Fish relationships

[PineSong]

Since setting up my community tank a few months ago, I've noticed that some of my fish are always together with certain other individuals of their same species. My two orange platies (both male) are literally side by side throughout the day, but never grouped with the younger platies who were added at a later date.

Two  younger male silver platies are buddies, but don't include the third who is just a couple of weeks younger and arrived with them but was away from them for an extra week in the QT tank l while I waited to be sure of the sex.

Two of my otos are side by side on the glass or near each other on plants, while the other oto is across the tank alone. I've only seen all three of them together a couple times.

Meanwhile, my two Endler males are never near each other. 

I guess before observing these differences, I thought some fish would hang out in breeding pairs if they were kinds of fish who pair off, or in schools with all the others of their type if they were schooling fish. I didn't realize they'd have particular friends they would spend all of their time with. 

Is this something you've noticed with your own fish?

It makes me want to be careful to not split up pairs when I am moving fish from one tank to another to avoid overstocking or whatever.

 

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I've seen it. 

I have 10 Harlequins, they all came together but 1 is often off in a corner by itself- not always just often enough to notice them- I can't say for sure if it's the same one all the time but I would suspect. 

My Mama Oto is always at her front right corner while the others are always in the back left. 

My Mystery Snails definitely have relationships that are clear. 

A Black Neon Tetra I've named Verti I've recently had to quarantine because of a wound and damage to its swim bladder. I didn't witness it but I suspect it was singled out for some reason by one of the 9 others as I've seen them bully and when I got my original 14- four of them were picked off and murdered. So I worry about putting Verti back in there since they seem to be getting a lot better. 

[Guppysnail]

I notice specific grouping with my guppies and specific individuals that bicker with each other constantly.  I have one beautiful boy that none of the girls want anything to do with. He seems so desperate and harasses them the other boys seem to try to chase him away to the point I intervene occasionally to distract. It’s sad because I’m going to take him to the lfs with the new guppy kids because he just doesn’t fit anywhere. I picked him to keep because he is really pretty.  Some of my CPD are explorers and are often snooping about the tank alone while others are always near each other. Fish behavior reminds me of an elementary play ground.  They are all children but each have their own personalities and they form clicks and certain ones do not like one another. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Guppysnail

[Tanked]

I have a fish fence in my 65 community tank protecting about 8" of the tank.  It isn't pretty, but it is the only place that I can keep a live plant.  It did not take long for the small fish to learn how to bypass the fence, or just swim through it.  The Tetras, Danios, and even the lone rampaging Tiger Barb will periodically hang out in the Elodea throughout the day before returning to open water.  

As they have gotten a little older, the SAEs no longer forage in tight little groups of three.  The grouping is a lot looser now, with two staying fairly close, and the third off exploring.

The Nerites are 3 years old and have become sexy senior citizens.  I don't know what changed, but if they are going to keep this group thing going they should get a room.🙈

 

[Torrey]

On 10/3/2021 at 9:40 AM, Tanked said:

The Nerites are 3 years old and have become sexy senior citizens.  I don't know what changed, but if they are going to keep this group thing going they should get a room.🙈

I inherited 2 nerites that are 10 years old. 

 

I think your nerites finally hit puberty 🤣

[Tanked]

On 10/3/2021 at 12:03 PM, Torrey said:

I inherited 2 nerites that are 10 years old. 

 

I think your nerites finally hit puberty 🤣

10 years! Are your Nerites any larger than usual?

Casual research earlier today can be summarized with "it is very uncommon for a Nerite snail to live more than a couple of years, no matter how well they have been taken care of"  We can file that alongside "the minimum tank size for 1 Nerite is 10 gallons.  I guess that I/we have broken a few more rules.

[CT_]

On 10/3/2021 at 9:03 AM, Torrey said:

I inherited 2 nerites that are 10 years old. 

woah!

On 10/3/2021 at 10:20 AM, Tanked said:

Casual research earlier today can be summarized with "it is very uncommon for a Nerite snail to live more than a couple of years, no matter how well they have been taken care of"  We can file that alongside "the minimum tank size for 1 Nerite is 10 gallons.  I guess that I/we have broken a few more rules.

I was reading about them too when mine only lasted 6mo.  I read some opinions that they're never fresh water snails and that's why they only live a couple years in aquariums.  Perhaps they live longer in really hard water?  Or maybe @Torreyhas a brackish water tank?

Edited October 3, 2021 by CT_
typo

[Torrey]

On 10/3/2021 at 11:26 AM, CT_ said:

woah!

I was reading about them too when mine only lasted 6mo.  I read some opinions that they're never fresh water snails and that's why they only live a couple years in aquariums.  Perhaps they live longer in really hard water?  Or maybe @Torreyhas a brackish water tank?

I have liquid rock for water, and when Watson played possum the other day, he earned himself a trip to the QT tank, which still has a low level of salinity (2 blue guppy females and 6 danios in QT finishing up a salt dip... so probably about 1 tsp salt to the 6 gallons of water?🤔) and seems to have perked Watson up.

Watson and Houdini were gifted to me a few months ago from our LFS VP. She said she had them for 10 years, and didn't know how much longer they would choose to stick around since average lifespan is 3 to 5 years in freshwater. 

Watson pictured above, after spending overnight in the white container, eating hair algae... warming up... and adjusting to the salinity of the QT.

Houdini, ploughing down a row of algae. I think he's eating the top layer of wood, too.

Houdini likes to go on walkabout, so he **has** to be in a tank with a locking lid😬

 

 

[ARMYVET]

I try to discourage the fish from having relationships....it always starts out great they all love one another...then someone turns butt head and the whole group becomes unstable...now I wouldnt normally think much of it but the "relationship" counselor bills start to add up and all it is is constant...

"he swam in my area" ..."he took my food" ..."she likes his fins better"...."that slut spawned with my man now I have to raise her fry" 

Constant bickering🙄