mickey-tropical-fish-mad Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 i have 5 penguin fish. They are shooling fish, but for some reason they dont shool! Does anyone have any idea on how i could train them to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 Put a large cichlid in the tank with them. Schooling is a threat response for fish. They don't feel threatened they all swim around doing their own thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickey-tropical-fish-mad Posted December 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 the cichlid wont eat them would he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 He might, he might not. Depends on the species and the individual. And if he does...Well, cichlids are better than tetras anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cath Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 Mikey, Ira is joking, the fact that your fish aren't schooling is a good thing - they are feeling happy and unthreatones. If they get a fright, which they sure would if you put a large cichlid in the tank, they will bunch together in a school as panic response. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 My Penguin Tetras didn't school. I think they might have formed a loose school in a very large tank but in a 3' they didn't need to. Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 Give them a pen, paper, ruler and eraser, and tell them if they don't school with that lot, they'll have to sit on the "naughty seat" Alan 104 PS. Who said Ira's joking, that would actually work. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 larger tanks work - if you have say, 100 tetra in a 6000L tank they will school, or at least look like they are schooling because they are so close together relative to the size of the tank. fear of the unknown is almost as effective as fear of a big ugly predator (or potential predator) so large open spaces work well. but then you also have to consider that fish will hide more the less places you give them to hide... you might find that your fish think they are schooling anyway, if they can see each other from their separate locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted December 19, 2005 Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 I currently have a large group of schooling discus that I've introduced a dominant "leader" to settle down. Lots of traffic by the tank and lack of places to hide give them a schooling response. When fish hang out and do "their own thing" they usually have babies. Obviously, schooling isn't always a great thing. Enjoy your fish, they sound happy. I could never get my penguins to school either, by the way. Great fish but a bit nippy for tetras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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