FishProfiles.com Message Forums

There's twelve of the little guys, but my WCMM just don't seem to want to school. They all split into groups of 2 or three and explore different parts of the tank.

I started with six, and 5 if them schooled, but one didn't. I added 6 more and they're everywhere. There's 3 pearl gourami in there too, but they don't seem to have made the minnows want to school either.

I got them because i thouught they would school. Is there anything i can do to encourage them?

btw, it's a 180 litre tank, so 40 something gallons.

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/

putting a mirror at one end of the tank might make them school. I've only got 2 Cardies left after various ntd like diseases took all my other tetras away, cant get any more because of the danger of disease, so I use a mirror, which seems to make them school.

-------------------------------------------------
I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

Mine schooled when I first got them, but now they're everywhere. From what I've experienced with them, it's just not in their nature to be tight schoolers. If I gravel vac or rearrange things in the tank, they'll school briefly as a defensive mechanism.

I've noticed the same behavior as with my flame tetras. They only seem to school when I add new fish or do some aquascaping.

My understanding of schooling is that it's a protective measure....without a threat they won't school....A great example is the tetras in the red tail tank @the aquarium in baltimore....it's a huge tank (obviously if its got a red tail) and quite a few tetras (cards or neons) but they dont' school until the red tail wakes up and wanders around....suddenly the tetras hanging out by themselves or with 2 or 3 friends suddenly all come together.

This isn't to say that if you don't have a threat in your tank that it's okay to keep schooling fish in groups of 2 or 3 .

^_^
*Proud member of the Committee for Sig line Restoration*

I totally agree with Babel. IME, cardinals only school during times of stress or darkness. Larger fish such as angels and gouramis create the same effect. Some fish, however, are instictive schoolers nearly all the time.

Schooling is a good defensive mechanism but it does limit the amount of food aviable to an individual. So to forage fish like to split up, but when a predator is nearby they school as stated above.

My WCMM I have 13 schooled for about 1 hour and now as stated are all over the place. The only time they school now is when they get fed or there is some bottom activity(everybody wants to know whats happening, it is funny). I take it as a good sign since I wanted a piecful community tank.

So, what we've determined is that either you can enjoy seeing them spread out or you can add something mean to your tank (preferrably that won't eat them though)and get a nice, tight school...

PM/email/msg me if you have any questions/comments regarding me or my knowledge or if you want me to read a thread.