Master Breeder Picks His 6 Favorite Schooling Fish from Aquarium Co-Op

[@AquariumCoop]

Buy fish at geni.us/LiveFish from our preferred online retailers with the code _aquariumcoop_ to save 5%. (As an affiliate member, we earn a commission from this link.)

[@seankennedy3805]

Perfect timing on the video; I just got my shipment of 30 Serpae Tetras (and 6 Julli Corys) from AquaHuna using your code :) The fish arrived extremely fast and look gorgeous. They are starting to colour up nicely and are eating well.

[@AetherEmpressTreJinn6o6]

Just tried to follow link and get some fish and sadly got this "All Aqua Huna brand animals come with a 100% live arrival guarantee, plus telephone, text, and email support! Domestic shipping only, excepts Washington and Hawaii State, sorry for the inconvenience. " so sad they won't ship to Washington... T.T

[@myzoo2856]

@Jacob Knowles that a good idea

[@feltysaquaria819]

I wish y'all sold fish but your recommendation is the next best thing. Haven't watched in a while. Still growing my hobby! I appreciate everything you do man

[@nicholaslopez6384]

Can you make another video like this

[@stealthswim223]

I could literally just follow dean around and listen to him for hours.

[@stealthswim223]

Jessica Landry yeah I just want him to come to my house and tell me how to make a fish room and then sit while I do it.

[@feltysaquaria819]

Dean is the man!

[@SP-qs4yh]

Same he’s just has a relaxing and informative voice. Haha

[@AntsCanada]

I personally love the look of when rumnynose tetras school! It looks the prettiest!

[@Koko-rc3pz]

Oh hey didn't think i would find you here!

[@O-VERTT]

Ayo!

[@scoutingreport3322]

Hey I watch your KZbin

[@randomcrap6521]

I have a school of rummynose tetras

[@randomcrap6521]

With 2 platys

[@Badandy538]

Really cool how you have the timeline labeled...so easy to switch back and forth between topics. Nice.

[@mmnelson82]

One of my favorite things about your store is the look you get by having different colored backgrounds in all the tanks. The appearance of those combined with no overhead lighting makes the fish look amazing in the tanks.

[@deborahhorn8454]

Dean is so warm and nice to listen to. More of these please!

[@spencerflynn1722]

The new feature that breaks the video up by section is awesome!

[@dannyromeo856]

We need more Dean. This dude is awesome. He has a nice calming presence. And you two have great dynamics together. Get him on the podcast more also, please. I am a trucker and I look forward to listening on spotify every week. I have already listened to them all so I need more. Thank you Corey, for putting out such greatly entertaining and educational content.

[@jeny8748]

For all the good that Cory brought to the hobby, sharing Dean and Dean's enthusiasm for fish might be Cory's greatest achievement.

[@CMLee81]

I've been a Dean fan since he first started appearing. Always love to hear his take on things. Thanks Dean!

[@moonnightbricks3948]

Same.

[@RyoWatanabee]

More videos with Dean please 😅

[@giftofthewild6665]

Yes!

[@thomasb4467]

Y’all inspired me to start a fish tank with my kids. We got an 86 liter with 6 cardinal tetras and 5 julii corydoras.

[@jimjarrett8779]

Dean’s insight is great.

[@dancurran8977]

I can listen to Mr. Dean talk about fish all day!

[@Dillonpickle]

Structural designer here. I can't believe the tanks are ok with no longitudinal beams, just the ends supported. Made my eyes twitch 😉

[@DonaldDolph-ob8yv]

I concur, but I didn't notice that until you mentioned it! Good observation!! Maybe the tanks are custom steel framed?

[@peacefulaqua6221]

The different colored lighting on the tanks really make them pop out! I love it

[@quarklol]

00:32 watching all those tetras gravitate towards his hand is absolutely mesmerizing !!

[@faronjoseph84]

Gotta love Dean.

[@nosnit6430]

White cloud minnows are the best in my opinion.

[@calebcologna8681]

I love my school, they have some serious Big Fish Energy

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

I've tried "using" them for an "experiment", a Lorenz-style "natural aquarium" (40 gallons/150 liters) with neither filter, nor heather, nor even water changes. I had to partially surrender in the sense I sometimes had to change some water, but a quick one of 10 liters was enough to bring them back to full health. I think they might be the only fish along with kois and goldfish capable of taking so much punishment, but I would never repeat such experiments.

