10 Tetras
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Good (and Bad) First Fish; Breeding FAQ, by Dean Hougen and Elaine Thompson
10 Tetras
Like many of the fish in the first section, Tetras are schooling fish
and should be kept in groups of six or more of the same species.
Tetras are native to Central and South America and Africa. In some
regions of South America the water is quite soft (very little rock is
dissolved in it) and acidic. (Another way of saying "acidic" is to
say that it has a low pH - one below 7, which is considered
"neutral". A strong acid has a very low pH. Liquids above pH 7 are
said to be "basic".)
Unless you know that your tank water is also soft and acidic, the
Tetras that need that water should be avoided. Before you buy a Tetra
that you are not sure about, look it up in your book. If it says that
it needs a pH below 6.5 you should probably avoid it. While many
beginning aquarists are tempted to simply adjust the pH of their water
by buying little containers of chemicals in the pet store, do not give
in to this temptation! Water chemistry is very complex and you can
easily kill all your fish by trying it.
On the other hand, if your tap water is naturally soft and achieves a
consistent acidic pH, there is no reason that you can't try your hand
at some of these fish.
Two very popular Tetras which need soft, acidic water are the Neon
Tetra - Paracheirodon innesi and the Cardinal Tetra - Cheirodon
axelrodi. These are quite attractive red and blue fish. The red line
on the Cardinal runs from the head on back, while in the Neon it
starts only in the belly region. But their attractiveness is their
only advantage. Besides its water requirements the Neon has the added
drawback that almost all of them are bred in the Far East in huge
numbers with no regard to quality. Further, the raising ponds for the
young fish are filled with medicines. The medicines keep diseases in
check but as soon as the fish are shipped they begin to get sick. They
die in huge numbers in the stores and in buyer's home tanks. Probably
less than 1 in 10 Neons lives for more than one month after being
removed from the pond it was raised in. Further, those two or three
tiny neons for a dollar at the local store can easily introduce a
disease that kills all the fish in your tank.
Cardinals will have a greater chance of not dying immediately after
purchase but even they will probably not live long in your home tank.
They are wild caught in Brazil as adults so they may have lived most
of their naturally short life span before you buy them.
Other Tetras which need acidic water include the Blue Neon Tetra -
Hyphessobrycon simulans, the Flag Tetra - H. heterorhabdus, H. metae,
the Loreto Tetra - H. loretoensis, the Black Phantom Tetra -
Megalamphodus megalopterus, and the Red Phantom Tetra - M. sweglesi.
So what about those aquarists without acid water? There are plenty of
hardy Tetras out there for beginners without special water. These
include the distinctive Black or Black Skirt Tetra - Gymnocorymbus
ternetzi, the brightly colored Glow Light Tetra - Hemigrammus
erythrozonus, the radiant orange Jewel Tetra - Hyphessobrycon
callistus, the Flame Tetra - H. flammeus, and the red-tailed Pristella
- Pristella maxillaris, all of which grow to less than two inches
long. Slightly larger Tetras include the Penguin Tetra - Thayeria
obliqua and the closely related Hockey-stick Tetra - Th. boehlkei,
both of which are easily recognized by the black lines originating in
the lower half of their caudal (tail) fins and running forward, the
shiny Diamond Tetra - Moenkhausia pittieri, and the beautiful,
trident-tailed Emperor Tetra - N. palmeri. Finally, the only African
Tetra frequently seen, the Congo Tetra - Phenacogrammus interruptus is
a gorgeous fish which grows up to four inches long.
Continue to:
My Books
