different tetras schooling

[MasterP]

If i was going to put penguin, glowlight, and neon tetras in the same tank would the school together or would they stay away from each other??

 

[rixy]

in my experience(have all of them)they don't school togeather.lots of schooling fish stay in their own little groups.but this is only my experience of the fish you have named.

 

[freddyk]

Studies have shown that fish will choose the closest possible match to their type, color, and size to shoal with, so a single glolite would likely shoal with neons for safety if given no other alternative, but given members of it's own species they will, as rixy suggests, shoal with their own. The best thing we can do for shoaling fish is stock higher numbers of less species.

 

[jollysue]

I don't have penguins, but I have glolights and diamond head neons (very like cardinals). I also have green neons. The green neons will join the diamond heads when they are nervious, but I have never seen the glolights shoal with them. Sometimes they get mixed up and join the silvertips for a moment, but not for long.

I think freddyk is right. If a schooling fish is alone or a school is insecure they will join the group most like them that they feel safe with. That's why my glolights don't stay with the silvertips. Their personalities and behaviors are very different.