[@fgb3126]

Maybe because we are closer in age group, but I like this guy a lot. He can talk without a lot of jargon like the young people seem addicted to. He's knowledgeable but not know it all. And he says what needs to be said and doesn't "run on". Bravo!

[@asurajeff6316]

We need more of this type

[@AmyFiveMusic]

The male Silver Tip Tetras are orange, females are mostly silver and plumper. I've witnessed mine spawning but the corys eat all the eggs....:)

[@ohrats731]

Lol stop making me interested in fish I used to overlook! 😂 I can only have so many tanks right now

[@Rometiklan]

Beautiful fish. I've sort of moved away from tetras over the years as I've tended to buy fish at aquarium auctions (not too many tetras at those things). I miss having them in my tanks. I think it's time to get back into these amazing fish. Thanks for the inspiration Cory and Dean, and stay well..

[@-shmoopie-]

I really like those silver tip tetras and porkchop rasboras... hadn't really considered either of them for a tank before. the silver tips schooling is magical!

[@froug5642]

They only do that if you have a lot. I have 15 in a 55g and they just scatter around and beat each other up.

[@-shmoopie-]

@@froug5642 oh, bummer!! thank you so much for the tip!!!!!

[@mrstevo32100]

Poor Dean, you always give him it tight about his age 😂 the big man just takes it his stride to be fair though, very knowledgeable man.

[@qwerty-2881]

exactly

[@meduza93]

Wow I've just noticed the time stamps with the description in the video slider. That is cooool! Also I see Dean I press like. Great video.

[@zimrianispresent8123]

You'd be surprised what kind of fish you can turn into schooling fish when you put an Oscar in the tank 💯💯💯 follow for more fish advice. I'll be here all night

[@mrsbodeutsch]

😂😂💁

[@bettasyguppy_zr3186]

🔥🔥🔥🔥💪💪💪

[@ordinaryaquarist]

Perfect timing! Just about to set up a new tank and this is just what I needed 😃😃😃

[@troyvsc]

Rummynose Tetras are a great schooling fish.

[@andrewspeedyatkinson]

Nice thanks guys keep up the grate work arching from the uk 🇬🇧

[@heatherRebekah77]

I liked this video, Dean is so relaxed talking about the fish. Great line up of schooling fish, thanks 😊

[@hidinfrombiden6251]

I'm a tetra fan myself. I've got a 38 gallon bow front tank in my bedroom with 6 red eyed tetras, 6 serpae tetras, 4 neon tetras, and 3 albino corys. The serpae's are my favorite. They school pretty well, and they're very active. Constantly exploring around, getting into everything. Really nice to look at. As most people may know, serpae's have a reputation for being fin nippers, but mine mostly only ever pester one another lol. My red eyes are pretty sweet too but they are more laid back. They school great as well, but I've noticed that mine don't explore around as much as the serpae's. The 4 neon tetras, I added for a little color. They are great as well. Half the time they school together, the other half of the time they spread out and do their own thing. My 3 albino corys are amazing. They patrol the bottom almost non-stop and seem to be the happiest, most unbothered fish I've ever seen. Overall extremely happy with my community tank. Thanks for the video.☺

[@TobyCreates]

“They had fish back then?” *ded.*

[@qwerty-2881]

dude the fish recognize dean like literal god. they follow his hand

[@richardrobledo466]

Cory, small world... I did not know you know and have business with Greg Sage from CO. I met him when I lived local to him in 2014! Greg has a wonderful fish room!

[@FoxyFoxyShazam]

Greg Sage is a legend in this hobby!

[@keithkeppler3970]

I love these videos of you just talking with other "fish folks" about tanks/fish and what has worked, hasn't worked. Your 2 hour videos are just to long to sit and watch, maybe breaking those apart to 20 or 30 minute videos would make them easier to consume. Love ya Cory, thank you for all you do!

[@elmee96]

Preacox rainbows is the best in my opinion! Awesome looking

[@mathdesm9306]

3 years ago I bought a small group of cherry barb and I've been enjoying them everyday since. They're active, peaceful and stunning when on display. Plus sometimes some fry pops up. You can put them with delicate things like featherfins or mean buggers like kribensis. They're simply perfect.

