Whats your favorite tetra and why?

[Fishmanic]

my 4 black skirt tetras are playful and briefly chase each other but I wouldn't call it nipping and does not seem stressful to them...very nice tetra...get five if you go that route

 

[ancient11]

My tetra trio is Rummy Nose, Cardinal Tetra, Neon Tetra. I just can't help it!

 

[Back in the fold]

So many different tetras it's hard to pick just one. I like them all. Now here's what @Byron will tell you. Not all tetras like the same conditions. There are cooler water ones, some that like fast flowing water and those that prefer dark water. When you get one do your very thorough homework. I had a large school of Lemon Tetras years ago in their own tank with nothing else. I will always remember them. They were so cool and so pretty. I like species only tanks as they just seem to work better for the fish. IMHO the community tank is a myth. That's just me so don't open fire.

 

[JuiceBox52]

So many different tetras it's hard to pick just one. I like them all. Now here's what @Byron will tell you. Not all tetras like the same conditions. There are cooler water ones, some that like fast flowing water and those that prefer dark water. When you get one do your very thorough homework. I had a large school of Lemon Tetras years ago in their own tank with nothing else. I will always remember them. They were so cool and so pretty. I like species only tanks as they just seem to work better for the fish. IMHO the community tank is a myth. That's just me so don't open fire.

Not firing at you, just curious what is your reasoning for thinking that about the community tanks?

 

[Back in the fold]

OK @JuiceBox52 here's my thinking. All fish tend to keep to themselves in their natural habitat as far as I know. Other fish come around and they are there to steal food, usurp territory or predatorize them or their fry. In the wild there is room to disperse but not in an aquarium. My experience and observations of the fish tells me that they act more secure and happy by themselves. They tend to show their true behaviors when in a species only tank. Some people find that drab and uninteresting but I like it. Would you keep Parakeets, Finches, Parrots, Cockatiels and Love Birds all together in the same cage ? They'd kill each other or wither away from stress and fright. Fish are the same. IMHO.

 

[Barry Tetra]

I would probably choose Blind Mexican Tetra, I want one but my mom dont let me have another tank

 

[JuiceBox52]

I would probably choose Blind Mexican Tetra, I want one but my mom dont let me have another tank

Actually, you want at least 6

 

[vanalisa]

OK @JuiceBox52 here's my thinking. All fish tend to keep to themselves in their natural habitat as far as I know. Other fish come around and they are there to steal food, usurp territory or predatorize them or their fry. In the wild there is room to disperse but not in an aquarium. My experience and observations of the fish tells me that they act more secure and happy by themselves. They tend to show their true behaviors when in a species only tank. Some people find that drab and uninteresting but I like it. Would you keep Parakeets, Finches, Parrots, Cockatiels and Love Birds all together in the same cage ? They'd kill each other or wither away from stress and fright. Fish are the same. IMHO.

Thank you.
I hold a similar sensibility. Although a few snails or a few shrimp are fine. I don't cound them. I was nervous and VERY happy, when circumstance required, that my CPDs got on well with my WCMMs. My plan is to put more of either one when they come along as I am cycling a 20g. Probably minnows unless the danios look super healthy.

As I progress as an aquarist and have been on the forum I realize that I am tending towards species only. I am too sensitive and nipped fins and the like would get to me.

Just my choice.
When I get a bigger tank I plan on a species
only, and of course the allotted small group of Amanos.

 

[vanalisa]

And my pure Ivory Mystery snail.

 

[utahfish]

So many different tetras it's hard to pick just one. I like them all. Now here's what @Byron will tell you. Not all tetras like the same conditions. There are cooler water ones, some that like fast flowing water and those that prefer dark water. When you get one do your very thorough homework. I had a large school of Lemon Tetras years ago in their own tank with nothing else. I will always remember them. They were so cool and so pretty. I like species only tanks as they just seem to work better for the fish. IMHO the community tank is a myth. That's just me so don't open fire.

In nature the presence of like species actually help eachother feel safe as it indicates the absence of predators. A shoal of neons and say black neons in the same tank with the same swimming style,slow, calm ,in shoals ,is calming to eachother, where as if one puts blood fin tetras with neons the blood fins are so active theyre going to freak the neons out as they see the frentic swimming as a sign of the presence of predators. Same applies with putting dither fish with slow moving cichlids like angels and discus the presence of the dither fish signal to the other fish the absence of predators. So while i agree the community tank can be seen as a myth if one pairs the correct fish together it can be beneficial. Another example ,in the wild neons and dwarf pencil fish are often seen in the same areas, two different species but both similar sizes with similar swimming styles.

 

[vanalisa]

In nature the presence of like species actually help eachother feel safe as it indicates the absence of predators. A shoal of neons and say black neons in the same tank with the same swimming style,slow, calm ,in shoals ,is calming to eachother, where as if one puts blood fin tetras with neons the blood fins are so active theyre going to freak the neons out as they see the frentic swimming as a sign of the presence of predators. Same applies with putting dither fish with slow moving cichlids like angels and discus the presence of the dither fish signal to the other fish the absence of predators. So while i agree the community tank can be seen as a myth if one pairs the correct fish together it can be beneficial. Another example ,in the wild neons and dwarf pencil fish are often seen in the same areas, two different species but both similar sizes with similar swimming styles.

Grist for the mill.
I wonder why my fish get along well. I actually think the leaders of the CPDs have had negotiations with the Queen Minnow. Could be the shrimp militia .

 

[utahfish]

Grist for the mill.
I wonder why my fish get along well. I actually think the leaders of the CPDs have had negotiations with the Queen Minnow. Could be the shrimp militia .

theyre conspiring to start a revolution

 

[seangee]

So many different tetras it's hard to pick just one. I like them all. Now here's what @Byron will tell you. Not all tetras like the same conditions. There are cooler water ones, some that like fast flowing water and those that prefer dark water. When you get one do your very thorough homework. I had a large school of Lemon Tetras years ago in their own tank with nothing else. I will always remember them. They were so cool and so pretty. I like species only tanks as they just seem to work better for the fish. IMHO the community tank is a myth. That's just me so don't open fire.

Good call. Man at LFS told me I was very old school when I told him I had 30 cardinals in my community tank. Then I showed him videos and now he's done the same. I do have 12 glowlights in with them. These are all over 6 years old and have started dying of old age. It may be a few years yet but I will not be replacing these and will fill the space with another 20 or 30 cardinals. The corys and pencilfish will stay but I am definitely going to aim for one tetra species.

 

[Austin Burgess]

If we are talking fins on tetras, swordtail characins (Corynopoma riisei)

Now this is a dope fish. If only I could find it somewhere.

 

[Back in the fold]

I would probably choose Blind Mexican Tetra, I want one but my mom dont let me have another tank

@Barry Tetra Go get your fish and go get your other tank you want. What's your Mom going to do ? Take your birthday away ?