# Is Chasing Normal?



## NeptunesMom (May 4, 2012)

Today I added Axl to the community tank (that was supposed to be a sorority, but it is now Axl's). It is a 20 g tall with 4 Cories, 3 Platys (2 of which I believe are pregnant :roll and 8 Rasboras. The Platys were going to be moved to another tank once I began the sorority, but they'll just chill in there now. 

Anyway, I acclimated Axl for about 2 hours in a plastic cup and let him adjust to the other fish. He flared at them but never attacked, so I decided to let him into the tank. He flared at the Platys, and chased them a bit. Then he chased the Rasboras too. He eventually started to explore and if he would see a fish he would chase it. Otherwise, he was pretty interested in exploring. He's not nipping at them, or even flaring, but he does seem to enjoy chasing them. He doesn't chase very far or very long. I'm assuming this is all part of the establishment of the hierarchy in the tank, but since it's been like 17 years since I've had a community tank I wanted to double check. 

All the fish in the tank are around the same size, so no one should get eaten. Also, I do have the light off in the tank to let everyone settle.


----------



## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I have found bettas are chasers by nature. When one of my previous males lived in a community tank with various small schooling fish, he would chase them around sporadically. 

As long as he is not relentlessly chasing the other fish or chasing them and then attacking them, I would not be too concerned.


----------