[@litesronno1shome]

0:35 proof that Dean is the real Aquaman

[@susanosman3643]

Hi "old Dean"- LOL, Cory has a lot of nerve,huh? Well.....I was alive 30 years ago and that was probably when I was most active in my fish keeping journey, so I am familiar with a lot of the "old time fish". 😂 I was married then and my hubby was the 1 who introduced me into fishkeeping! Life changed drastically since then and I really want to get back into the fishkeeping world!!! I love Cory's, yours, and KGTropicals videos! I think I forgot more than I remember--- but something jogs my memory and a lot of it comes (happily) back to me!! 👍 I can't wait to set up my 1st tank. I'm now living with my Daughter + son inlaw so it's been difficult, so I bought a 10 gal starter tank , just to get back into it, until I'm ready for the 40 gal breeder tank. I was really scared of all the "tricky" water parameters, because I don't remember it bring that complex. Maybe it isn't, it just sounds that way? My son inlaw got left with his daughters 75gal tank when she/boyfriend moved and the tank has been in terrible shape! I have suggested different things, but my advise was ignored because HE'S A FISHERMAN-- and has his own opinions! Boy, does he! He put little goldfish won at a "fair" into the tank-- they grew into BIG FISH!! Then he started finding little frogs while fishing and he threw them in also-- I told him that wasn't a good idea, but who am I? He never tested the water + if he did, he didn't understand it. I bought him an "aquarium keeping " book so hopefully, he'd learn something ......NOT! I bought him TEST KITS......that didn't help either! I can't even look into the tank! I want to CRY! THERE IS MORE ALGAE AND CRUD FLOATING AROUND THAN FISH! He HAD some really nice fish--- all that's left now is 2 original Kissing Gouramis, 1 big Silver Dollar, and 1 big, beautiful Angel !!!! I want to smack him upside his " know it all" head!!! Thank you for letting me vent--- maybe now I will have the energy to set MY TANK up and keep it thriving!!!!! 😘

[@Shelzbells]

In all of my years of fish keeping, I have always love the red eye tetras too. The powder blue gouramis you have are the best Ive seen. Wow!

[@kdr1048]

Huge fan of the green neons as well. I have a group of about 40 or so in my 75 blackwater. Love them.

[@andrewc9188]

I love dean. You two are the dream team. I love your videos

[@CommanderWiggins]

Cherry Barbs are great and very underrated. They're really cheap, super hardy, and when kept in the right setup, they are very outgoing and colorful without being aggressive. They like to be in a planted tank with a lot of cover, and their red and orange colors really pop against the green of the plants. They also like to be in a bit of a larger tank. In a small tank, males can get nasty with each other, but in a larger tank they have room to spread out. I have 15 in my 75 gallon planted tank, 10 males and 5 females. But despite the ratio they are very peaceful. I see occasional chasing behavior, but nothing major or excessive. I've also never had any nipping at all. Even when they exhibit spawning behavior nothing ever gets close to a concerning level. They are perfect tankmates for my Corydoras.

[@MikesAquaticsThings]

So cool. I just got red eye tetras to put in my Discus tank. I picked them exactly why Dean said, they are not flashy but great fish that way the Discus are still the centerpiece.

[@rickfromthecape3135]

100% agree with Dean on the natural vs longfin varieties.

[@toddratson7526]

I always enjoy Dean's Videos. Thanks for sharing!

[@kathleenbronson9849]

Awesome stage presence dude!!! Best video from Aquarium Co-Op!!

[@mancfishkeeper]

Good video lads thank you

[@14pedro415]

More Dean!

[@paulmasters8666]

The really cool thing IMO about Harlequin Rasbora is the males display to each other like Tiger Barbs.

[@rosemont5339]

Silver tip and harlequins are amazing fish. When I setup my planted tanks again will most likely pick those. I saw harlequins in the shedd aquarium in Chicago, those were huge!

[@beingL]

I like his philosophy. I like the idea of buying younger fish and growing them out myself because I want to have my fish as long as possible and want to see them flourish in the tank.

