Aggression Among Neon Tetras

Can neon tetras bully other neon tetras? I've had a single neon tetra for a while and decided to buy four more. Now that I've bought them, one of them seems to harass the older tetra (whose probably about 2-3 times their size) by swimming very close and even bumping the older tetra.

All five tetras also don't seem to stay very close to one another. As schooling fish, I expected them to swim as a group. In contrast, they seem to be swimming in two pairs (on opposite ends) and one swims on his/her own.

Is this normal? I have a 10 gallon tank, so I thought that maybe because it's such a small tank they're considered close? Relative to a 50 or 100 gallon tank.

 

Two questions for you. Does the Neon doing the bullying have a straight or curved blue line on it's body? Does the older tetra have a curve on it's blue line? I ask this because males like to chase after the females(males having the straighter line and females having the curve in their blue lines). But in my 20 gallon tank the males started doing this because of the lack of females in the group. They start to get ALPHA MALE syndrome. I added more females and it helped lower the problem of males headbutting but now I see the females being chased up and down side to side of the tank

For the schooling I really think that depends on there mood. Some just might feel crazy and go off and their own. While some tend stay in a pack but once they sense danger watch them all come together

 

Okay, thanks. So it's not anything I should be worried about, right?

As for the blue lines, it's difficult for me to tell whether they have a straight or curved line. Maybe I'll post some pictures if I have the time.

 

Some Tetras being shy not a big deal, theyll get more comfy in the tank as time passes. However I will say it's not 100% healthy if 2 males are going at it all the time but If you think like me I see my tank as the wild wild. There needs to be an Alpha Male. But if it's just a male chasing a female I wouldn't worry about it at all. Just coming from my experince with Neon Tetras. Just give it time and watch your tetras. If the one being bullied starts loosing it's color (mostly the blue contrast) Kinda like when you turn off the lights to the tank at night, then turn them back on in the morning and you see all there colors really faded. Except you will see the faded colors at all times if the Tetra is really being bullied to death and stressed out. If you do see that either take the bully out and smack him around or try and swap out for a different tetra at your LFS

 

Typically neons will only school when they feel threatened. It seems to me yours must be comfortable enough not to school...

 

Ok, so I've got some pictures of two of my tetras. The lower (smaller) tetra in the first picture is the one bumping and following the larger tetra. Can you guys identify their sexes for me? And Sticky, thanks for your help.

 

Can neon tetras bully other neon tetras? I've had a single neon tetra for a while and decided to buy four more. Now that I've bought them, one of them seems to harass the older tetra (whose probably about 2-3 times their size) by swimming very close and even bumping the older tetra.

All five tetras also don't seem to stay very close to one another. As schooling fish, I expected them to swim as a group. In contrast, they seem to be swimming in two pairs (on opposite ends) and one swims on his/her own.

Is this normal? I have a 10 gallon tank, so I thought that maybe because it's such a small tank they're considered close? Relative to a 50 or 100 gallon tank.

Neon Tetra need to be in groups of at least 6 or more to feel safe. If they're in groups that are too small then likely you will have aggression issues.

Fish only school when they feel threatened.

 

Bottom one is a male, the one higher up looks to be a male also(not 100% sure but looks like a male to me). Younger one trying to show up on the elder, but that elder is a fat one! If you have 5 tetra total I would try and hit the local fish store up for a female one. Females tend to be bigger also. Both fish still have good color I would give it a little longer and see if the acclimate to each other. If that doesn't help the issue your going to need to add some females in there. Wish I had a good picture of a female but my tetras are hiding today

 

If they're in groups that are too small then likely you will have aggression issues.

I'm not sure if I understand the logic in that. They'll pick on each other if there are 5 or less, but 6 or more fish would be relatively fine?

@y, I only bought these fish a few days ago and am still within the 14-day return policy period. Do you think I should return 2-3 of the tetras, since they all seem to be males (it looks like they all have straight blue lines, but even when I look at pictures from Google, the difference is so slight, to my inexperienced eyes, that I'm not completely sure).

