Tetras fish species Personality, Habitat, Care and Diet

Tetras are members of the Characidae family and its former subfamilies Alestidae and Lebiasinidae. They are native to Africa, Central America, and South America.

Tetras are usually very peaceful, and people buy them for their calm and hardiness. They can be kept by both beginner and experienced aquarists with perfect results.

Tetra is no longer a phylogenetic or taxonomic word. It’s short for Tetragonopterus, a genus name for several of these fish that means “square-finned” in Greek.

Tetras Personality

The majority of tetras is calm and get along well with other social fish of similar size, however there are a few exceptions. Serpae tetras, for example, can be aggressive at times, especially if maintained in small numbers.

They’re calm, beautiful fish with a lot of color and personality packed into little bodies.

Tetras fish Characteristics

Tetras have fusiform bodies that are compressed and are recognized by their fins. They usually have a homocercal caudal fin and a large dorsal fin with a short link to the body of the fish.

Origin	Southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru, western Brazil
Tank Level	Mid-dweller
Family	Characidae
Social	Very Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size	10 gallon
Breeding	Egg scattered
pH Level	7
Care	Intermediate
Diet	Omnivore
Hardness	Up to 10 dGH
Temperature	68 to 79 F (20 to 26 C)

Tank Setup

Tetra fish are freshwater fish, so you’ll need to keep them in an aquarium with similar conditions. The temperature should be kept between 68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and the PH should be between 5.5 and 7.5, giving in soft to medium water hardness.

They should only be kept in a community tank with other non-aggressive fish that aren’t big enough to eat them because they are such little fish. They are ideal tank mates since they are little, calm bottom dwellers.

Here are some things to keep in your mind when setting up a tetra fish tank.

• Wash aquarium gravel, rocks, and ornaments thoroughly in warm water before placing them in your tank.
• Soap and detergents are very harmful to fish, so don’t use them.
• Keep live plants wet until they’re ready to be planted.
• Fill your tank all the way to the top frame bottom, allowing some room between the water and the lid.
• Make sure water is flowing properly through your power filter.
• Check the air outlet and adjust the settings.

You may also check: Blue electric cichlid fish guide

Tankmates

Tetra fish get along well with a wide variety of other fish, but they’re especially good with calm fish in your tank. Rasboras, guppies, mollies, danios, betta fish, gouramis, and angelfish are just a few of the neon tetra species that get along well.

Tetras like to live in schools and can become disturbed if left alone, according to studies. Interestingly, despite their dislike of loneliness, tetra never forms a close pack in a tank unless a threat is present.

Tetras of the same species tend to school together and can only thrive if there are enough members in a school. It’s not a difficult task. It’s simple.

 Tetras fish Habitat and Care

Tetras are easy to keep and may be kept with basically any other non-aggressive species. These fish have vibrant colours, energetic personalities, and are less sensitive to water conditions than other fish. They grow to a maximum size of 2″ and can live in captivity for up to 10 years if properly cared for.

Tetra Fish Diet and Feeding

Tetras are omnivorous, so Aqueon Tropical Flakes, Color Flakes, Tropical Granules, and Shrimp Pellets are ideal for them. Frozen and live foods can be used as treats or to aid in the spawning process. Rotate their meals on a regular basis for optimum results, and only give them once or twice a day what they can take in under 2 minutes.

Different types of tetras fish

If you love tetra fish and want to get different colored fish, then here we will give you information about some types of tetra fish. which you can add to your aquarium to enhance its beauty.

• Black Tetra

The black tetra, also known as the petticoat tetra, high-fin black skirt tetra, black widow tetra, black skirt tetra, and blackamoor is a characin family freshwater fish. The body of the black skirt tetra is high and flattened. It reaches a length of 4.5 cm and begins breeding at 4 cm.

• Cardinal Tetra

The cardinal tetra is a freshwater fish belonging to the Characidae family of the Characiformes order. It’s native to South America’s upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers. The cardinal tetra is a popular aquarium fish, although it is less common than the neon tetra since it was difficult to breed in captivity until recently.

