Rummy nose tetras

[Dawney G]

Hi, I have just got some Rummy nose Tetras, I got them with a numerouse amount of other fish with a tank i bought privatly. The man tells me that with the Rummy's heads, 'the redder they are, the happier they are'. Please can someone tell me if this is true? If it is, then mine arent very happy. Also how can i make them happy??

xx
dawney

 

[The-Wolf]

sort of true, yes
the more stressed the less the red.

and FYI you more than likely have Firehead tetras that are often sold as rummynose tetras there is a third species that are sold as rummynoses but I doubt you have those either
False rummy nose tetra

 

[Bloo]

sort of true, yes
the more stressed the less the red.

and FYI you more than likely have Firehead tetras that are often sold as rummynose tetras there is a third species that are sold as rummynoses but I doubt you have those either
False rummy nose tetra

How very interesting ! I better go and check tonight to see what exactly I have

 

[The-Wolf]

ok from the fishbase pics
rummynose--------------------------- Firehead------------------------------ False rummynose

you can clearly see "true" rummynoses have yellow on their tails and false rummynoses have a very distintive and darker black/white tail. If yours don't have yellow then it is more than likley to be a firehead tetra.

 

[Bloo]

I have a very sneaky suspicion that I have Firehead Tetras. Ah ha - I just found a pic with them in it (though they are in the background a bit) but seeing that they clearly have flaming red heads, I will assume the are Fireheads then

 

[Undawada]

If the colour is disappearing from their noses, that means they are not healthy. Just because there is red on their noses, does not mean they are certainly healthy, however.

Incidentally, Wolf, thanks for that little lesson on Rummy identification. Are there any problems with the false rummynose or firehead? Do they grow too large or something?

 

[The-Wolf]

Are there any problems with the false rummynose or firehead? Do they grow too large or something?

no problems apart from the std mis-labeling of fish.
actually the "true" rummynoses are the ones that
get big(comparitively) reaching 5cm, as opposed to
3.6 and 3.9 cm for the other two.

 

[Mariah]

WOW, very intresting. I just aquired a 20 gal tank with "rummynose tetras" I better go check and make sure they are indeed rummynose tetras!!!

 

[F 1]

I have three rummy noses in a 25 gal. Every morning when I turn on the tank light all nose color is gone. Within a few minutes, the noses are bright red again.

F1

 

[Dawney G]

Thankyou all for your answers, it seems like i have firehead tetras. There heads are not very red at the moment, How can i cheer them up??

 

[The-Wolf]

it could be a sign that your water is not ideal.
what are your parameters?
nitrates
nitrites
ammonia
pH
temperature
any other test that you have like kH, gH, o2, phospates etc.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Perhaps it's just the mere fact that you just go them and they are a little stressed?

 

[Dawney G]

Hiya, could be that i just got them. When i got up this morning they were flaming, so i think it was just a one off thing. They are still really happy now.
I will test my waters and add any lotions and potions that i need to. I will keep you informed!!!
Thankyou to you all for your answers.
xx
dawney

 

[pica_nuttalli]

er, its actually better not to add too many "lotions and potions" simply because you want your tank to be a stable environment. if you've got less than perfect gH or kH, don't worry about it. if your pH is between 6 and 8, again, that's ok. its just when you've got any ammonia or nitrite readings or high nitrate that you need to really worry. even then, the best thing you can do for your fish isn't to add chemicals but perform a good ol' fashioned water change. mmm, clean water!

 

[Dawney G]

'Lotions and potions' is just a saying i use!! I wouldnt use anything unless i really had to. I should have put my words better really. sorry. I normally do regular water changes and my water at the moment is lovely and clear, but i will check my ph balance, amonia etc.
Sorry for the missunderstanding!!
xx
dawney