# Your favorite schooling or shoaling fish?



## KurtG (Dec 10, 2007)

Neons, they are small and don't over power the tank so you can have a fair amount of them. 

My only problem is that Angels eat them and I'd like to keep some Angels but have gone with Rams.


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## tazcrash69 (Sep 27, 2005)

Rummy nose tetras!!
Nice tight schools, and I love watching them follow each other.


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## JustOneMore21 (May 23, 2006)

Another for Rummynose tetras! Those are the best schoolers I've seen.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

rasbora hengelli


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## limnidi (May 2, 2007)

Harlequin Rasboras. I like their colors once they settle in.


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## HiroPro (Jun 2, 2007)

I like Ember tetras - I've got a school of 24 in my 55G tank.


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## Church (Sep 14, 2004)

+1 for the rasbora hengelis!! These little guys stay in the TIGHTEST school I've ever seen.. before them, I would have said harlequin rasboras, which are still a DAMN tight school.. but there's always one or two loners, it seems, in the harlequin bunch. And with the henglis, they just stay with each other everywhere they go! So far, for me, it is the most textbook example of a schooling fish, ever.


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## bgoodwins (May 3, 2007)

+2 for hengelis. love em.


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## frozenbarb (Dec 16, 2006)

Rasbora einthovenii 
Brilliant rasbora 

they are like 1" to 1.5" in size. They school so tighty 
they beat the Rummynose. As Overfloater said. These are the funniest fish i had i could video tape them if you want. Matter fact go to your Larges chain stores and try to find the Brilliant Rasboras Then walk back and forth in front of the tank. Mines goes right in front of my output and swim against the current in schools and start doing flips


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

Can anyone comment on how Columbian Tetras school? I read one description somewhere that said they were one of the best schoolers.


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## windfish (Dec 2, 2007)

forddna said:


> Can anyone comment on how Columbian Tetras school? I read one description somewhere that said they were one of the best schoolers.


I don't know about the best, but they are definitely good schoolers. Someone on PT had a good picture... try searching "colombian".

I've always been a big fain of rainbowfish in groups. Though don't tend to form one big school, but rather groups of 2 or 3 in my experience. I just bought 4 boesmani rainbows and they're great fish.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

rummy nose tetras.
the best schooler i know.


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## Reddog80p (Oct 1, 2007)

Rummynose, no doubt.


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## AmoAquafish (Jun 5, 2004)

I would say harlquin rasboras are the best scoolers I've had and I love their colors, but then I have not had any other rasboras or rummynose. I also like glowlight tetras and white clouds, they stay together, especially the white clouds, but not so tight. Incidentally, my five gold barbs in my 10g stay together VERY well, I almost never see any apart. My checker barbs in my 20g, do not, for whatever reason. I'm curious, how well do black phantom tetras stay together? I have one in my 20g tank (it was the closest I could get to an angelfish : ) and have thought of getting more, for a bigger tank. My BPT doesn't seem at all lonely--he schools with the other fish his size and is king of the tank--but I love, LOVE his looks and would be interested in getting a school for a different tank.


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## tazcrash69 (Sep 27, 2005)

FWIW, I have noticed that if the school is too large, the fish might not school at tightly. 
When I originally set up my 125, I had about 15 harlequin rasboras that used to shoal nicely (still not as tight as the rummy noses), but now through attrition of someone breaking down their tank, I have about 40 in my 125, and they aren't as tight as they were before. 

YMMV


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

..messed up. see post below..


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

AmoAquafish said:


> I'm curious, how well do black phantom tetras stay together? I have one in my 20g tank (it was the closest I could get to an angelfish : ) and have thought of getting more, for a bigger tank. My BPT doesn't seem at all lonely--he schools with the other fish his size and is king of the tank--but I love, LOVE his looks and would be interested in getting a school for a different tank.


Not sure about schooling, but I just recently researched them, and they seem to be an all-around great fish! Not too expensive, either. You can mix black phantons and red phantoms.


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## AmoAquafish (Jun 5, 2004)

They are all around great fish!


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## Mangala (Jul 23, 2006)

AmoAquafish said:


> I'm curious, how well do black phantom tetras stay together? I have one in my 20g tank (it was the closest I could get to an angelfish : ) and have thought of getting more, for a bigger tank. My BPT doesn't seem at all lonely--he schools with the other fish his size and is king of the tank--but I love, LOVE his looks and would be interested in getting a school for a different tank.


