hazedragon45

Hi
I just got 11 Black Skirt tetras for my 70 gallon tank. The first day, they swam peacefully all together. Then the next day, they all separated ( guess they got used to the tank). Then on the 3rd day, the small ones ganged up on the big ones, chasing it all around the tank. WHY WAS IT HAPPENING? then suddenly today at midnight, the all were in a school together, no fighting............AT ALL!

capekate

Hello hazedragon and welcome to fishlore! I also had black skirt tetras in one of my tanks at one time and found them to be very aggressive with each other. Its just the 'nature of the beast'. Its their personalities. They are very territorial and will find their space and defend it against others. The males will go at it when they cross the line. Good thing they are in a 70g tank and will hopefully find enough space to call their own. Good luck with your BST's

~ kate

Allie

Yup here too...we had 8 in our 120 when it was all angels and tetra. We sold them b/c they were too aggressive with each other not with other fish. BUT they disrupted the tank....so I found some diamond tetra.
Tetra are int he same family as piranha so....aggression can be there.

hazedragon45

wow.. my Black skirts are going crazy! the big ones are fighting back, so there's no bully now. They all FIGHT EACH OTHER! right in the middle of my tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have alot of plants.. so lots of hiding places ,but they all choose to be in the middle and the way they fight is unbelievable. Very aggressively at high speeds. i think one of em will end up dying soon. I have eleven, and they dont bother the other fishes.

Barbrella

I honestly think pirahas are more peaceful than some types of tetras, black skirts among them.

capekate

Hi Hazedragon...
Your Black skirts sound just like mine used to be like. I know just what you mean about how fast they run at each other. At the very last minute they turn so fast you hardly see it. Its usually the males chasing away any other males from the territory they have made for themselves. Mine used to have specific positions in the tank and took guarding that ground very seriously lol.
I never saw any of mine hurt each other, they pretty much just bully. It seems like they are hurting each other by how fast they can swim, but the most I ever saw where ragged fins. They dont bother the other fish of another species tho.
It doesnt stop btw... they are like that all the time. My husband really liked them, personally Im glad that I dont have anymore. My last few I ended up giving away to a fish store. I just couldnt deal with them anymore.

~ kate

hazedragon45

yea.. they r starting to miss me off. I thought they changed when the started SCHOOLING together last night.. no fighting

Allie

True...but have you ever seen a pack of juvenile red belly piranha? They chew the poop out of each other.

hazedragon45

WOOT!!!!!!! i got rid of my BLACK SKIRTS!!!!!!!!!!! returned them to the pet store cz they were also aggressive to my OTHER fishes.
NEVER GET BLACK SKIRTS. THEY WILL **** U OFF

capekate

HAHAH... Good for you! Now hopefully you will have peace in your tank.

~ kate

Sabi

Really? I've had black tetras from the time i started, with no aggression.

Jynx

That's funny. I have 3 black skirts and 3 white skirts, they all school together, they chase one another, but not in the fashion that your describing. When mine chase each other it's like they're playing tag. I've never had a problem with them.

~Jynx

lyndatu

It's natural for black skirt tetras to be aggressive, and they like to nip on slow, bigger fish. Your 70-gallon tank is very good and can lower natural aggression. But, if you can't take them anymore, you can give them away to the LFS(or to me! Just kidding).

Good luck!