# Got some new fish. This behavior normal?



## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

I got 10 Black neons (for $1 each at petco) and some panda tetras that I've never seen before.

I've never kept tetras, but everything I've seen says they don't really school tightly.

The black neons are. They stay in a tight group and do leisurely laps around the tank, except for when a cory swims through their group.

I got 6 pandas, and they are staying near the top in the duckweed, and seem to be hiding. They aren't schooling at all. 

Any explanation?


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## tanker (Mar 13, 2010)

Maybe they're feeling insecure in a new place and are sticking to their group for security. When they satisfy themselves that you haven't got some big horrible fish looking to eat them, they might spread out and relax.


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## Blabomb (Jan 30, 2011)

I put 3 neon tetras and 3 zebra danios in my tank and they all stayed on the surface of the tank. At first I thought they were hiding but then they all died. I am thinking that maybe they were stressed. So maybe your pandas are stressed or not healthy? I would try putting some water conditioner in there to help that. Also try turning some of your lights on your tank to help relieve stress


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

+ 1 to what Tanker said. I bought 14 Black Neon Tetra at my good LFS this weekend and at first they did the same thing but then by the time I went to bed they were all swimming all over. I love the way they look in my tank with the other regular neons. I have been feeling like I was missing something in my 55 for a while now but now I look at it and I feel like its complete except for some more plants and more flame tetra to add to my current 3 when I find them.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Blabomb if your tank was not cycled then thats why they died.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

redchigh said:


> I got 10 Black neons (for $1 each at petco) and some panda tetras that I've never seen before.
> 
> I've never kept tetras, but everything I've seen says they don't really school tightly.
> 
> ...


Panda tetra's will frequent the upper level in the aquarium.Some floating pennywort would help them feel secure.
Don't see em very often in fish stores. I just picked up ten Blue Emperor tetra's from local fish store,first ones I've seen in some time.They too seem to prefer the upper regions of the aquarium but they have only been in the tank for a couple days after week of quarantine.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

they seem to have calmed down a bit since then. thanks guys.

The pandas still aren't real active... I think they're scared of the cories.



Is there any evidence that cories like 'dither fish'? They've been a lot more active since I got the tetras...


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Previous advice on tetra remaining together at first until settled was correct, just adding my 2 cents there.

More significant issue though is the Panda Tetra. Assuming this is _Aphyocharax paraguayensis_, sometimes also commonly called Dawn Tetra, you will likely have a major problem. 

I have twice acquired these fish, years apart, and in my experience they cannot be kept with anything else in the tank. They are quiet at first, but after just a few days they become a terror. They are said to "sometimes" be fin nippers and "a bit feisty," so I was careful to monitor their behaviour. On about the fourth day of them being in my 90g tank, I went in to feed the fish in the morning and could see nothing except the group of 9_ Aphyocharax paraguayensis _swimming around. I spotted all the other fish, about 50 various characins like Black Phantom, Rosy Tetra, Rummynose Tetra and cardinal tetra, all hovering along the back wall of plants. When I added food, a couple of these others came out, but were immediately driven back by the A. paraguayensis. This lasted for two days, and on the third I pulled the A. paraguayensis out; within a couple hours the other characins began to venture out, and a few hours later all was back to normal. I had an outbreak of ich caused by the stress, the cardinals were the worst and I actually lost a couple of them.

You will note that I had a good sized group, and in a large tank; both of which sometimes lessens feistiness. But not with these fish. I did not observe any physical attacks, just "chasing," but these fish release pheromones into the water which other fish can pick up on, and presumably this tells the others to keep their distance. This is very stressful on fish, and will lead to weakened immune systems with poor health and possible death following.

This species remains in the yupper third of the tank, and will naturally chase each other; given sufficient space physical damage is usually not evident, and within their group presumably this is natural behaviour. But I would not recommend they be placed in community tanks with other fish if you value those.

Byron.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Byron said:


> Previous advice on tetra remaining together at first until settled was correct, just adding my 2 cents there.
> 
> More significant issue though is the Panda Tetra. Assuming this is _Aphyocharax paraguayensis_, sometimes also commonly called Dawn Tetra, you will likely have a major problem.
> 
> ...


Netting out 9 of those little fish in a big 90gl must have taken some work! How many plants were destroyed in the process??


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

aunt kymmie said:


> Netting out 9 of those little fish in a big 90gl must have taken some work! How many plants were destroyed in the process??


Aside from the last 1 or 2, they almost swam into the net. As I mentioned, they were the only fish out swimming, and as they remain close to the surface, and it was morning so they expected food when the top opened, I got I think 4 of them with one swoop, then 2 or 3, then the last couple took some effort.

It really was astonishing, to sit in front of a tank with almost 100 fish in it and only see 9 of them for hours.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

Well I'll definately keep an eye on it. I have an extra cycled tank for them if need be.

Thanks for the tip, Byron.


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