# Do Chili Rasboras School/Shoal?



## daobn24 (Apr 22, 2011)

They are ok schooler, not as much as the neons or cardinals though. I have Chillis and they are pretty awesome!


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

Beware that they are jumpers though if you have an open top tank. I've had 30+ chilis, some died from ich, most died from jumping out.


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## karatekid14 (Jan 16, 2011)

chiefroastbeef said:


> Beware that they are jumpers though if you have an open top tank. I've had 30+ chilis, some died from ich, most died from jumping out.


Thanks for letting me know, do you have any suggestions for other small schooling fish?


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## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

I've got 24 chilis in my rimless open top 90g with another 60 or so similarly sized fish. Never had a chili jump. They mostly hang out in groups of 8-10. Always a few loners hanging around in the dense bacopa. 

Jim


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

Ember Tetras stay quite small & school well. Another suggestion is Celestial Pearl Danios (Galaxy Rasboras), or another mini-rasbora, like chilis, Boraras Maculatus.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

They loosely group. I wouldn't really call it schooling. I haven't had issues with them jumping, but I keep them in a species tank.

I find alot of the danios to be a bit shy. The rasboras are much more outgoing. Other good options would be something like habrosus cories as they school and utilize the entire tank.


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## Michael in Texas (Jul 27, 2010)

Silvertip tetras.


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## karatekid14 (Jan 16, 2011)

Jim Miller said:


> I've got 24 chilis in my rimless open top 90g with another 60 or so similarly sized fish. Never had a chili jump. They mostly hang out in groups of 8-10. Always a few loners hanging around in the dense bacopa.
> 
> Jim


After hearing about jumpers I am not sold, I still really like them though.




discuspaul said:


> Ember Tetras stay quite small & school well. Another suggestion is Celestial Pearl Danios (Galaxy Rasboras), or another mini-rasbora, like chilis, Boraras Maculatus.


I really like the size of ember tetras, and they school!



msjinkzd said:


> They loosely group. I wouldn't really call it schooling. I haven't had issues with them jumping, but I keep them in a species tank.
> 
> I find alot of the danios to be a bit shy. The rasboras are much more outgoing. Other good options would be something like habrosus cories as they school and utilize the entire tank.


I agree with you, celestral danios always seem to be hiding with their fins down. I really like cories so I might have a school of 6 or so also. I know my filter can handle it, but it seems a bit crowded with 15 schooling + 6 cories +2 otos = 23 fish so I might not have cories.



Michael in Texas said:


> Silvertip tetras.


I like how they look but they sound aggresive



chiefroastbeef said:


> Beware that they are jumpers though if you have an open top tank. I've had 30+ chilis, some died from ich, most died from jumping out.


I messed up the order but, have you tested the water? Maybe that is why they are jumping.


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

karatekid14 said:


> After hearing about jumpers I am not sold, I still really like them though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My water is fine, as all my other inhabitants are fine. I do fill the water flush with the top of the tank rim as well, so fish and just hop over. Cardinals, ember tetras, and pygmy cories are the only fish that have never jumped out of my tank.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

m. kubotai is a really nice fish as well as is m. nanus. Both are pretty outgoing and school


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## karatekid14 (Jan 16, 2011)

msjinkzd said:


> m. kubotai is a really nice fish as well as is m. nanus. Both are pretty outgoing and school


Are they kinda clear yellow (kubotai are greenish) or do they brighten up? Otherwise I think they might disappear!


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

the nanus have a black dorsal and are yellowish. The kubotai are brightly colored. They are just more outgoing than a lot of the small danios who, while brightly colored, hide if any hiding spaces are provided.


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

I've had Chili Rasboras in my 90g and in a 3g. Both are open top and never found any jerky. In the 90g I had at least 30 but would rarely see them. Those slowly got sucked into the Tom Aquatics surface skimmer I had on one canister. Just got to the point that pulling the canister down daily to save them just wasn't going to happen anymore.

5 of the 6 in the 3g are doing well. The single loss came last month and the RCS cleaned up the leftovers. Even in the 3g they don't stay out much spending most of their time in the back.


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## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

I found my chilis often in the top of my eheim 2078. I solved that by asking my wife to sew some fiberglass window screening onto the filter screens. 

Jim


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## karatekid14 (Jan 16, 2011)

I don't think they could get in the filter. It is an Eheim 2213 and the lily pipes are only 13mm wide.


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## karatekid14 (Jan 16, 2011)

After watching some YouTube videos of the fish I think I like ember tetras the best.


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