Silver Tip Tetras

[starsatnight]

hi there. i've started a new 10Gallon tank and against my better judgement - listened to the LFS and bought 2 silver tip tetras to stock it along with some dwarf platys. the lfs said i didn't need more than 2 and that they're quite social with other community fish.

i'm finding that one of the tetras just chases the other one around all day long - until the "chased" one hides in the plants. is this aggressive behaviour due to the fact that these guys need several friends to school with?

any advice? i don't want to overstock the new tank right off the bat. i'm hoping that the platys will populate it for me

 

[Lateral Line]

Almost all tetras are naturally shoaling fish and should be kept in groups of 6 or more. In smaller groups, they show atypical behaviour ranging from hiding, and fading away at one end of the scale to outright aggression and domineering at the other. In either case, the stress of being kept in that manner shortens the life.

Silvertips are not the most peaceful of tetras at the best of times. They are well able to look after themselves. It is common when tetras are first intoduced in a new tank for them to spar amongst themselves to establish a pecking order in the new surroundings. This is normal and rarely does any harm. In your situation, all of the aggression is being focussed onto one fish rather then spread out amongst the group, this will casue the victim to hide, and it may not recover.

Realistically, you will need 4 more ST's but them we run into the next issue. Your tank is very small and 6 full grown ST's and a few Platy's is going to be your lot. I've never heard of "Dwarf Platy's", but then I don't keep livebearers, but that sounds dodgy to me as well. Ask the livebearer folk.

I'm afraid your LFS has given you some very bad advice.

 

[Orodreth]

I have Silver Tip Tetras and they do like to be in bigger groups. Also, as said above, it means that the aggression they have is divided amongst the group and so one is not singled out. I actually have thirteen (only asked and paid for ten) but I think anything from six up is a good number to have.

As for the size of your tank, you are probably a little stuck because of course you don't want to overstock it. Also, I would say that they may need more room themselves anyway because mine are extremely active fish - probably as much as my Danios - and so need lots of swimming room. Is there no way you could take them back or possibly give them to a friend who can buy more?

 

[starsatnight]

thanks orodreth & lateral line.
i'm going to the lfs tonight to see if they will take the two tetras back. failing that, perhaps i should buy 4 more and put them in my 25 Gallon tank and move my golden barb to the 10G tank. my blue/opaline gouramis are a little aggressive as well though - so i'm concerned that i'll end up with an 'angry' tank.

would tetras and gouramis co-exist peacefully? maybe the gouramis will keep the tetras in line!

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Silvertip's are are worse then Tiger barbs As already mentioned they will fight a lot amongst themselves and if there is not enough of them to spread the aggression around or enough space and hiding places then it is likely that the one at the bottom of the pecking order is going to have a very rough time of it.

They are very active fish as well (much more active then many other tetras) so if you can get a bigger tank for them do so. Not sure about gouramis, they will probably be ok. if you get more silvertips try to get females as they are a little more docile. You can tell the females from the males as they are more of a silver colour then the orangey/red of the males.

Your LFS was very wrong two say that two would be ok. I would say that 99% of tetras need to be kepts in groups of at least 6-8 (I'm sure there is one group that I'm forgetting though ).

I must say I do love Silvertips I have a group of 16 in my community tank with a dozen flame tetra's and they are great fun to watch, the females tend to shoal and stay near the bottom of the tank amongst the carpeting plants while the males spend all their time looking for the females or fighting amongst themselves (just like a saturday night out on the town ).

 

[Lateral Line]

... Golden Barbs are also shoaling fish and grow a good deal larger, 100mm or so...

 

[starsatnight]

thanks barney.... i'll see what the lfs says about returning the tetras. i like them quite a bit, but think they may be a bit more to handle that my tank(s) can take at the moment! bad impulse purchase on my part. i normally am so good at researching too....

... Golden Barbs are also shoaling fish and grow a good deal larger, 100mm or so...

i'm trying to get more, but can't find any right now. i originally had 6 golden barbs (my first fish after my fishless cycle) but got a bad case of ich and only one pulled out of it ok. the survivor of the 'great ich of 07' is pretty sociable and isn't aggressive at all - but i know it wants friends to school with. it most often hangs out with my golden zebra loaches and they swim around like a mini-school from time to time!