# Is this normal tetra behavior?



## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Recently I added 5 ember tetras to my ebi which has 3 corydora hasbrosus, amanos and cherries.

I noticed the tetras don't school at all. Instead each of the five have taken up their own territory in the tank. One in each corner and one in the middle and they just kind of hover over the same spot (not very active swimmers). If anyone, shrimp, cory or tetra invades another's territory they get chased away. Nothing super aggressive, but is this normal tetra behaviour? I had neons many years ago and don't recall this ever happening. Are they normally this territorial, male and female?

It's kind of odd seeing these fish spread out all over the tank and keeping to themselves.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

they dont have room to school properly, not many tetra species school tightly enough for tanks 10 gallons or under. My cardinals barely schooled in my 29 gallon tank. I would say you truly see decent schooling with tanks 3 ft long


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I've never had ember tetras and they are smaller than any tetras that I've ever had, except maybe for young cardinals. But I have had a lot of other kinds of tetras over the years. I see very tight shoaling behaviour with my red phantom tetras when I approach the tank. But there are about 50 of them (they're all very small still). The rest of the time, they spread out. My black skirt tetras and red flame tetras never swam together. I was babysitting someone's serpae tetras for awhile, and they seemed to hang out together -- mostly to pick on the black phantom.

I think it's common for tetras to disperse over the tank and spend a lot of their time that way, except when nervous. The Ebi is so narrow that for them to spread out, they pretty much have to take the corners and the middle.

I don't know much about corydora habrosus, but my pygmy corydoras used to school with my harlequin rasboras. Over time, your habrosus cories might come to think that they are ember cories. Those dwarf cories do seem to like to try to fit in.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello, i found tetra's to be like that. i had 8 black skirt tetra in my 55 and they all picked a spot and defended it. after a while i moved them to mt brothers 37g, that only has 1 plant to hide behind. and they stick together more but only truly school when scared. i now have red eye balloon tetras, and they are better at sticking together but not like when i first got them. i have herd that the serpae tetra is a good schooling fish. every time i see them at the lfs they are schooling. but maybe there just scared. 

Cheers


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## Athomedad (Oct 8, 2011)

My black skirts all pick a territory in a 65 gal planted. They only school when I'm gravel cleaning or netting someone.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Tetras will school if there are threats in the tank. Tank also needs to be big...30 gallons or so. In a small tank, the schooling effect is non-existent due to reasons as previously mentioned by others.


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## JohnnyAppleSnail (May 30, 2010)

I find most of the time My Embers find their own spots and then the odd time hang out together,I have 6 Penguin Tetras that never school all have their own spots,same as Lemon's,Black Phantoms,etc. only tetra's I have that school are Cardinals,Rummynose,and Bloodfin's,even My Emperor's are all over the Place so I wouldn't worry too much.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone. Sounds like it's normal tetra behaviour...at least in a small tank. 

I'm going to assume that by adding 1-2 more it is going to up the aggression and won't cause them to school since there is no real threat in my planted tank. I was originally going to add one more, but now I'm thinking no since territories are already formed. Are females generally territorial as well or have they just been pushed into the corners because the males have claimed other parts of the tank?

Thanks.


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## JohnnyAppleSnail (May 30, 2010)

The more embers you add the "better" chance of schooling,when I had many they schooled more often or broke off into small groups,the less amount they tended to pair off or have a single here or there. I find their aggression isn't anything like say Male Lemons,Penguins, or Emperor Tetras. I like the Color's of Embers,I wouldn't be scared at all to add a couple if not more,they are so tiny as it is.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I don't know the answer to your question about females and aggression, but I would try adding another if this were my tank. You planned to have 6 at the start. They're a peacable little fish, I'd guess that they'll sort out their space with the newcomer, particularly if you drop in a new plant or turn the stone or something. Common wisdom is that they'd like a group of at least 6, although that may not apply in an Ebi with habrosus already. The habrosus may help them feel secure.

Of course if you add 20 more, then whatever they do, they'll look like they're schooling. <Note: that was a joke!>


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

lol, 20 it is!

I wonder if there is any scientific explanation for 6 being the preferred minimum?


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Somebody once said so. After that, it was all over the lore.



Atom said:


> lol, 20 it is!
> 
> I wonder if there is any scientific explanation for 6 being the preferred minimum?


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## LikeItLow (Jan 11, 2011)

in a 65 gallon i have 5 lemon tetras, 5 gold tetras and about 10 serpae tetras. they all hang out in thier own areas but dont really "school". i had a school of about 20 rummynose and they would school like a proper school should....then i put my knife fish into the tank lol...


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