Im confused: Is schooling neccessary in the Aquaria?

Question

I have had different opinione on this but i'd like to hear yours. IS SCHOLING NECCESSARY IN THE AQUARIA?

Answer 1

Yes and no, depending on exactly how you look at your question.

Any fish can be kept as an individual, but some "prefer" to have others of their own kind around. This more closely replicates how they are found in nature. There are benefits to being in a school (easier to find a mate, less chance of being 'the' fish eaten by a predator) as well as disadvantages (competition for food and territory). Generally the larger the size and more aggressive/territorial the fish, the less they need others of their own species, but there are exceptions. The need for schooling can also change with the age/size of a single species, with the tendency to school found only in juveniles.

If you don't keep a naturally schooling species in an appropriately sized group, they may not thrive as well in an aquarium. Some species will become more timid and spend most of their time hiding - this can affect feeding and disease resistance, which can lead to the death of that fish. Others may go on the offensive and become more aggressive towards the others in the tank, either becoming nippers, or darting around, which sends the other species into hiding. If others of their own type are present, they form their own "social network" and keep most of their interactions within their own species and leave the others alone (generally benefiting all the fish present). There are some species, however, that form more loose "schools", such as corydoras, where the species doesn't seem to be as important, as long as there are other corys in the tank, as well as tetras, barbs, rasboras, and danios which will ignore other similar species to stay with their own species. There are also instances of very unrelated fish (tiger barbs and clown loaches which resemble each other in coloration) attempting to school together if there aren't a sufficient number of either type present in an aquarium.

So based on the natural schooling behavior, undesirable behavior when not kept in schools, and attempting to school even if suitable species aren't present, it's probably better for the schooling species to be kept with an appropriate sized school (3, 6, or more depending on the fish) if your aquarium size allows (and if it doesn't, perhaps you should rethink the species being kept).

That's not to say that a tank requires any schooling species. Livebearers, most cichlids, and a number of other freshwater species don't require being kept with others of their own kind, and it's perfectly acceptable to keep a tank without any schooling fish. In saltwater, schooling species are relatively uncommon, and it's not advisable to mix related species because of the potential for aggression.

Answer 2

Well, obviously research is, and that's more or less schooling.
For normally schooling fish, they do much better if kept in schools of at least 6 of the same type. For those that don't naturally school, then no.

Answer 3

The idea is to keep fish as naturally as possible in order to keep them free of stress (which results in illness) and to see them behave most naturally and promote the most activity. In this respect fish that are meant to live in schools or groups should certainly be kept this way.

Is it absolutely detrimental to the technical survival of the fish? Not usually, only with the most timid of species.

Answer 4

depends on what kind of fish.
if it is a red eye tetra or guppy
they can school but if they don't school they tend to be stressed

Answer 5

What kind of fish do you have,some fish are schooling and others are not.

Answer 6

what is aquaria? If it is a place, then I am sure fishes do not wish to be around ignorant fish! ( lol)