Fish Chasing each other in Tank

Fish chase each other for various reasons, They are :

  • Defending their territory
  • Establishing dominance
  • Competing for food
  • Mating

You have noticed that fish chase each other in aquariums, There are so many reasons behind it.

It is so important to research fish before you bring them to the aquarium (home) so you have a good idea about their behavior and other factors. If you want a community aquarium, It is necessary to do some research on fish compatibility to avoid these problems. It is a good idea to use a separate tank or aquarium for pregnant fish and choose an appropriately sized aquarium.

Sometimes overcrowding becomes a trigger for aggressive chasing due to some reasons.

  • When a tank is too small for the no/size of fish living in it.
  • There's not enough open -space for swimming.

Some popular aggressive fish species don't safely share a tank with other fish. Here are they:-

  • Silver Arowana
  • Paroon shark
  • Redtail catfish
  • Wolffish

Many new fish tank owners give preference to the visual beauty of the fish and buy them because they look beautiful in a fish tank but this can lead to death if your newly bought fish is not compatible with existing ones or with the other species that you are buying.

Some common behaviors you'll see when fish chase each other are the following:

  • Chasing
  • Nipping
  • Biting
  • Pushing
  • Playing

If your fish suddenly develop this kind of behavior it may be an indication of stress then you should check your tank parameters to make sure they are in balance.

The most common reason for chasing is mating. It's a natural drive because of the inbuilt instinct of reproduction. The problem arises when 2 male fish start fighting over a single female in the tank. These fights lead to the death of either one. To avoid such fights you must maintain a female-to-male ratio in the tank 3:1.

Some fish are territorial. Some fish look to establish dominance over others of their species or even fish of other species.

Solution for fish chasing each other:

  • Maintain a female-to-male ratio in a tank or aquarium 3:1.
  • Rearrange the tank decorations so that territorial fish lose their bearing.
  • Keep up with tank maintenance.
  • Add new compatible tank mates.
  • Get a bigger aquarium.
  • Move the aggressive fish into a different aquarium.
  • Use a net to separate the fish. (Buy a Separator Net for Aquarium from Amazon.)
  • Tubing Connectors. (You can buy Air Line Connector for Fish Tank on Amazon)