Tetras Graded According To Hardiness

[dwarfgourami]

Just occurred to me that it would be really useful if we could do some sort of survey on common tetras according to hardiness, to help people with their stocking. But I'm not the person to do it.

At one end of the spectrum I suppose we' d get the black widows; they seem to be reliably hardy. At the other end, neons- though you may well have something more sensitive than them in your tanks.

What about the rest? Glowlights, lemon tetras, blue tetras, phantom tetras, black neons, rummynoses etc. How would you grade them in terms of sensitivity, need for mature tanks, fussyness as to correct water conditions?

 

[Lateral Line]

Black Widows, (in the US, Black Skirt), Beacon Tetra/Head and Tail Lights, Glowlights, Buenos Aires, Black Neons etc are very hardy and very tolerant.

The problem with trying to grade fish on "hardiness" etc., is that a fish that is hardy in some conditions will turn over easily in others, and as we all live in different places, with different water chemistry, the starting point is a huge unhnown.

The majority of the commonly available tetras will live in most tanks, with the simple provisor being that very few tetras tolerate pollution well. If your water is clean, is Ammonia and nitrite FREE and has a nitrate level below 30 say, most will be okay.

For more specialist fish, well, the closer you are to their required conditions, (research), the hardier they will be.

To your specifics, Black Neons and Glowlights are pretty easy to keep. Lemons a little more demanding. Phantoms and some Blues/RummyNoses are more challenging still, and other Blues and Rummies are specialist fish.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Thanks, Lateral.

Some general mention of water requirements (like softness etc) was part of what I meant to ask.

What I had in mind (and what you provided) was a rough guide for people who are setting up a new tank, particularly the newbies we get who are starting out and looking round the shops at the commonly available fish. As tetras are smallish they often spring to mind when people are looking for something to recommend, yet not all are suitable for a non-mature tank.

I don't have any personal intention of starting with tetras again at the moment (no space ), but if I ever do I promise I'll do my research thoroughly.