Tetra Fish

Tetras are some of the smallest and most beautiful aquarium fishes; in fact, they include some of the smallest fishes in the world. Nearly all tetras are shoaling fish in nature and will shoal in the aquarium too, if given the chance. Shoaling is their form of protection. Should predator attack the shoal then the sudden movement of one fish triggers panic reaction throughout the shoal. With all the fish moving indifferent directions at the same time, the hope is that the predator will miss its prey and the tetras will escape. That is the theory, but it doe snot always work in practice. Many tetras are naturally insectivorous and appreciate being offered small live foods in the aquarium. They make ideal community fish and will live peacefully with all other fishes.They are mid water swimmers and feeders and very active - in fact, the yare continuously on the go. In a gentle mixed community, Cardiograms, live bearers and other small, non-aggressive fish make Goodman for tetras.

A typical tetra tank should contain plenty of plants, thickly packed around the back and sides of the tank, with a large clearing in the middle. Tetras do not seem to mind whether the tank lighting is bright or subdued. They are not timid, provided they are kept in small shoals of five or more. Ideally, the water in their tank should be soft and acidic, which you can achieve by filtering the water through peat and using plenty of bog wood for decor. However, tetras will do very well in all water compositions, as long as the water is kept clean by making regular partial water changes of about 15 percent of the aquarium capacity. When carrying out water changes, make sure that the temperature does not drop very much, as tetras are less hardy than some other aquarium fishes.

The elegant floodlighted (Emigrants) grows to maximum of Scam(2in) and then only rarely. Its long,slim body is transparent,with a glowing orange line running along it. This colorist also evident at the base of the dorsal fin and all the fin shave touches of white on the edges. Like all tetras, it likes to shoal and makes an attractive display if kept in Allaire group. Glow light tetras prefer well-ht, heavily planted tanks with plenty of small, peaceful fish for company. They happily accept most foods.

Tetras are not always willing to spawning the home aquarium. Those that do,require soft, acidic water and temperature of about 25.5°C(78°F).At one end of a breeding tank place bunch of fine-leaved plants held together with plant wire, and weigh this down with a stone. (In fact, as an alternative to real plants you can use a' spawning mop' made from well-washed strands of wool tied into bunch and weighted down.) There is no need to provide gravel or any form of filtration in the tank, although you will need a heater-thermostat to maintain the correct temperature .Select a well-fed pair of tetras in top condition, put them in the tank in the evening and leave them alone with no artificial lighting, just the normal room light. If all goes well, the pair will spawn the following morning. Swimming into the plants together, the female lays her eggs as the male fertilizes them. The eggs will stick to the plant leaves as they settle upon them. Remove the parents after all the eggs have been laid, otherwise they will methodically go over the plants and eat their own eggs. In most cases, the eggs hatch in a little over ad ay and the fry are free-swimming few days later, but you may find them very difficult to see in the aquarium as they are so small. Probably the first signs of the fry will be tiny, glassy,silver 'hairs' stuck to the tank glass.The really demanding part is keeping the tiny fry alive. The best food is an especially prepared fry food horseplayers. Most aquarium shops can supply this in a tube, rather like liquid toothpaste. As the fry progress, we anthem onto newly hatched brines they are large enough to feed on very finely crushed flake food.

Neon tetras (Preacher) originate from the Amazon and only grow to about 3.75cm(I.5in) or a little more in length. The yare among the slimmest tetras and are renowned for their colors. The top of the back is olive green and below this runs an electric blue line from the top of the tail through the eye. Below this line is a bright silver belly and behind this is a bright blood-red anal section. In the aquarium, neon tetra swill accept most flake foods, along with freeze-dried Tubbier worms,brine shrimp and Daphnia, although they much prefer frozen or live foods.The water should be soft and acidic,but neon tetras will live in medium-hard water that is neutral or very slightly alkaline. Maintain the water temperature at about 25°C(77°F).

The West African red-eyed tetra, or characin, (Arnold) is completely peaceful and makes an ideal community fish.Some of the scales on this fish are dark, creating a lattice pattern. The dorsal fin is quite tall and square,with a black to charcoal gray blotching the middle, and a black line runs horizontally through the tail. The body colors of this fish are quite subtle, the top half being purple and brown, the bottom yellow and green.ales tend to be far more splendid in coloration than the females. This fish has all the same requirements as other African tetras. Do not keep West African red-eyed characins with aggressive or spiteful fishes; the Congo tetra, being a peaceful species,is a particularly good tank mate.

The distinctive phantom tetras- this one is the black phantom tetra -(Megalopolis neglecters) are ideal in a peaceful community aquarium containing fish that are not too large. They grow to about 4cm(1.6in) - maybe a little snore in a tank- and like to shoal, so keep them in small groups. Provide the same water conditions as for other tetras and similar diet. Dense plants or thickets of fine-leaved plants, such scab make the fish feel at home.

The bleeding heart tetra (Hypersonic) is a really beautiful Amazonian tetra and is easy to keep, provided its tank mates are not aggressive or, on the other hand, not so small that they may fit in the bleeding heart's mouth. It is happiest if kept in a shoal in soft,acidic water, but does very well in ordinary tap water.