Nasty Flame Tetra

[emilythestrange]

I have recently moved my 100ltr to another house and after watching the fish tuck into bits of an algae wafer disc, i noticed that one of my flame tetras aggressively bites at the tails of my guppies to get them out of the way, the problem is after watching this i saw that the tetra had made 2 splits in 2 of the guppies tails up to half way. I cant allow this as the guppies are my favourites and i never saw this behaviour before from the tetra!


Could someone please guide me on what to do as i dont want to risk the health of my fish!

Many thanks

 

[Louiseness]

How many tetras do you have? Keeping them in a proper shoal of 6 or more can reduce aggression so if you only have the one that might be worth a try.

Some tetras are just plain nippy though, you may have to separate them if it carries on.

 

[emilythestrange]

I have 2 flames, 2 widows, 1 black neon, 3 glowlight + 3 albino neon

 

[Louiseness]

I'd strongly consider upping the numbers for some of those tetra to at LEAST six of each. They're shoaling fish and need to be with their own kind, and all of the ones you have there are different species I believe. That would most likely reduce the aggression.

In the long run it would probably be better to have maybe two decent sized shoals of different tetra, rather than bits and bobs of fish.

 

[emilythestrange]

I would up the numbers, however if i did up to 6 each that would fill out the whole of the stocking level and then i couldn't increase the guppies + platys. The tetras were an unfortunate "present" from parents, despite me making it quite clear i didnt like tetras very much. I guess this is a positive to moving out !

 

[Louiseness]

I would up the numbers, however if i did up to 6 each that would fill out the whole of the stocking level and then i couldn't increase the guppies + platys. The tetras were an unfortunate "present" from parents, despite me making it quite clear i didnt like tetras very much. I guess this is a positive to moving out !

The only thing you can do, then, is rehome the fish. If you LFS won't take them then you could try advertising on freecycle/gumtree/preloved etc, I found it quite easy to give away fish I didn't want anymore on there.

 

[XeroTolerance]

Either up the number of Flame Tetras or re-home them.

 

[Fishy friend2]

Either up the number of Flame Tetras or re-home them.

+1

 

[fluttermoth]

Either up the number of Flame Tetras or re-home them.

+1

+2; the widows too; they're just as nippy IME.

 

[XeroTolerance]

Either up the number of Flame Tetras or re-home them.

+1

+2; the widows too; they're just as nippy IME.

Yeah I heard it somewhere that widows are nippy.

 

[emilythestrange]

Sorry they are phantom tetras, not widow. I have brought 2 male platys and 2 male guppies tonight, im wondering what my stocking level can go up to?
100 UK litres, 8 male guppies, 5 male platys, 1 cory catfish, 11 tetras.

 

[Proxo]

Somebody is going to say it "cory should be kept in groups of 6+"

 

[fluttermoth]

Cories should be kept in groups of 6+ (and on a sand substrate too, preferably)

There you go

 

[Proxo]

Cories should be kept in groups of 6+ (and on a sand substrate too, preferably)

There you go

Glad to know you've got my back

 

[emilythestrange]

i tried sand once but it just made a mess and i had alot of problems. this cory i have had for nearly 2 years and outlived the others i brought for him to group with + the ones in the petshop are 1cm big and he is around 2 inches at least, does that matter?