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New Tetras exhibiting odd behaviour2007-11-24 23:39:35

Have just introduced my first fish t my freshwater community tank, 10 glowlight tetras. water quality is being monitored and is fine, and the fish have been in about 24 hrs. At first they grouped together ie for the first 18 hr or so, which is what i would expect from a 'schooling fish'. Now they have grouped into a 2 or three groups ad have started chsing each other, difficult to tell but i think its the same fish being chased all the time.

my question is this, is this mating type behavior ( these fish are fairly young as they are recent purchases) or have i bought too many for one 'school', or would you say they are in distress?

Answers:

They are probably fine.

The chasing is territorial behavior. Nothing to worry about. Tetras, like many animals, develop a pecking order.

Introducing 10 fish at one time to a brand new aquarium is probably not a great idea. You may experience a nitrogen spike in the tanks bio load, as it is not acclimated to the level of fish waste (uneaten food and fish feces) that you have put in it. It's usually better to phase fish into a new tank slower (2 or 3 per week). My recommendation would be to underfeed the fish at first - make sure they eat as much of the food that you put in as possible, with very little or no extra - and do frequent water changes. 20% change after the first week, 15% after the second week, and 10% each week thereafter until your tank 'cycles'. This will prevent initial fish die-off that you could experience from initial overstocking.

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Google it!

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You might try contacting the pet store where you purchased the fish and talk with them about what's happening. Hopefully they'll have some insight into the situation. If they're no help, Google it & see what you come up with. Good Luck!

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The other tetras that are being chased may actually be sick or weak and the other fish sense it. I don't how big your tank is, but another option could be that the sex of the other tetras are female and the males are harassing them.