Are my Harlequin rasboras being bullied?

[BibiLee]

HI everyone,

I have a 70l tank running since 4 months. Stocking is 3 hillstream loaches, 10 neons, 10 harlequin rasboras, 5 ghost shrimp, 1 snail (they might be black nerite racer snails but I don’t know for sure).

Water values have all been very good, consistently NO3 approx. 10 mgl - NO2 0 - GH approx. 7 - KH 10-1 1 ‚ PH 7.4 to 7.6 (both KH and PH vary depending on water changes) - CL 0 - NH4 0 - CO2 low (between 10 and 15, I have a bio kit and the plants are growing like crazy but values never go up).

The first three months, the harlequins were swimming straight at the current most of the day hanging out in front of the push from the filter. Since a few weeks now, they have migrated below one of my plants that has large leaves and don‘t seem to come out anymore. I never see them swimming above the leaf line. I decided to move the plant forward at the last water change (seeing it stuck on a piece of wood that was easy) and at first they came forward and swam around the front of the tank (still low down) and then they migrated to the back of the tank again, this time huddled underneath the filter in a tiny corner of the tank!

The larger ones occasionally swim out but mostly they don‘t even show up for feeding! The neons are fine, swimming around fin nipping and doing their exotic mating dances and all… I also noticed the hillstream loaches were at the front of tank more often, as that‘s where the food falls and they don‘t run away quite as much as they used to when I walk by.

Any ideas on what‘s causing my harlequins to huddle in a corner of the tank? I seem to see less Colour in them too, but not sure due to the fact they‘re in the dark spots of the tank most of the time.

Thanks for your help!

 

[A201]

A common complaint regarding Rasporas is lack of movement.
Although they often form a tight school, Rasporas aren't going to bring a lot of movement to the community until feeding time.
Your Rasporas initial hyper activity might have been due to being introduced into a new environment. They have since adjusted.
I doubt the Rasporas are being bullied by any of the listed tankmates. Dimming the lights might result in more activity.

 

[BibiLee]

A common complaint regarding Rasporas is lack of movement.
Although they often form a tight school, Rasporas aren't going to bring a lot of movement to the community until feeding time.
Your Rasporas initial hyper activity might have been due to being introduced into a new environment. They have since adjusted.
I doubt the Rasporas are being bullied by any of the listed tankmates. Dimming the lights might result in more activity.

Now that you mention it, I did see them out more once the lights are out! I‘ll try that and thank you very much! Wonderful having such great experts on here

 

[Yeoy]

Floating plants can also help shy fish as it helps break up the light and give them a bit more cover.

 

[BibiLee]

Floating plants can also help shy fish as it helps break up the light and give them a bit more cover.

Thank you Yeoy! So since the earlier post, i wrapped a little bit of aluminum around the middle of my neon light dimming it but I didn’t see an immediate improvement, although it does dim the light quite significantly; it‘s not ideal I agree. So I‘ll definitely look into some floating plants, do you know any species that don‘t multiply too fast? Thank you again!

 

[BibiLee]

Thanks again! I put in some floating plants yesterday and left the aluminum on the light. Today I see the harlequins moving back above the leaves! Now I can see them again Thanks a mil