Red Danios staying on top of the tank

**nick_tks** · 6th Dec 2010, 17:20

Hi fellows friends,

I recently just added 6 red danios to my tank of 10 cardinal tetras. Those red danios just keep swimming around the top of the tank while my cardinal tetras just remained where they are, in the middle or bottom. Is there anything wrong with the red danios? Are they staying on top because they are shy of their new friends in the cardinal? During feeding, they will still eat while my cardinal will wait for the food to drop from the red danios.

**tangjyd** · 18th Dec 2010, 01:40

sounds like normal behaviour to me. danios tend to swim close to the surface and are more enthu about food!

**nick_tks** · 20th Dec 2010, 09:06

how come they don't behave in this way when they are still in LFS? It seemed they tends to swim around even in mid tank or bottom when I first saw them in LFS? But i do admit, they are a bunch of active and nice looking fishes.

**Halimlee85** · 20th Dec 2010, 15:31

bro my danios behave the same way as yours but after a few week in tank they will go swim lower maybe they need time to adjust? how long have yr danios in your tank?

**magpie** · 20th Dec 2010, 17:14

Are the danios you all mention Badis (Small red fish with thicker red strips at the 2 side of the body)?

**nick_tks** · 21st Dec 2010, 22:54

Yes magpie, those are the fishes... but they are more towards orange colour. My fishes have been in the tank for a few weeks now. I kept cardinal as well, so i was thinking is it the presence of my cardinal that's causing them to swim more at the top instead...

**magpie** · 22nd Dec 2010, 16:37

For my case, the badis are staying or hiding at the bottom under the leaf. Is your tank planted or bare?

**Halimlee85** · 23rd Dec 2010, 00:19

mine is planted bro! and i kept cardinal along also... maybe they are the fishes that like to play aound at the surface.

**nick_tks** · 24th Dec 2010, 12:22

Mine is planted as well! Halimlee85 bro, i heard from my colleague that there's a chance the red danios might jump out of the tank, so do take note of this... These are highly active fishes and they will keep swimming around till i can hardly count how many of them are in the tank... CHeers and merry christmas to all...

**stormhawk** · 24th Dec 2010, 13:34

Danios are mostly top and middle zone fish, but they should always be active chasing each other around the tank. The fish you have are probably GloFish-bred Zebra Danios in the red form. Sometimes if they're stressed they just hang out close to the water level. I suggest you watch them and get a cover for the tank. They are great jumpers when you least expect it.

**griffinkid** · 3rd Jan 2011, 00:50

You can probably have some floating plants like giant duckweeds or frogbits... this way, they may feel more secured and will thus swim in the mid levels... Just my two cents worth