Glowlight Tetras Trying To Kill Each Other.

So I have a 20 gallon tank with 6 glowlight tetras, and a large number of cherry shrimp roaming around but what I've noticed is that sometimes the tetras get into fights with each other and, if bad enough, they get ripped fins.

if usually starts off like this with either two fish intimidating and encircling one another.

Then it gets really nasty and they engage into a fight( It looks like this but much worse as they try to bite each other).

I know for sure I have 2 males and 4 females As I've seen 2 individuals chasing the others and then they later spawned. The fight occurs between either the two males or a male and a female. Why is this so?
Also the fight usually ends within a minute.

 

How long have you had them? They may be establishing a pecking order, which should sort itself out. Otherwise is there any large changes (ex. Rescape) you have done recently?

 

It is between males, male compete for female for the right to breed with them, regardless of how many females you have. I have two neons that go at each other for most of the day dashing and dancing at each other, besides getting rid of one there is nothing I can really do to stop them.

 

I’ve had a this problem since I first got the about a year ago so it’s been like this. I guess that this is probably why they appear to be scared during feeding as I drop some pellets down and they all do quick darts back and forth to the food in attempts to retrieve it( usually one by one). I thought tetras were peaceful fish, guess not their own kind.

 

I’ve had a this problem since I first got the about a year ago so it’s been like this. I guess that this is probably why they appear to be scared during feeding as I drop some pellets down and they all do quick darts back and forth to the food in attempts to retrieve it( usually one by one). I thought tetras were peaceful fish, guess not their own kind.

Larger schools and heavier plants (whether fake or real plants or even just more decor) make them feel more secure, mine hang out in the middle of the tank all day.

 

Oh I see. You said you have the same problem with your neons, How many do you have in your tank?

 

Oh I see. You said you have the same problem with your neons, How many do you have in your tank?

Ten or twelve they are hard to count, maybe more lol. The only issue I have are the males jockeying for position to get to breed with the females (not that any eggs survive in this tank, so many mouths eager to eat them).

 

Nature at it´s finest. Hopefully that was written correctly. They probably will not kill each other as long as there are hiding spots and you have healthy fish. Some barbs and tetras chase and peck each other to establish a social hierarchy.

 

The behavior is normal jousting for social position. FYI, your two tetras displaying in the first video are Colombian Red and Blue Tetras, not Glowlights.

 

Those videos are examples, not actual footage from OP’s tank.

 

Yes, as Sel said, those are only examples of what the fight looks like not my actual fish.

 

I had 6 Glowlight Tetras. Two were bullied. Oddly enough, those two were chased and harassed to the point of literally jumping out of the tank. Now I have a nicely balanced group of 4 and I'm not planning on adding more. It's just not worth it to buy fish and attempt to socialize this fish. That said, those I have left are doing great and I very much like their coloring and activity level. They also don't bother my Corys or Angels.

 

Just an fyi, the two tetras that were bullied may have been sick or weak and the rest were trying to "cull" them, so to speak.

 

Just an fyi, the two tetras that were bullied may have been sick or weak and the rest were trying to "cull" them, so to speak.

I get that. In the years I've had fish tanks, it was just the first time that particular situation had happened. I found it rather distressing.

 

Wait are these glolights as in black skirt tetras or glowlights with the orangs stripe?

 

Glowlight Tetras, as in with the orange stripe.