Glowlight Tetras "playing tag" in pairs, is it play or mating behavior?

[Octavarium]

I have some movies of them doing this I caught, I gotta figure out how to upload to show you. Basically I have 10 glowlight tetras that are all healthy and fine, after one water change and some removing of plants and driftwood, I noticed days later a couple will follow each other side by side, or slightly behind the other, darting around slightly, through holes in driftwood, through plants...its fun to watch. Absolutely NO finnipping, etc....which makes me think its not a hierarchy kind of dominance thing, and this happens with a couple different pairs too (otherwise all 10 are normally schooling). Could this be courting behavior? I have not seen any "barrel rolls" that I read up online indicate when the eggs/milt are released...but I don't know what else this behavior could be besides fun. Also what reinforces me guessing courting is of the pairs, one is always bigger, more rotund ventrally (which is indiciative of females supposdily) and the other one is the more streamlined. Like I said all else is great: colors, other behavior, fins, great appetite, etc....this isn't concerning me, I'm just very curious. Never noticed behavior like this with ANY tetra I've owned over 20 years. Should I get some cribs ready? :-D

 

[SnakeIce]

They could very well be flirting with the idea of breeding. I usually got such behavior out of my tetras, when I had them, by feeding an extra variety of freeze dried tubefex, a little freeze dried blood worms, betta flakes, and regular flakes. Then what pushed them over into actual breeding was a nearly tap cold water change. The dip in tank temperature simulates what would occur after a rain storm, which is the signal for the start of the rainy season and breeding season with higher water providing more cover and space for the fry to hide in.

I had danios, serpae tetras, neons, cherry barbs and pygmy corydorus spawn. The Columbian blue tetras, and pristilla tetras were doing the dance but I didn't see completion if they did.

All mine spawned in the community tank and thus most didn't survive. I did find a way to raise some danios and later some serpae tetras. I found out the time to hatch for each species and siphoned the gravel right at the hatching time and saved the water and junk that came out of the tank in a bucket. When the just hatched fish started hanging on the walls of the bucket I transferred them to a raising tank with a pipette. It was fun, raised 20 or so danios and about 15 of the tetras. I didn't keep them but traded them with the local store for credit.

 

[fishorama]

My lemon tetras prefer very early morning for spawning before tank lights come on. I don't have prefilters on their tank so I don't expect fry; still, fun to see.

 

[Octavarium]

They could very well be flirting with the idea of breeding. I usually got such behavior out of my tetras, when I had them, by feeding an extra variety of freeze dried tubefex, a little freeze dried blood worms, betta flakes, and regular flakes. Then what pushed them over into actual breeding was a nearly tap cold water change. The dip in tank temperature simulates what would occur after a rain storm, which is the signal for the start of the rainy season and breeding season with higher water providing more cover and space for the fry to hide in.

I had danios, serpae tetras, neons, cherry barbs and pygmy corydorus spawn. The Columbian blue tetras, and pristilla tetras were doing the dance but I didn't see completion if they did.

All mine spawned in the community tank and thus most didn't survive. I did find a way to raise some danios and later some serpae tetras. I found out the time to hatch for each species and siphoned the gravel right at the hatching time and saved the water and junk that came out of the tank in a bucket. When the just hatched fish started hanging on the walls of the bucket I transferred them to a raising tank with a pipette. It was fun, raised 20 or so danios and about 15 of the tetras. I didn't keep them but traded them with the local store for credit.

Thats very cool, yes mine are on that very good diet of New Spectrum community pellets, tetramin pro plus flakes, some frozen daphnia, bloodworms, brine, and live brine once in while...I really like mixing up diets in my fish I believe like in humans and most animals good variety is essential. But you're 100% right, this did occur hours after I did a big water change, and my temp usually dips a degree or so when over hour when I do water changes (never much more, but alas, enough like you said to simulate rainfall perhaps!). Thats cool, I'll be on look out for any spawn release, because my planted tank is filling on top with lots of dwarf lettuce, etc. and some fry MAY live if I was lucky enough. I'll keep you guys posted, Im glad you were able to raise some of your Danios though!