Care and Breeding of Tetras
Non-Aggressive, Schooling Fish for Freshwater Aquariums
Tetras do well in a community tank if they are placed with other tetras, live bearers, small catfish, dwarf cichlids and any other docile fish.
Tetras are part of the family Characidae (known as Characins) and there are approximately 1500 species in this genus. They are found in rivers, streams, lakes and puddles in South America and Africa. These fish are popular for community tanks because of their colors and can be placed in smaller tanks because of their size.
Aquarium Conditions for Tetras
For most tetras, the water should be medium to hard and an ideal PH of 7.
Most characins live in open water in the wild but once put into an aquarium, they need protected spaces. This can be achieved by having a heavily planted tank, or by adding hollow driftwood or by building rocky caves.
Characins are most popular for their bright colors and they do not appear as brilliant in bright light. You can create shade in your tank with floating plants.
Tetras do well in a community tank and they like to swim in schools. They may not display normal behavior unless kept in groups of 8 or more. Because tetras are small, they make a greater visual impact in your aquarium when they are in a group.
In many characins, the males will lay claim to very small territories but does not cause too much trouble in the aquarium.
Breeding Tetras
Very few people breed tetras because they take a little more time and effort. Characins are egg scatterers and don’t take care of their young. They eat their young so it’s important to remove the parents as soon as spawning occurs.
The easiest tetras to breed are Black Skirt, Flames, Red Eyes and Head & Tail Light.
It is best to set up a breeding tank for tetras. A 5-gallon aquarium is an ideal size and it must be kept dim and with no direct lighting. This can be achieved by covering the back and sides of the tank with dark plastic.
There should be no gravel in the tank and the water must be kept very clean. Use only a sponge filter but keep it off the bottom of the tank because the fry can get caught underneath. The water temperature should be kept in the high 70F range.
Many breeders recommend placing a large bushy plant in the tank because the male likes to lure the female into a dense area. The male and female will swim close together and it looks like they are rubbing against each other. The female releases some eggs and this can be detected by seeing her shake. The male will release milt to fertilize the eggs.
Observe the behavior of the breeding pair and once the spawning is complete, remove the parents from the breeding tank. Keep the tank dim or almost dark for the next 5 days. When the 5 days are over, let a bit of light in the tank. The fry should be free-swimming and can be fed microscopic organisms.
After a few days, start the fry on small but frequent servings of baby brine shrimp. More light can be let into the tank. After several weeks, the fry can be fed flake food.
Recommended Tetras for Aquariums
In addition to the tetras recommended for breeding, other popular species are Neon, Cardinals, Black Phantom, Arnolds Red Eye and Congo tetras. Because tetras have lovely colors and a nice disposition, they are a welcome addition to any community tank provided they are not placed with aggressive fish.
