Not schooling?

So I added my fish yesterday and their not sticking together. I have 6 neon tetras and 6 glow light tetras. Is it normal, as they where just added or are they comfortable enough in their tank that they don't feel the urge to for protection?

 

Maybe a bit of both. I have glowlights and black neons (can't remember how many of each but more than 7) and they school loosely if at all.

 

Ah Ok well everyone's colours are looking good (not faded) and they are eating well. So I'll take it as a fish compliment that they like their new home.

 

When I first added my neons to my aquarium they schooled for about 24hours. After that they seemed to realise there was no threat and dispersed around the tank. As soon as I added my Betta (few weeks later) they started schooling again but only until they relaxed with him being in there (relaxed enough to take food from his mouth!) and once again they spread out. My Bettas now been moved out and the neons aren't together again. I'm sure it's normal and schooling is a protection thing - safety in numbers and all that. As you say, take it as a compliment that they like their home and are relaxed

 

When neons and other small schooling fish are added to tanks with no predators they sort of branch off from the school and do their own thing. Its really funny to watch a load of them in a species only tank. They aren't feeling the need to confuse predators and thus don't feel the need to school anymore. That's what I'm guessing ^_^

 

I'm really not sure if I'm correct as I'm still a newbie myself. But it occurred to me that part of this could be that you have two species in small schools. I say small because both of your schools are at the minimum recommend number. Or else, perhaps your fish are ones that don't school tightly (I don't know much about your fish), or both.

I have a school of serpae tetras in a very newly cycled aquarium. I was told, when I bought them, that they don't school too tightly. However, I did notice that the group was schooling more once I added the second group (4) than when it was just the original 6.

 

Yep, in larger numbers they're supposed to school more, but I apparently haven't reached a large enough number

 

And even with my slightly larger number of 10, my serpaes still aren't schooling a ton. But definitely more than they were with a lower number. I'm interested to see what happens when I add my larger centerpiece fish.

 

My tank is crowded with plants and though I have an angel in with them the most I'll see is scattered groups of maybe 3 or 4, and often of mixed species. The angel has never harassed them though so even those groupings are pretty loose!

 

Both species aren't tight schoolers as cardinals / rummynoses. It's a good sign they are lat-ing (living apart together).