What Is Natural Behaviour

[haleem8777]

When ever, wherever I read about a fish it says when the fish are in larger shoal they will show natural behaviour just like the wild. What different behaviour do fish show.
i have shoal of 5 harlequins and they cruise around the tank together but when they where 8 (a few where given away to reduce stock) they used to bicker and stay spread around the tank. I doubt this is the natural behaviour.

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes, bickering and spreading out are natural behaviours.
 
Fresh water fish only school when they feel threatened. when they feel secure, they do only form lose groups.

 

[haleem8777]

i always thought it face the other way, that when in bigger groups they shoal closer.So will my harlequin be ok in five as i dont really want to add any more.

 

[fluttermoth]

You're on the borderline, tbh; I wouldn't keep shoaling fish in a group of fewer than 8 or 9, personally.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I tend to work in bigger numbers than 5 or 6. Schooling fish school in the face of danger. When secure they simply meander. However, when scared to the extreme they do not school, they go to ground and hide anywhere they can.

 

[Meeresstille]

In the wild there are more than thousands of fish that make up a school, having only 10 or so is still laughable compared to them in the wild. I have a group of 14 Harlequin Rasboras, I find it beautiful to have as large a group of the same fish as your tank can allow.

 

[haleem8777]

Its hard to choose as i would prefer 5 each of a few species together so there is a contrast of colour but the fish would prefer just 1 large group