Small Tetra's

[chrisn20]

Hi, I have just finished the fishless cycle on my 96L Juwel tank and am ready to add fishes. Unfortunately the fishes I had chosen apparently need a 'mature' tank.

I wanted to have a shoal of neon, a shoal of cories and a pair of rams.

I have found some alternative small tetra - Ember tetra and Black Phantom being two that I really like but do they also need to be added after 3 months.

The tank is quite well planted, soft water, zero ammo, zero nitrite, between 10 & 20ppg nitrate.

suggestions please or has my cycle been in vain

 

[Lateral Line]

The problem you've heard of is because of two basic conditions. Most tetras take nitrogen pollution badly, blackwater species particularly so. Most newly cycled tanks are somewhat unstable and can throw the odd nitrogen spikes. Hence the advice that some species are better suited for mature tanks then others.

It depends how diligent you have been with your cycle. A lot of people rush it and the day after they see zero ammonia fill the tank to busting point. If you have done your cycle well, can add ammonia daily and it is going away totally and you do not overstock, you can have success with these species, I have.

It is also true that many Neons, (for example), these days are farmed and have higher tollerance for pollution, usually because the most delicate individuals have not survived the journey to the lfs.

Hyphessobrycon amandae, (Ember Tetras), are very small, nice little things, you can keep a good sized group of them in small tanks - worth considering. They were very common in the hobby 20 years back but disappeared. It is only in the last year or so I have seen them on the rounds again.

 

[chrisn20]

Hi thanks for that information. Been to lfs today and came home with 5 x red phantom tetra and 6 celestial pearl danios. All about 1.5cm long and busily exploring my tank at the moment.

Was going to get black phantoms but they were in quarantine and couldn't be sold.


The lfs guy was very keen to let me know that the red phantoms were 'wild caught', is that important for me know?



They also had loads of ember tetras but they looked so tiny only about 0.5cm and I didn't want to risk it.

I have also fallen in love with an albino krib but left it reluctantly to do some more research on it first.

Thanks again for your help

 

[Lateral Line]

Wild caught has plus and minus points. They are usually more sensitive then farmed fish. They can carry parasites as well. Once settled, they tend to be better fish as many farmed fish are severly inbred and genetically weak leading to poor colour or marking, generally poor quality. From a breeders point of view, wild caught fish are very desirable for genetic reasons.

H. amandae tend to max out at 20mm or less. It is that that makes them ideal for small tanks. Most "shoaling" fish look best when there is a large number of them. Unfortunately, most of the common "small" tetras simply grow to big to be able to keep really large groups in smaller tanks.

With albinos, it has always struck me as odd that people would want the colourless versions of colourful fish, but whatever floats your boat I suppose.

 

[chrisn20]

Thank you.

Quick update - after weeks of trying to get my husband interested in the tank and relucatantly trawling the stores he decided that the fish I chose look lost in the tank so he went back to the lfs and has just come home with the albino krib and he hasn't moved from the tank since
- men


I have told him that we cant have any more for a couple of months now as he his already telling me that she needs a mate.

 

[murphyk32]

lol that is pretty much how fish keeping goes,, its EXTREMELY addicting, but as long as you are careful, its all good.

Congrats, hope it all works out!

Murph

 

[stargirly1208]

You could also try some black neons or glolites because they're hardier if you were still looking at tetras. Neons imo are very sensitive and I wouldn't get them until your tank is fully established.

 

[Hawkins]

Neons are a good start.

 

[Lateral Line]

Neons are a good start.

No, usually not.