Would they school?

[lemans81]

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on if I got some glowfish danios(like 2-3) would they school with my current leopard danios or are leopard danios racist?

[Fishguy2727]

May or may not, it depends.

[lemans81]

Mainly I am just wondering everyones best guess and in there experience.

[Incredulous_Ed]

I guess it would depend on how long the leopard danios have been there. when there is a school of fish, they establish a pecking order, and when you add more fish, they probably won't school as if you had placed all of them in at the same time.
But as reptileguy said, they may or may not.

[lemans81]

Well by the time I add the glowfish it will have been about 5 weeks since the danios were added.

[Lady Hobbs]

People often add different types of tetra's together thinking they will school together but they don't. They still stay within their own species. I rather suspect the danio's will do the same.

[jeffs99dime]

there are some species "in my tank" that school together. my rosy tetra and my columbian redfin tetra school together. it's probably just in my tank though, for some reason. it think it's all just chance!

[Wallyfish]

Sometimes I have problems getting my glofish to school even with each other. Some of them can be real bullies to each other, and that doesn't promote a schooling environment it seems. They seem to wander around and do thier own thing mostly unless they are spooked. Perhaps it is because I didn't introduce them to the tank all at once. My Neon Tetras school together much more in comparison.

[minabird]

Usually, if the species are similar in appearance, size, and inhabit the same area of the tank, they may group together, but not actually form a school. If you place a perceived threat in the tank, like a larger fish that looks big enough to eat them but actually won't, you may be able to get them to school together.

I have a similar experience as jeffs99dime with different species schooling together. I have a baby leopard cory and 3 oto cats that hang out together on a regualr basis. I also have a bumblebee goby in that tank that will hang out with them occasionally. When I work in the tank, the 4 cats will school together and swim for a safe corner and stay there until I'm done. After the initial fright, the bumblebee goby will come out to inspect the invader in his territory.

Here's a link to a nice article on schooling fish behavior.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/articles/school.shtml

[Severus]

My gf has a school of long finned blue danios and a school of zebra danios in a tank and they keep their distance. Sometimes i will catch them together for a minute, but usually they stick to themselves.