• Neon Tetra Fish

The neon tetra is a characin-family freshwater fish. In southern Colombia, eastern Peru, and western Brazil, the neon tetra may be found in the western and northern Amazon basins. The back of the neon tetra is bright blue, with a silvery white abdomen.

• Green Neon Tetra

The Green Neon Tetra is a beautiful South American fish. It comes from streams all across the jungle, where the water is stained brown by fallen leaves and wood. These fish will live in high environments. They are, nevertheless, quite resilient and will tolerate a broad range of conditions.

• Flame Tetra

The flame tetra, also known as the red tetra or Rio tetra, is a miniature freshwater characin fish belonging to the Characidae family. The flame tetra grows to be approximately 2.5 cm long. On the male, the anal fin tip is black, but on the female, the fins are less red and the pectoral fin ends are darker.

• Blue Tetra

The Blue Tetra, commonly known as Cochu’s Blue Tetra, is a shoaling fish found in the Amazon River Basin of South America’s rivers and streams. They should be kept in schools, just like other tetras, with a 20 to 30 gallon fish tank being the least size to start with.

• Rainbow Tetra

Rainbow Tetra is a calm fish that may be found in slow-moving streams and small, quiet rivers. These tetras usually spend their time wandering about the tank’s mid-level and surface levels.

• Lemon Tetra

The lemon tetra is a tropical freshwater fish that originated in South America and belongs to the Characidae family. The species has been a popular aquarium fish since 1932, when it was first introduced to the aquarium.

• Diamond Tetra

The diamond tetra is a small characin family freshwater fish. It may be found in Venezuela, South America, near Lake Valencia. Males have significantly longer dorsal fins than females in this species, indicating strong sexual dimorphism.

• Emperor Tetra

Emperor tetras are found in Colombia’s Atrato and San Juan River basins, which are both freshwater. The fish’s body is a blue-gray colour with mauve tones and an almost iridescent shine. The body is lighter in colour below the black stripe that runs horizontally from head to tail.

• Congo Tetra

The Congo tetra is a fish species belonging to the African tetra family that may be found in Africa’s middle Congo River Basin. It’s maintained in aquaria a lot. The Congo tetra prefers to gather in regions with dense vegetation, few trees, and sand, silt, and mud substrates.

• Bloodfin Tetra

The bloodfin tetra is a characin species native to South America’s Paraná River basin. In most cases, bloodfin tetras are kept in groups of five or more. They’ve been kept at temperatures ranging from 64 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit. Tetras are suited to soft, somewhat acidic water, and breeding requires soft water.

• Penguin Tetra

The species is known by a number of names among aquarium hobbyists, including blackline penguinfish, blackline thayeria, hockey-stick tetra, Thayeria boehlkei, and penguin fish. Worms, small insects, flake food, and crustaceans are among the species’ favourite foods.

• Serpae Tetra

The Serpae tetra, also known as the Red Minor tetra, Jewel tetra, or Callistus tetra, is a tetra species that belongs to the Characiformes family of tropical freshwater fish. Serpae tetras prefer water temperatures of 72–79 degrees Fahrenheit. In soft, neutral to slightly acidic water, they will do better and show off their finest colours.

FAQ, Tetra Fish

Q. How long do tetras live for?

A. The Tetras are said to live for 10 years on average. Because they are sensitive to direct light rays, Paracheirodon innesi prefers blackwater environments. In an aquarium, you should keep 6-12 Tetras together. They are most active in a group of 12 or more.

Q. What is the maximum number of tetras that should be kept together? 

A. In one tank, at least six neon tetras should be maintained together. Because neon tetras are a schooling species, you should keep at least six to ten of them in one tank. If you keep too few neon tetras together, they will become uneasy, agitated, and even die.

Q. What kind of fish can get along with tetras?

A. Others, such as Buenos Aires tetras, can grow to be extremely huge and energetic, which might be intimidating to smaller, more timid fish. Other tetra species, rasboras, tiny danios, tranquil barbs, properly sized rainbowfish, and livebearers are all good tank mates for tetras.