[@VincentVader]

I really like red eye tetras & used to have a bunch in a 40 breeder but o was very limited on what plants I could keep in the tank because they'd eat just about everything. I finally quit keeping them because of that.

[@Bobcats4038]

The new timestamps are perfect especially for videos like this

[@bhagyamaithripala6642]

You guys are Awesome....!

[@ayee6174]

10 for $1. Dean didn't mention that you can get a wagon for $10!! 😂😂

[@pipex4257]

I like how there are time stamps in the video

[@Jeebus86]

With all the time and effort I'm amazed that fish aren't more expensive.

[@johnwood738]

More Dean please!

[@bryansimmons3723]

Love listening to Dean, he is basically fish google! I have always loved Cherry Barbs, and I have had them with Angels (still do) in a community tank and have had little to no problem.

[@lancerguy3667]

My local fish store had Green Neon Rasboras in stock, so I picked up a school of 10. Immediately fell in love with them. They're tiny: they only max out at about 3/4 of an inch, but very bright. They also have a ton of personality. They're constantly zipping about and exploring. I was planning on making a community tank, but now I'm honestly tempted to just add 20 more of them and have it be a dedicated species tank.

[@pjp9383]

I know it's an old comment, but I'm curious as to whether you ended up doing this? I love my neon green rasboras! Had a group of twenty at one point, which has dwindled to 6 or 7 (they're so active - and in with other fish - so it's hard to count!) A LFS has more, and I am pondering moving them to another tank and restocking a bigger group.

[@lancerguy3667]

@@pjp9383 I didn’t, actually. I ended up with a school of 16 Neons and a group of 6 cories living together. It was a pretty cute setup, and they got along pretty well. Things went pretty great for almost a year that way, though I had a tragic heater malfunction while I was at work one day. I’ve kept my tank cycled since then, just in case I ever want to try again. If I do, I’ll probably go with a mono-species tank just because I like having a bigger school shoaling around.

[@pjp9383]

@@lancerguy3667 So sorry to hear that - I lost a betta to a similar scenario, and it is a horrible feeling. I hope you do get some more fish one day though! I have a bunch of tanks, some community and some species only. My most recent set up is a 20g with a big school of pygmy cories, and then I also moved over my single panda cory left from a previous group. She seemed happy to be with other cories again, but the size difference made it look a bit silly! Recently had the chance to grab a small group of a less common cory - bilineatus - and they are sticking to her like glue. It's a bit more of an even match! Am kind of out of stocking room in the tank, but trying to decide whether to try to squeeze in something bright and colourful for the top of the tank. A small school of the rasboras might work, but not the big group I would like. I like my ember tetras in their current tank, but they'd probably work too. Or maybe a good excuse to get a new type of nano fish! 😂

[@janestevens2030]

I think it would be fun to have Dean do some cooking segments.

[@TobyCreates]

jane stevens discus cooking segments

[@tennisboycarl2717]

Love the vids man. Keep doing what your doing!

[@caroleinwv]

Those plecos are awesome!

[@madturtle8826]

Red eyes are great. I have a school of 15 in my 40 gallon. When he says voracious eaters, he isn’t lying. They are CRAZY fast

[@stacierichardson4475]

Thank you, just what we needed to watch now too👍😁

[@boebender]

Great list, thank you! Harlequin rasboras rarely get mentioned in schooling lists. I’d follow you around all day listening to your wisdom and suggestions. Thanks Dean!!

[@emmascrimshaw4114]

Really useful... I'm looking for new fish and some good ideas.x

[@caewalker9276]

Thank you Ancient One,and Coopy.

[@nathanhoveyaquatics]

Those cherry barbs are on fire. I wish mine would get as bright as those. Absolutely beautiful fish.

[@davidreid1865]

Great stuff, please keep these coming!

[@MegaMindyLou]

I just now discovered long fin zebra danios. I never really ever looked at them. My dad got some pearl long fin danios and somehow a zebra got mixed in. I was so surprised at how cute and active they are. So I got some for myself. ❤️

[@richcastro8990]

Thumbs up for any video with Dean in it. 👍

[@ludvignilsson4365]

Feel free to post 7 videos like this á week, please. PLEASE??!?!?

