Fish Profiles - Schools

[CatladyDane]

It would be really helpful if in the species profiles of fish that should be kept in schools it said how many should make a minimum school. Avoid words that can be perceived differently by different people (e.g., small); use numbers. Thank you for your consideration.

[sirdarksol]

There is already a number for this: five. It's kind of a matter of guesswork (it's hard to set a hard-and-fast number for something that sometimes works in smaller numbers and sometimes doesn't), but with all schooling fish, five seems to nearly guarantee that they will be able to set up a proper pecking order.
For schoaling fish (who don't actually set up a pecking order, but just like having fellows around to hang out with), the number seems to be three.

[CatladyDane]

Thank you. Now I'm further confused. I thought the difference between schooling & schoaling was spelling, like color & colour, depending on whether you're in the USA or Canada, England, etc. How do you know which applies to your fish? (Yes, research.) I've never seen or heard "schoaling" before coming to Fishlore. I bet there's a lot of misuse of these words, as with many others. Thanks again.

[Shawnie]

it means the same thing

[sirdarksol]

Yes, they are the same word.
Some folks in the aquarium industry have separated them, and I kind of latched on to that.
Either way, there are fish that actually school/schoal up, and create a hierarchy amongst themselves, then there are the fish (like loaches and cories) that simply like being social. They don't swim in little groups like schooling fish do, but they'll periodically play tag or whatever.

[guppywhitecloud]

the schooling fish are tetras and some barbs

[Plecolover12]

I wish you could only keep a pair of 2 neon tetras. But that still would be great!

[Allie]

There is a difference between a school and a shoal, according to most fish keepers we know..this site give the best explanation.
http://www.bsacforum.co.uk/forums/ar...hp/t-7760.html

[sirdarksol]

Thanks, Allie. I was questioning my sanity there.
So, based on the English language, the two words are the same (looking up "schoal" in the dictionary, I got "see school"). However, within the hobby, at least some folks differentiate them.

[Allie]

Originally Posted by sirdarksol

Thanks, Allie. I was questioning my sanity there.
So, based on the English language, the two words are the same (looking up "schoal" in the dictionary, I got "see school"). However, within the hobby, at least some folks differentiate them.

Yeah basically that is it. A shoal seems to be a group of fish who are close to each other where as a school is a group of fish where anyone can join. Piranha shoal...they keep only trusted buddies nearby. Pseudotropheus Acei school. The more acei you put in the tank the bigger the school. They seem to be the only Malawi mbuna I have kept which school.

[Lucy]

Thanks for the link Allie.
I always used schoal for fish that hang together and school as a group that will move in synchronicity for safety.

[sirdarksol]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Thanks for the link Allie.
I always used schoal for fish that hang together and school as a group that will move in synchronicity for safety.

That's how I look at them.
Therefore, we have three possible definitions.