Rummy nose tetras

[noglet]

I've recently moved 2 rummy nosed tetras into my main tank with my mollies. They were living at my parents house and I've noticed that their fins are kind of shredded (perhaps because the tank hadn't been cleaned out for a while?). It's not affecting their ability to swim. Will they improve with better water quality in the tank they are now in? They are acting healthy but I just worry about them. The new tank is a lot bigger (although shared with the mollies) but they can't believe the space they have!

Also, one of them doesn't seem to be eating - not cos he doesn't want any but there is too much competition with the mollies. A flake did get down to him last night and he had a nibble but don't feel he is eating enough. The other tetra is a lot braver and will eat off the top level of the tank with the mollies.

 

[canarsie11]

Better water quality can turn a fish around. However, it depends on how much damage has been done. No way to really tell, just wait it out.

 

[clutterydrawer]

How bright are their noses?

 

[mrV]

Try to give worms for them to eat. They will love those! Or other larvaes..

Rommy-nose is a little bit hard fish. Your tank water should be soft and pH under 7. If the tank is darkish, it is better. They appreciate also if you have a lot of plants and floating plants which shadow tank.

There are actually three kind of rommy noses
- Hemigrammus rhodostomus (Ahl's rommy-nose tetra)
- Hemigrammus bleheri (rommy-nose tetra)
- Petitella georgiae (false rommy-nose tetra)

If you have H. bleheri, the red area is wedge-shaped and goes back from their eyes.

Rommy-nose is also a fish that is great shoal fish. They are in tight shoal, so you should keep them in large shoal and then they are braver. If they are kept alone or small shoal, they probably are hiding in somewhere...

 

[noglet]

Their noses are getting brighter the longer they are in the new tank - they seem to be much happier and getting more assertive every day.

I think they might be H. bleheri as they do have a wedge shape.

Did you suggest the worms because its nutrious or cos they'll drop down to them in the tank? Can you suggest any brands at all? These would probably be good for my baby mollies too so they can share them.

I did originally have 6 - so they were a shoal, the remaining two are at least 3 years old - I didn't think they would live that long! Are rummy nosed one of the hardiest tetras?

The ph is about 7.5 but I thought I should keep it like this rather than mess around as the mollies like hard water.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Did you suggest the worms because its nutrious or cos they'll drop down to them in the tank? Can you suggest any brands at all? These would probably be good for my baby mollies too so they can share them.

Try to get some live ones from your lfs

When it's inconvenient for me to get live ones I use tetra freshdelica bloodworms, they're not dried, they're preserved wet and come in sachets...my tetras go mental for them.

If you have space, you could get them some companions, as they ar a shoaling fish. Maybe then they'd feel less timid around the mollies? Fish can live a long time without much food though so he should be ok for a bit.

 

[noglet]

well the baby mollies are shortly on the move to their own tank! So I'll have 4 mollies and 2 tetras in my 60litre tank. Should have room for more? Best to get more rummys or would they shoal with a different kind of tetra?

will try the food you have recommended, does it dirty the tank at all? I guess the mollies will clean up the scraps though - they're always looking for food!

 

[clutterydrawer]

well the baby mollies are shortly on the move to their own tank! So I'll have 4 mollies and 2 tetras in my 60litre tank. Should have room for more? Best to get more rummys or would they shoal with a different kind of tetra?

will try the food you have recommended, does it dirty the tank at all? I guess the mollies will clean up the scraps though - they're always looking for food!

I'm not sure...how big will the mollies grow? what are the length, breadth and height of your tank?

Like any food, uneaten bits of the stuff i mentioned will pollute the tank. I find a few bits always escape the tetras and end up in the gravel, but my cories eat it, and what they don't eat I remove when I vac the gravel each week. it doesn't cloud the water though.

 

[noglet]

tank is approx 60cm length, 30cm deep, 35cm high.

Mollies will prob get to 6cm eventually.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I think you should be ok for at least four more rummy noses, maybe another six. Opinion seems to be divided on whether tetras should be kept in mixed shoals.It seems mixed tetras will sometimes school together when under threat but then tetras don't school all that much in a small tank anyway...there are quite a few threads about it in this sections, have a look round.

Personally I prefer to get shoals of just one type of tetra, I think it makes them happier and looks more elegant.

 

[noglet]

I took your advice and bought some tetra freshdelica bloodworms earlier. The tetras and the mollies loved them and they're still trying to find leftovers amongst the plants. They're seemed to be loads for the amount of fish I have though. Can you store half the packet in the fridge and feed them again the next day?

Tetras seem to be happier now and follow the mollies around a bit more rather than being scared

 

[clutterydrawer]

Eh I distinctly remember writing a long reply to this earlier yet it's not here, wonder if I 've posted it somewhere totally irrelevant by mistake? Argh!

Anyway. For a long time all I had was two tetras so a whole sachet was waaaay too much. What I did was put sellotape over the little hole where the stuff comes out, making sure there was no air in there - that is, i squished the food right up to the end of the nozzle. I've kept it like that for months before with no apparent deterioration, the fish still went for it and it didn't make them ill. however now you've mentioned it I think it'd be a good idea to refridgerate tehm too. dunno why I didn't think of that.



That was my convoluted way of saying, yes, you can keep them for the next feed without them going bad!