# Zebra Danios fighting?



## jprime84

I had two zebra danios in a new tank. I added a third today, and it seems to want to fight with the other larger danio. They swim up to each other and then will peck at eachother once and separate. Then they repeat the process. The smaller danio just keeps his distance. Will they hurt each other or just get used to each other?


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## Shotgun

EVENTUALLY, they will get used to eachother. If the two were with eachother for a while, and new stragglers come in, they sometimes reject them for a short time. This is their way of not accepting someone into their "gang." Its a lot like the "cool people" table in middle school... It can take a while for them to get aquainted...


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## jprime84

Yeah its been a few hours and the worst that seems to happen now are some heated chasing. Fun to watch!


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## jrodriguez

It would be better if you can get a group of 5-6 danios for several reasons

1.they will feel more comfortable 
2.they are meant to school together

And how big is your tank again

Glad to hear they are ok though it is a good idea to post your problem before it escalates


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## ladyonyx

+1. If your tank is big enough, I'd get a few more of them. Natural schooling behavior dissipates aggression


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## Oldman

No more fish until you get that tank cycled. 
After that I agree that more zebras would be nice and bigger groups are more fun to watch.


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## jbrianchamberlin

I've noticed a couple of my danios are fat fat fat and a couple of the others keep chasing the fatties around. Wha'ts up with that? =)


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## Oldman

The fat fat fat ones are the females. The thinner ones are the males. The males chase the females and the females drop eggs that the males fertilize as they swim past. Then both stop for a bit and go back to eat any eggs they can find. It is the reason that breeders use a bottom cover the adults can't get down into, like a layer of marbles.


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## jprime84

Yeah I had noticed two of mine chasing each other around a lot. Ill have to look closer and see if this is the case.


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## sezra

Oldman said:


> The fat fat fat ones are the females. The thinner ones are the males. The males chase the females and the females drop eggs that the males fertilize as they swim past. Then both stop for a bit and go back to eat any eggs they can find. It is the reason that breeders use a bottom cover the adults can't get down into, like a layer of marbles.


Ha ha, it makes you wonder why animals such as these dont go extinct if they eat their own eggs.


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## jprime84

Yeah at this point, one of the three individuals seems to have claimed the main open space of the tank. The other fish lurk in the plants and caves, or stay close to the bottom. If they swim out into the open, the larger fish will chase them back into cover and pace around his open space.

I have not noticed any nipped fins or anything like that, but I feel bad for the other two who end up lurking around the cover instead of swimming freely.


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## jbrianchamberlin

Wow, my Danios never stop long enough to 'lurk' anywhere. Those are my tank spazes. I wouldn't even say they swim in a school like my three schools of tetras do. They're just all over the place. It's funny to watch.


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## garfreak526

My danios "fight" too. One used to be smaller than the other but now it is equal is size. I think that is just what they do. If you have room try adding more daionos that might help.


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