Tetra question

[NinjaSmurf]

I want to get some sort of tetra for my thirty gallon for when I get rams, but never had tetras before, and I seem to be one of those kind of people who hear their friends yell 'look at the tetras!' I go to look and then all I hear is 'you scared them away.'

I'm totally confused at why the always hide from me, and was hoping there were some less flighty tetras that would go okay with my guppies too. I just don't like walking up to the tank only to have all the fish freak out and hide all the time, it kind of spoils the whole point of having them.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

You've just got to do it slowly. Tetras are shoaling fish because:
they're small
easy prey
colorful

They stay in groups so that when they swim away, they confuse predators. If you just walk straight up to the tank, they'll swim away. You have to slow it down a little.

Now, if you want active, colorful fish, you could get 8+ neon or cardinal tetras.

If you want big and drab ones, you could go for black skirt tetras. If you want a golden variety of these, you could get golden skirts.

There are also glowlite tetras and rummy nose tetras. Also serpae tetras, and scissortail. Let's just say there are a lot to choose from.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Temp, I think you're following me.... Hmm, I don't know what a lot of them look like, the neons and cardinals always seemed kind of, ah, funny shaped when they get big. I'll have to see what all they have at the store, I do like the Rummy nose.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Cyrprinids and characins is a good section for these questions. You'll fnd info yet. And the fish index might have info as well.

As for following you, I just keep reading new posts. Seeing as how no one's on at this hour, those posts all seem to be yours.

 

[ketyana]

I love tetras, i highly recommend a section of black phantoms for pure grace and rosy tetra for a splash of colour.

Words can not express the beauty and calm of these fish as they 'sail' together in pairs through your tank in their dance of wills over property rights

 

[clutterydrawer]

I'd like to second the rec for black phantoms, I find them to be very bold for tetras. They eat from my hand and and are sinisterly intelligent. They're always fun to watch because the males do a weird dance thing where they sorta charge each other but turn away at the last minute. If you get them get a mix of males and females so you can onbserve this behaviour - the females are the ones with red fins. HTH

 

[nitro]

I want to get some sort of tetra for my thirty gallon for when I get rams

Im doing a tank like yours too. i have 12 neons and they look great and stay close together!! An idea maybe?

Im getting my Rams on Wednesday..

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Oh jeez, now even more to pick from! I'll have to see what they have, and see what will fit well into my tank (without gutting my wallet).

nitro, I'll get rams and tetras when I can manage to sneak away to the fish store... I've been told 'Absolutely no more fish!!!' We'll see how long that lasts....