I've got 5 black phantom tetras in with my baby angelfish, and I'll tell you, from experience, the males tend to get segregated from the group. I've got 2 females and three males (didn't know the difference when i got them) and two of the males tend to be pretty solitary, while the one male gets both females and they hang out within three inches of each other all the time. I suppose that if you wanted more schooling, I'd go with a ratio of 2 red finned ones to 1 black finned one. But then you might just end up with a bunch of little groups.


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## pieky22 (Oct 17, 2007)

glowlights and rummynose!!!!!!!


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

It strikes me as funny that this conversation has become about the question "which fish schools tightest?" rather than the original "what's your fav..."? 

I've never much cared for the look of rasboras, and they are a bit too 'en vogue' for me.

Just to be contrarian, I'll vote for serpae tetras for their bloody good looks and contra-cichlid toughness (wanna see schooling? how about tetras in with some Archocentrus sp.) and Pristella Tetra for there high body / small size combo and excellent dorsal fin patterning.

I'd like to see most any so-called bad schooling fish in their native environs. I bet a few thousand cardinals in The River school reaaal nice.


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## bsherwood (Nov 22, 2007)

I dig rummy's
but I just put about 20 white spot tetra's in my 120...


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

macclellan said:


> It strikes me as funny that this conversation has become about the question "which fish schools tightest?" rather than the original "what's your fav..."?


 
Thanks - you're right. I was going to say something, but it was still interesting so I didn't. But I am really looking for everyone's favorite fish that happens to school/shoal.


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## loachlady5 (Dec 9, 2007)

I think rummynoses are gorgeous but somewhat expensive. I love my black skirt tetras - someone else mentioned this. I have thirteen. They don't school as tightly as I like, but their black coloring can be a nice contrast with the plants. They tend to only darker to a nice black under certain conditions, however.


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## Bugman (Jan 7, 2008)

I got to agree with to Rainbows. My second favorite fish. (Blue ram is top of list). Don't usually find much of a selection at the lfs but I stopped by today and they had some tourquoise in!! Someone asked for a special order of 2 and they went ahead and got more. I had never seen them except for pictures. Brought 2 home. Wow does the color really pop. I'm betting that after a good diet and water conditions they will brighten up even more. My new favorite rainbow. In my 55 gal I have2 tourquoise, 2 Australian, 2 New Guinea and 1 boesemani. Mine like to school and look great in a group. Lots of color.


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

I ended up buying 6 or 8 Zebra Danios and 8 other Danios..can't remember their name now. Equally active, long fins/tails, red colored with spots. I have a cold and can't remember crap today!


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I am going to try to keep a very large school of asian rummynose tetras in a 20g long.

I have read they are very shy fish, so this will be a species tank. However, they are supposed to be much hardier than their South American counterparts, rummynose tetras, although not as commonly kept. Problem is that the females appear very dull and brownish while young, and males don't exhibit their true sky blue colour until sexual maturity /breeding mode.


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

^ got a link?


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

whats the physical difference between the asian and south american?


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

Dunno, but I heard the Asians are really good at science and math, and the South Americans are great soccer players!


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## erijnal (Jun 19, 2006)

My favorite schoolers are Cardinal tetras and Barred pencilfish (Nannostomus espei)


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

K new thread on the asian rummynose.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/58072-asian-rummynose-info.html#post517882


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

Cyprichromis sp.


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## outcast (Jul 4, 2007)

My favourite schooling fish is the Black phantom tetra, the ones with the bit of red to them, not just the plain black and white ones


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## Fugu (Nov 10, 2007)

Either golden dorado, african tigers (especially goliath), or cardinal tetras.


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## straitjacketstar (Sep 22, 2005)

Black neons
Black phantoms
Columbian tetras
Trigonostigma espei. T. espei is the most brilliant of the 3 species IMO.

T. heteromorpha is the most popular, certain populations of which are rising in popularity. T. hengeli and T. espei were once considered synonyms, now recognized as two different species.

