Help Me Id This Fish

[iairj84]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum but love fish and am just really getting started with the hobby. I have been searching all over for this kind of fish since I would like to see it's profile to know what kind of parameters I should be looking at. Needless to say I should've asked at my LFS but I will not be going back to that store anytime soon with their fish keeping practices.

Any help would be fantastic!

 

[The-Wolf]

looks like a colour morph of Gymnocorymbus ternetzi often called a white widow tetra

 

[iairj84]

looks like a colour morph of Gymnocorymbus ternetzi often called a white widow tetra

Thanks, I have two of these little guys and while they are doing good in the tank they are often times agressive with each other (They are the only two fish in the tank as I am working on getting it fully cycled.) I like these little guys a lot but would prefer to steer away this particular LFS and haven't seen them anywhere else.

 

[Darkmoon Bettas]

looks like a colour morph of Gymnocorymbus ternetzi often called a white widow tetra

Thanks, I have two of these little guys and while they are doing good in the tank they are often times agressive with each other (They are the only two fish in the tank as I am working on getting it fully cycled.) I like these little guys a lot but would prefer to steer away this particular LFS and haven't seen them anywhere else.

Depending where in the world you are, they're also called "white skirt" tetras--mostly in the U.S. Strangely, these fish are really common in the states, but seem to be a lot less of a hobby mainstay in many parts of Europe. (If you can give us an idea of waht part of the world you're in, someone near you may be able to recommend a great store near you.)

This fish comes in one other natural morph (in fact, the original--the whites came from the blacks):

Now, please be careful--you'll SEE these fish in many other colors, particularly blue and pink, often as "pink skirt" "pink widow" "strawberry" "berry" or "froot-loop" tetras... these are NOT natural colors. These fish are synthetically dyed, usually by dipping but ocasionally by injection. Both processes are extremely cruel and maybe 1 in 50 or 1 in 100 actually survives from the dyer to the wholesaler to the pet store, and out of those that do, maybe one in 50 again will live a natural, healthy, long lifespan.

 

[iairj84]

Thanks for the 2nd reply. I live in california and for some reason the name white skirt tetra sounds right to me. I hadn't seen these in any of the other LFS but hopefully I can find a few more so that these guys will quit picking on each other.

I'll also keep my eyes out for dyed fish and avoid those fish and hopefully find a shop that doesn't carry those kinds of fish. Thanks again!

 

[Darkmoon Bettas]

Thanks for the 2nd reply. I live in california and for some reason the name white skirt tetra sounds right to me. I hadn't seen these in any of the other LFS but hopefully I can find a few more so that these guys will quit picking on each other.

I'll also keep my eyes out for dyed fish and avoid those fish and hopefully find a shop that doesn't carry those kinds of fish. Thanks again!

They probably are going by "white skirt tetras" there--they're not uncommon, and even petsmart/petco usually have them, although I don't recommend buying fish there. (And a good LFS, once you find one, should be able to order them for you with no problem.) Adding a few more--at least 3, I'd say--should spread out the aggression sufficiently and they'll likely settle down and start to school a bit. (Blacks and whites can be mixed and will shoal together--I forgot if I mentioned that before.)

Oh, there are a bunch of great LFS's in California! I myself know (and live in) the south bay/Silicon Valley area pretty decently, and know the San Francisco area a little bit (and know some people that know it well). The Los Angeles area, I know has some good stores, but I don't really know what they are. You might consider hunting down a local fish CLUB near you--California is loaded with them--and get some advice and names of places from people who've been in the hobby and know the "scene" in the area specifically near to you. Good luck!