# Harlequin Rasboras not schooling.



## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Hey guys! Well I got 10 Harlequin Rasboras 2 weeks ago, and I added them to my 29gallon tank last Saturday. They ahven't schooled at all. :/ They did the first day but now they have stopped. In the quarantine tank they schooled very well too. What could cause them to stop schooling? They all just swim around actively but not as a group, they are all doing their own thing. They're colors are great and they eat very well. Help?


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

Water parameters?


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

nitrate: 20-30
nitrite: 0
ammonia: 0

pH <6
gH 1
kH <1

EI dosing, pressurized CO2, and high light. They school nicely at night but when the lights are on they don't.

I do weekly 50-60% w/c

Also have 3 otos and 4 cardinal tetras in their tank.


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## VivaDaWolf (Feb 5, 2012)

I find that once fish settle in and aren't stressed or scared, they feel more free to wander around by themselves. My glolites will school a bit tighter once its sleepy time but generally they are loosely swimming throughout the tank.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Hm :/ Darn haha. Okay. Thank you. I'm know they are healthy and happy, and I guess that's all that matters right?


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## Psionic (Dec 22, 2011)

My fish hate schooling. Unless they all form one huge school. Then I'll see ember tetras, blue tetras, zebra loaches, chilis, celestials, everything just in one big mass moving back and forth. I just stare at them and sigh. 


-Val


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## Chakaga (Mar 31, 2012)

Depending on the tank space you have available you might consider adding a peaceful but larger fish to scare them into schooling.


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## BS87 (Apr 9, 2012)

I have 11 in my 29G (one randomly died last week.. no idea why) along with 9 Tiger Barbs (Green/Albino/Tiger), a clown pleco and a raphael. Right from the start they never schooled, even when i only had 3 Tiger Barbs that would harass them to no end. Every now and then 8-9 of them will school for a minute or so, but usually they just wander in groups of 2-3. It all depends on the individuals I guess.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

That's a pretty small school in a pretty small tank so there isn't a lot of room for them to school. Relative to being in the wild, they are pretty much in a school within the tank. I can get a group of eight to school in a bare bottom 75 when I'm close to the tank. 

The key is to have someone sit there with their hand in the water scaring them back and forth. ;p


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## Chakaga (Mar 31, 2012)

I just got some of these little guys yesterday and I've noticed they start to school up when I approach. Clearly I'm just a nice predator that gives them food to plump them up for later lol


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## kribkeeper888 (Oct 8, 2011)

I have a 20 school in my tank and just the thought of a 3 and a half inch discus causes them to school lol its when they feel insecure with (you), bigger fish or something that they school but if they are comfortable with their surroundings they will relax and stop schooling and just mill around


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## Brownthumb07 (Dec 8, 2009)

I had a nice sized school of rasboras until a friend of mine rehomed his 2 salvini cichlids into my office tank. Out of 15 HRs I now have 3. The rest disappeared in the night no doubt into the belly of the larger male salvini. When I switch the 65g tall for the 40g breeder those salvini cichlids will be gifted to the LFS. If you want your fish to school add something that makes them school. Doesn't have to be a predator type fish just something larger then they are that keeps them on their guard.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Okay guys what do you suggest as a bigger fish? How big exactly? Like would a chocolate gourami be good sized?


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## VivaDaWolf (Feb 5, 2012)

I wouldnt get a bigger fish just to scare them into schooling. Unless that fish is constantly terrorizing them, they'll get used to the larger presence.


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## John K (Nov 12, 2011)

A larger fish will only get them to school for another day before they figure out it's not a real threat. 

JCGD is right - Fish don't school well in smaller tanks. They need to feel like they have to keep up with the other fish or they'll be left behind. But in a 30” tank, no one is going anywhere. They are always close enough to each other that they feel comfortable and safe.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Alrighty.. thanks everyone.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

Sorry swimz... it's just like us. You may feel lonely when you're home alone, but even if someone is in the house, even in another room, you may not feel lonely.


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## Lil' Swimz$ (Jul 24, 2010)

Hahah, that's a great and very true analogy!! Now I know how they feel... I hate being home alone but even if someone is in the basement I feel better...


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## Quesenek (Sep 26, 2008)

I would go along with the idea that the tank is too small.
I have had schools of glo light tetras, black skirt tetras and beckfordi pencilfish.
All who didn't school at all in the Lfs tanks but started schooling in my 75g.


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## Chakaga (Mar 31, 2012)

I sure hope mine will school in my 55 gallon!


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## nikonD70s (Apr 6, 2008)

form my experience. they dont school that nice. used to have them in my 135g and they scatter everywhere...it annoys me. i kept many small tetra's before and the only true schooler are rummynose.


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