T. hengeli is a more glassy amber/translucent yellow species with a similar wedge pattern to T. espei.
See:
http://www.bollmoraakvarieklubb.org/artiklar/Trigonostigma/trighen.jpg
http://f21.aaa.livedoor.jp/~niobu/Then.html
http://jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/aquarium/trigonostigma_hengeli.htm

T. espei is the brilliant coppery red/orange with almost iridescent purple wash under certain lighting situations that really capture the eye.
See:
http://www.aquanet.de/homepages/nat.../Betta_albimarginata/trigonostigma_espei.html
http://www.minifische.de/trigonostigma-espei-south.jpg
http://www.bollmoraakvarieklubb.org/artiklar/Trigonostigma/tespei.jpg

Other than that, does Geophagus altifrons count? lol


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## forddna (Sep 12, 2007)

> Other than that, does Geophagus altifrons count? lol


Gorgeous fish, but umm..no. lol


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## CAN_chic (Jan 21, 2008)

OHHH put me down for Rummynose!! I will always love them no matter what! Their bright red noses make my day and definitely brighten up my tank


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## addo (Apr 20, 2007)

T. hengeli I think it´s much prettier than T. espei, its pattern is more distinct and its eyes look like little diamonds! But each to his own, i guess.


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## PasD (Sep 2, 2006)

My ember tetras and emerald eye rasboras have got to be some of the tightest schooling fish available.


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## god of jibbrock (Nov 19, 2007)

my favorites r rummy nose/cardinal tetras


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## gentledental4u (Feb 28, 2008)

put me down for harlequin rasboras


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Tiger barbs and clown loaches... they love schooling together. Need room to swim, though.


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## DanG (Apr 25, 2006)

Let me add one that I think no one has mentioned yet, I do love Harlequins, Espei's, Hengeli's, Cardinals, and rummynose, all of which I have. 

And I have just added 10 Blue (purple) Emperor Tetras (Impachthys kerri) to my tank. They school tightly at the very top level (unlike Emperor Tetras who do not school). And pretty too.


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## EdTheEdge (Jan 25, 2007)

Bleeding Heart Tetras!!!!!


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## bra_van_drakh (Feb 11, 2008)

most deffinettely cardinals and hengeli's rasboras. .. .^^

the splendid colouration will just make your eyes pop out, hahahah. . .

how's bout sterbai corries ??? r they also considered as schooling fish ??? i'd vote fr them too^^


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## rufus xavier sarsaparilla (Mar 6, 2008)

nice call, bra.

i was just about to interject and give corys their due as schooling fish. my preference is for the smaller ones (smaller = you can have more of them; nyuk nyuk) like habrosus, hastatus, and pygmaeus. 

soooo adorable how they'll even rest together, completely stationary, too.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

I recently saw a video of Threadfin Rainbows schooling in someones tank, they were awesome looking. So, not to buck the norm, but they seem to be my fav to date.


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## rmc (Dec 6, 2005)

gmccreedy said:


> I recently saw a video of Threadfin Rainbows schooling in someones tank, they were awesome looking. So, not to buck the norm, but they seem to be my fav to date.


Definitely one of my favorites. A male threadfin showing off his finnage is spectacular. Spawning them in a small planted tank is a lot of fun too.


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## Characins (Feb 4, 2008)

Rummy nose tetras and boesemani rainbows are my favourite schoolers!


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

straitjacketstar said:


> Other than that, does Geophagus altifrons count? lol


 
I second Geophagus Altifrons, if you have a 600 gal tank...


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## rmc (Dec 6, 2005)

Good Point! The size of the tank has a lot to do with which would be my favorite. Geo's are great if you have enough room. Discus are too. There are also many species that look fantastic in a planted tank although they don't appear to be very exciting in the LFS tanks. Rombius barbs, odessa barbs, and choprae danios look rather drab in a store environment but once they're in a nice planted tank they are awesome. Denisoni barbs (if one can afford them) are good schoolers too but need a much larger tank to be happy. If you have a 10-gallon tank or smaller then the galaxy rasbora might be a good choice. You don't need big fish just because you have a big tank either. I have a 150-gallon tank with over 1000 cardinals in it and I can enjoy watching them for hours at a time. I also have a 75-gal planted tank that I love and the largest fish in there are a few 4-inch golden dojo loaches.


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## ccattie (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm gonna be a rebel and say my Peppered Corys. Those little guys look like a little gang sweeping the bottom of the tank tossing around lil pebbles.
-c


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## eden_angelfish (Mar 10, 2008)

Threadfin Rainbows. You can keep a decent group in just about anything bigger than five gallons. Or, if you have more room to play with, some of the bigger rainbows. They don't school non-stop, but I've never seen anything that does. Even tetras seem to go their own ways on occasion.


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