anyone heard of this fish?

[alabaster]

Hi has anyone had any experience or knowledge with a fish called the "Colombia 95" tetra?

 

[sylvia]

Do you mean the colombian tetra Hyphessobrycon columbianus? These get to 2.5" (males are slightly larger than females and have longer fins when fully mature) and are schooling fish so should be in a group numbering at least 6 individuals. They are quite nippy and do best with larger or equaly nippy tetras, active and boisterous barbs etc. Don't keep them with long-finned, slow-moving, overly-timid or very small, easily bullied fish - for example, they make terrible tankmates for most gouramies, bettas, guppies, small tetras such as neons etc. They do well with tiger barbs, buenos aires tetras, black widows, most plecs, I've seen them kept with kribs, sharks, rosy barbs, larger livebearers such as mollies (not long-tailed lyre tails etc though) and so on. They have a nice color of varying red and blue tones. I think they look lovely in a large group in a planted species tank or combined with some kind of active barb or giant danios.

Did you see this fish at an lFS or something? I've never heard of the '95' being added to the name if it does turn out to be the species I am familiar with...

 

[alabaster]

no, its not the columbia tetra

the fish I mean is called the Columbia 95 Tetra, and in my book it says that its only been known to the hobby for a short time

the scientific name is Astyanax Sp.

 

[The-Wolf]

Astanax is the family name for blind cave tetras astanax mexicalis. is this another fish or the one you are talking about?

 

[sylvia]

I did a google search for Astyanax sp and, after a bit of searching, it actualy appears that this is just a synonym for the colombian tera I mentioned before. There are so many fish in the astyanax genus but only this particular astyanax sp colombia seemed a plausible candidate and it so happens that's just another of Hyphessobrycon colombianus' several synonyms. I tried to find a picture and the only ones I have seen are identical to the colombian tetra I am familiar with.

 

[alabaster]

I don't think the Columbian Tetra is the right fish. How do you post pictures? If you tell me, I can post the picture of this fish from my book.

 

[Harvey]

I think I have the same book as you! Is it called 'The Aquarium Fish Handbook', written by 'David Goodwin'? I searched on Google for "Colombia 95 Tetra" and it found 3 matches, this page being one of them!

I was searching for any data about the fish and no sites recoqnise the fish. I then stumbled across a website which claimed a new speicies of Astyanax had been found, as this was the latin name given in my book I thought his must be it. There is a picture on the article of a 'Astyanax Tupi' as they refered to the new speicies as, and I feel that it resembles the picture I have in my book of a Colombia 95 Tetra. I thought some of you may have wanted to check it out so here is the link.

Astyanax Tupi - Colombia 95 Tetra???

 

[alabaster]

Sorry harvey but I clicked on the link and I cant open it for some reason. Could you post the pic?

And yes, your book is the same as mine. Thanks for replying, and try to get that picture up.

 

[Tetramad]

I keep Colombian Tetras and have had no trouble with them at all, if anything they get their fins nipped by the other fish!!. They quarrel amongst themselves accasionally but I have NEVER seen them touch another fish. Sylvia, are you speaking from experience? I am surprised to hear that they nip. They are very hardy and entertaining and are ferocious feeders sometimes leaping clear of the water to get the flake first, also fantastically coloured when they are settled in the tank. I would recommend them to anyone as a community fish.

Mark.

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> I am surprised to hear that they nip.

When the first Colombian Tetras, Hyphessobrycon colombianus, appeared I got some. I put them in my quiet tetra tank as I heard they were quiet and somewhat shy.

I did find them to be nippy and very active however and put them in a different tank with some more robust tetras where they lived out their days. I wouldn't call them overly aggressive, but they certainly can nip.

As with all tetras, being front toothed, a small nip can do considerable damage.

 

[nj96]

I've started out with 3 Columbian tetras when I was cycling the tank and added 3 more after the cycling was done. The first few days there was a lot of showing off and nipping to figure out the pecking order (no pun intended) but everyone calmed down after that. There's a nip here or there from time to time, but nothing major. They even stay away from the Angelfish (even though the Angels can probably take care of themselves).

-Dan