords: fish
Summary: Do they or don't they?

I have a question about the schooling behavior of Neon Tetras.  These are
classic schooling fish, right?  I got 4 of them for my 40-gallon tank, and they
schooled beautifully.  They never did in my 10-gallon, but I thought perhaps
that was too small for them (i.e., the physical size of the school may be larger
than 20 inches).

So I added 2 more.  Everything went fine for a couple of hours, then all hell
broke loose.  The Tetras began chasing each other all over the place.  I wasn't
sure if they were spawning (though sometimes they did seem to be chasing each
other in tight circles) or just fighting.  This continued for a week, during
most of which time they were dispersed througout the tank.

After a week or so, 2 Tetras died within a few hours of each other.  I think
they were the 2 new ones, but I can't be perfectly sure.  I don't know if the
fighting stressed them out, or they were just a bad lot.  But then, Voila!  The
remaining 4 started schooling together again like they should (although they do
seem to chase each other on occasion, but not that often).

My question is, what is going on here?  Anyone understand the schooling behavior
of these fishes?  How large should the school be in a tank this size?  The tank
is well planted and pretty sparsely populated at present -- do they school less
in the absence of threats?

I guess it doesn't really matter since the fish are doing great, but I was a
little curious about what happened.

Thanks.

-- Ashwin.

ARPA:    Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu
UUCP:    {decvax,ucbvax,harvard,cmcl2,...}!yale!Ram-Ashwin
BITNET:  Ram@yalecs