# Best small schooling species?



## Quillfish (Jul 11, 2013)

I want a nice school of fish in the 55 gallon I'm planning. The school will have about 10 fish in it. Suggestions? Here is my criteria of what I'd like:

-Hardy
-Able to adjust to various water perameters
-Non-nipping (keeping long-finned fish, so this is important)
-Relatively low susceptibility to Neon Tetra disease or other diseases 
-Small (4cm or less, preferably 2-3cm)
-Pretty and colourful 
-Good for a moderately planted tank
-Easy to find in a fish store

The species I have in mind are:

-Lemon tetra
-Glowlight tetra
-Ember tetra
-Espei's rasbora

Which of those fit my criteria best? Also, if you have any better suggestions, let me know


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## Tracy Bird (Sep 20, 2011)

I'd also suggest *Rummy Nose Tetras*

I like the Espei's too!


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## Quillfish (Jul 11, 2013)

I love rummy noses too, but they're a bit big (5cm or so, from what I've read). I want to have a really small fish so that I can get a decent sized school without overstocking xD

I absolutely love Espeis, but they're kind of hard to find. If I see them I might get them, but otherwise I think it's between the Glowlight Tetra and the Lemon Tetra. Which one would you say is better for them peaceful community tank?


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## Boscobear (Jan 7, 2012)

I agree with Rummy Nose, they really school together, all the time. The glowlights will stay together, but they don't seem to swim back and forth in one large group like the Rummy Nose do. Some of my glowlights will join in the school of Rummies. They will swim back and forth a couple times with the school, and then drift away. I have 25 Rummies together, in a 180 gal., and it becomes eye entracing for new viewers.


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## BarbH (May 23, 2011)

What other fish are you going to be placing in the tank?


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

I picked up a small group of Silvertip Tetra (Hasemania nana) and really like them. Yellowish gold colouration and the fin tips stand out, nice contrast. Depending on what else you are going to have in the tank I would suggest that you go with as large a number as you can. I have 12 in a 25 gallon.

Jeff.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Rummies are my favorite schooler. Also like Harlequin Rasboras.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Quillfish (Jul 11, 2013)

I'm going to keep platies, guppies, cory cats, a pearl gourami, and maybe a few mollies, depending.

Silvertips are a known fin-nipper, so I'd like to avoid them so they don't nip my guppies' fins...lol

I just saw a species called the Glowlight Danio, which is very pretty. Anyone know more about these fish? Their markings are very interesting, and they are around the size I was thinking of.


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## Tracy Bird (Sep 20, 2011)

Another species I REALLY like are Green Tetras.

Green Tetras resemble Cardinals, but they are about 1/2 the size and are similar to the size of Neons.

They carry a green tint when the light hits them at certain angles, but do show blue as well.

My experience is that Green tetras are much hardier than neons.

I recently added a school of 7 to one of my Apistogramma tanks and they are absolutely wonderful. The tank really came to life when they arrived - they stay close together and are very active, they are beautiful little fish and they were only $1.00 a piece!!!!!!

ALSO: just to clarify, I am referring to the species Paracheirodon simulans.... Not the "Glowfish Green Tetra".....


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

There is one other small fish that comes to mind, I never got any but see them occasionally in the store... the mention of a green tetra reminded me of them.

Emerald eye rasbora. I don't think they are in the profiles here. Their eyes are a super reflective green (emerald I suppose) and a school of them are this mass of shiny green eyes, almost like little LED lights. When I saw them they probably had a hundred in the tank so the effect was intense.

Jeff.


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## Toasterbaa (Jun 25, 2013)

You should get harlequin rasboras. They are small hardy and swim in sice shoals. I have 8 in with fish much larger then them. The other fish ignore them and i had no problems with aggression towards them.


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## steve123 (May 11, 2013)

*cardinal tetras*

cardinal tetras are ok....... . there immune to neon tetra disease


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## RackinRocky (Feb 11, 2012)

I love my Mountain CIoud Minnows! Never thought I'd like minnows, but they are great! Get along with my Rainbows, Giant Danio, guppy, platies, balloon mollies, Bolivian Ram and Kribensis. They don't school tightly all the time, but do stay fairly close to each other, and are quite attractive with their blacks, tans, reds and whites. They are a little over an inch long. I have three, but want a couple more, as you should have at least five.


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## Reece (Aug 10, 2011)

I keep 7 Harlequin Rasboras in my tank, they're always in a tight bunch together! A nice orange colour with a black stripe going down their rear half. I definitely recommend the little guys, there's a few pics of them on my aquarium page 

Actually, if you look closely at my profile picture you can see 4 of them together in the background...


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