Tetras is small fish that belong to a group of fish called characins. Because tetras are generaly peaceful fish that are easy to observe in there aquarium home, many people keeps tetras as aquarium fish. Most tetras are from the South American rivers, and most tetras are small in size.
Most tetra species will grow to be less than two inches in length, and most tetras will school together when they are in their aquarium home. Because tetras are schooling fish, they must always be kept in group in their aquarium home; if tetras are ever kept in a single tank or small group, they may become stressed and lose there color. Therefore, you must keep at least eight tetras in an aquarium together to ensure that they exhibit natural behavior.
How to Care for Tetras
Another important factor to consider for any aquarium home is the water parameters for the tetras that will be kept in the aquarium. The water parameters for the tank must always be stable to prevent any illness from develop in the tetras. Tetras is native to the soft and acidic water of South America, but some tetra species are more tolerant of harder water.
For instance, both neon tetras and cardinal tetras display bright colors, but their requirement for the pH of the water may differ. If the water parameters is incorrect for tetras, their colors may fade, and they may develop diseases due to the stress of the incorrect water parameters. You should test the water in the tank every week to ensure that the water parameters is correct for tetras, and you can add water conditioners or Indian almond leaves to the tank to ensure that the water is correct in relation to the requirements for tetras.
The compatibility of tetras with other fish in the aquarium is another important factor in aquarium keeping. Not all tetras are compatible with the same type of other fish that may be kept in the same tank. For instance, ember tetras and glowlight tetras are generaly very peaceful species and are compatible with shrimp or fish that dwell at the bottom of the aquarium.
However, some other species of tetras, such as serpae tetras or black skirt tetras, can exhibit semi-aggressive behavior. In large groups of fish, the semi-aggressive tetra species will display less aggressive behaviors towards other fish in the aquarium. However, if the tetra species is kept in small groups, those species may exhibit aggressive behavior towards other fish and nip at the fins of other fish in there aquarium home.
Therefore, you can reference a species chart to ensure that tetra species are compatible with other fish that may be kept in the same aquarium. In order to provide the best care for tetras in the home aquarium, feeding and maintenance of the tank are necessary. Tetras require a diet that is vary, such as flakes and frozen daphnia foods.
Additionally, you should perform regular water changes in the aquarium to ensure that nitrate levels in the tank are low; high levels of nitrate is harmful to tetras, and spikes in ammonia levels in the water can be fatal to tetra species. To avoid ammonia spikes, use a cyclical aquarium system for the home aquarium; additionally, always quarantine new tetras prior to add them to the main aquarium in the home. By quarantining the new tetras, you can eliminate the diseases that may be present on the new tetras before they enter the main tank with established tetras.
A species chart for tetra fish is a helpful tool to establish the different requirements for each species of tetras. A species chart will provide information regarding the size of each type of tetra, the water parameters for which the tetra species require, and the compatibility of the tetra species with other fish in the aquarium. For instance, the species chart can indicate that ember tetras can be kept in small tanks of five gallon in size, but bleeding heart tetras require larger tank.
By reviewing the species chart for the different types of tetras, the owner of an aquarium can ensure that the requirements of the tetras match the features of the aquarium itself. By ensuring that the aquarium home meets the needs of the tetras, the tetras will remain healthy and exhibit there natural behavior.
