Starting On Tetra

[dpleader]

hello

i am starting on a new tetra tank of 10 gallons
ammonia is 0
nitrate is 20
nitrite is 0
ph is 7.2
temperature is 76 deg F

i have 3 red and blue columbian tetras and i was wondering...

what type of decoration is needed? i have 5 fake plants and one broken barrel bubbler in there

what fish would be good tankmates with them, what type of fish would be good to live with them?

one of the 3 has no anal fins, is this a birth defect?

it also seems like one is a bully; what should i do?

 

[fluttermoth]

Many tetras can be bullies if not in a large enough shoal (that means at least six, prefrably ten or 12).

You can't really add any other fish; you'll need the space for more tetras, though I would strongly advise that you return them and pick another species, as Columbians get too big for a 10g, IMO.

The more plants you can get in there the better; the fish will feel much more secure in a well planted tank; real plants would be best, but fake ones will do.

Edit; the missing anal fins could be a birth defect, or they could have been nipped off; keep an eye out for secondary infections, like fungus.

 

[Anableps]

the anal fin could have possibly been nipped or bitten off by the "bully", for decorations try adding real river stones and drift/bog wood. a natural environment with hiding places helps the fish feel secure and reduces stress and as a plus is nice too look at. Also as fluttermoth stated real plants are better, try adding a java fern to the aquarium they're very hardy and do well even without co2 or strong light.