 

I'm not sure if I understand the logic in that. They'll pick on each other if there are 5 or less, but 6 or more fish would be relatively fine?

It is a school fish thing. Once you get below minimum school size you can have aggression problems with tetras. I would never have less than 7 in a school. Generally when I kept neons in the past I kept the school between 15-30. The size of the school of course would depend on the size of the tank. A ten gal is a bit small for school fish.

 

I'm not sure if I understand the logic in that. They'll pick on each other if there are 5 or less, but 6 or more fish would be relatively fine?

That's the nature of fish that live in groups. The more in the group, the safer they feel. If they do not feel safe they'll either lash out at other fish or hide and not come out. It depends on the species of fish. Tetra can get aggressive if not in a large enough group. Emerald Dwarf Rasbora (for example) will just hide and not come out.

Not all fish need groups, Neon Tetra, however, do.

 

Lol, when they are young it's hard to tell them apart. I know I was in the wrong for this but I had 28 Tetras in a 10 gallon tank, but don't do that. I had aggression problems so I started swapping the males for females and the problem has died down. I still do have a couple of males in with the females and it seems like there's 2 or 3 schools going on in the tank. Ever since I upped the female count the and let them get use to each other my problems have died down., I would say my ratio is 3 curved lines to 1 straight line. Also do you have anywhere the tetras can run and hide? Such as a cave or underneath a peice of driftwood?

 

I have a group of 28 and have never had aggression issues. My albino neons even school with them.
I had a group of 3 at first and aggression was horrible. After I slowly started adding them the aggression became less and less I had about 15. Than my friends decided to buy me more neons once they all died... That's why I have so many.

 

Sticky, I have a bridge and a little hut-like structure where they can hide in.

@everybody who advocates getting more tetras, the problem is, I don't think I have the space to get more tetras. I got a 10 gallon tank off of Craigslist which contained 17 platies, 1 neon tetra, and 1 black kuhlI loach. I got rid of 14 platies and decided to put my sister's betta in the 10 gallon. (She had the betta for less than 6 months and was already losing her initial enthusiasm for it. She didn't do a water change for several weeks and the 2.5 gallon tank doesn't have a filter. Even the 10 gallon was originally her's and it was me who got rid of the extra platies). So now the tank has 3 platies, 1 neon tetra, 1 betta, and 1 loach and the tetra looked really lonely. It wouldn't eat whenever I fed them and spent most of its time staring at a corner. I decided to get 4 more tetras to accompany the single tetra and I don't think I should get anymore in that tank.
Not only would I not have the space in that tank, but I don't have the space (nor the parental support/money for all the accessories) to buy a second tank (ideally 20-30 gallons) to relocate the fish to.

 

We were given bad info at the lfs and only got three. Two ganged up and destroyed one. We had them in large numbers when I was young and never saw aggression. They are just more comfortable and confident in numbers.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Fish Lore Aquarium Fish Forum mobile app

 

We had them in large numbers when I was young and never saw aggression.

Do you remember how many that was?

 

loaches should be kept in groups of six so maybe you could rehome him?
It will be a stretch but you could possibly add 2 more.

 

You're right, I was actually thinking of adding 2-3 more into the current tank, but wanted to have the API Master Test Kit first. I'll be getting it in a few weeks because I bought it online.

 

That should make them happy

 

Do you remember how many that was?

Back then they were hardier fish and would breed our tank full. I would say we started with a decent group, 7 or so.

 

I only have 1 lone tetra in my tank he isn't aggressive and he hides from nobody, in fact ive seen him swim with my Denison barbs. Before any ask I only have 1 cause over the past 6 months the other 5 were dying out so I decided not to have tetras in my tank anymore. This guys doesn't seem to mind he only one in tank so god bless him.