[@ethandooley9945]

I had a big group of cherry barbs they got absolutely huge. Never had fry but plenty spawning some colour enhancing food and after a few weeks they popped even more. They lived with a breeding pair of kribensis in a planted tank

[@niva8043]

It's always nice to get advice from Dean 🙂

[@terrywho22]

Man, takes me back. When I started in this hobby back in the 1970's, we didn't have as many types of fish, but certain fish were staples that are somewhat rare now: orange chromides, green chromides, and red tail sharks come to mind. And everyone carried tons of gouramis. I even remember seeing chocolate and licorice gouramis at Sears of all places. And yes, neons were 10 for $1!

[@Lisa.Sparkman]

When I was a kid we liked to look at the fish at newberries

[@fishinglifev2]

gawd i love cherry barbs

[@dexlao9434]

This man is a legend.. 55+ years fish keeping experience you will not find anywhere

[@ryanwilson5936]

Completely off topic but I would love to see dean give a culinary demonstration. He seems like such a great teacher!

[@tigersunruss]

Cherry barbs are one of my favorites. They are extremely easy to breed, just need another tank to put the eggs or parents in (as he did). If I put a spawning mop in the tank they almost immediately attack it to breed, and every day.

[@itsmyrum9219]

Dean and Cory the dynamic duo!

[@danant5197]

Love it. Please do more short videos like this.

[@dreadfullguppy19]

harlequins really great schoolers especially against a gentle flow, black neons look good with them..ember tetras definitely in a smaller tank and rummynose tetra are always good in a bigger aquarium ..100%agree about the red eye tetra..I like the steel grey outlined scales on the body capped with the red eyes...I don't like stocking serpae tetra in community aquariums because they usually predate on the other fishes fins particularly a problem with corydoras.. In my experience I'd say harlequin rasbora are the easiest and best schoolers that are commonly available a shoal of 12 in a decent length aquarium of at least a metre and your not going to regret it.

[@vanessamcgrew4486]

" they had fish back then?" I laughed way harder than i should of

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

Odessa Barbs are fantastic schoolers and if you get enough they don’t bother anything at all. Had them with everything from angels to rasbora

[@marksguitars5617]

cool video, I too can recall when neons were 10 for a buck, they were usually super tiny. Also back then the variety of available species was very cyclic. Summer time we would see more species, back then there were only a few kinds of angelfish (black, silver, marbled and veil of each). I remember when gold severums and gold rams first became available.

[@kellysuzanne976]

I had male cherry barbs for years with Angelfish . My bards were always peaceful, they never bothered any of my other fish. They were very old and blood red when they finally died . I now have 20 albino pristella tetras they school very well . My favorite Schooling fish are the ember tetras.

[@deletethemedia3445]

Rummy nose are my favorite schooling fish by far. Wish I had a shop like that where I live

[@daltonvickersjr9441]

Love the cherry barb and odessas

[@elvinsworld11]

Wow, this is nice. Go for more

[@jeffchambers449]

I've been in the hobby over 50 years. I believe the selection was better in the past. Not as many hybridized fish. Colors were better. Stores weren't worried about bringing in odd ball fish that folks hadn't seen before. There were more independent shops that catered to the guys that were breeding fish at home. Oh, and I'm a fan of Rummy Nose Tetra's as a mid-water schooling fish.. I remember working in a shop as a teenager, we had Neon Tetra's on sale for 20 for $1.00. They were tiny.

[@shawnmcpeak6184]

This was Great. I just set my 35 gal back up. Have had fish in it for 2 weeks and have Green Cory's , 4 platies, 2 molly, 3 Blue Rams, and 10 Glowlight Tetras. They are all so small. They get lost in the tank.

[@MidnightGeekSS]

yay. Dean is awesome

[@RenjuPhilip]

To cherry barb add checker barb and albinos . Along with Neon, we could mix , black neon and albinos

[@jenay6586]

"Oh, look at the color of these Cherry Barbs!". Can't do that Dean. The light is pink. That means we're not able to see the true color of the fish stocked there at the co-op. Too bad. They might be really pretty.

[@leonardobernardesdeamaro1392]

How do you like ember tetras as schooling fish?

[@Cgraseck]

The Sultan is out because you are filming at like 1:00AM! They are always out at that time. Cheers, Chris