Colombian Tetra (Red Tail Tetra)

[mbsqw1d]

If only I had night vision on my camera to show you! Two of my five Colombian Tetra have been swimming together tonight (after lights out). They are not swimming in a fighting sort of way as I have previously seen [ this usually involves two fish swimming side by side yet facing each others tail ] Tonight they are swimming in almost perfect unison - like a mirror to each other - head to head, tail to tail. I love how these swim too, they are very powerful and agile. Sometimes swimming at angles on their side or straight down etc. I struggle to find more info on these fish as not many people seem to have them. I have had mine for about 1 year now and they only just starting to show characteristics such as these. I'm wondering if they are more accustomed to darker environments or whether they are in fact nocturnal.

Has anyone else enjoyed keeping these fish?

 

[england]

Yes,i love these under stated tetra's...they look awesome,i love there colouration and like you say,how they play around. Iam to re-stock with a nice large group of these once iam settled on my soon to be emagration to colombia,,,,,Iam very impressed at how you have spelt the name, most people seem to spell it columbia...which is wrong ofcourse

 

[mbsqw1d]

Yes,i love these under stated tetra's...they look awesome,i love there colouration and like you say,how they play around. Iam to re-stock with a nice large group of these once iam settled on my soon to be emagration to colombia,,,,,Iam very impressed at how you have spelt the name, most people seem to spell it columbia...which is wrong ofcourse

of course!

am a bit gutted that mine arent too well tbh some have bent/curved spines, one has prominent black markings down its spine . But theyre active and feeding well! so... not alot I can do!

 

[Mark Z.]

I have had Colombian tetras for many years. Most of them eventually get some strange random dark marks as they get older, after a year or so, that I have never seen on any other type of fish. Does anyone know what the marks are or what causes them? My last one just died this week or I would take a photo.

Beautiful fish!

 

[mbsqw1d]

I have had Colombian tetras for many years. Most of them eventually get some strange random dark marks as they get older, after a year or so, that I have never seen on any other type of fish. Does anyone know what the marks are or what causes them? My last one just died this week or I would take a photo.

Beautiful fish!

mark, i post this about a month back and didnt really get answer to my problem.. www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/337148-please-help-to-diagnose-colombian-tetra
seems theyve only been around a short time so if they have their own disease it will take a while for it to be explained..

 

[Mark Z.]

Thanks for the reply and the links. It sounds like others have experienced the same thing with no solution. I've had Colombians with these black marks live for quite a while and not seem sick or bothered by them. Interesting.

As for your "nocturnal" behavior, I haven't noticed anything like that, but I have noticed that when I turn the light on in the morning, the Colombians and other tetras were kind of "angled" towards the light. I just figured that they angled themselves that way because light always comes from above in the wild and that is how they orient themselves. Just a theory.

 

[mbsqw1d]

yeh mine too are living apparently fine dispite the black marks! i know they arent keen on bright light as their natural environment is the black waters where the water is heavily stained with tannins. it took mine around 6-8 months to get used to my tank its lighting regime! are the black marks similar to amonia burns? i also wonder if these fish prefer much more acidic water considering their natural home

 

[AncientMariner]

I'd not actually heard of the black marks they get - thats dissapointing as would spoil their beauty. Does it happen to all of them?

Only had my group of 32 Columbians since March 2010 but most are pushing 2 1/2 inch to 2 3/4 inch long already, no signs of these marks yet... no doubt they'll come by the sounds of it

I have kept many fish over the years, but these are my favorite so far. Had always wanted a shoal of one species as to minimise fighting, bullying etc... well I can honsestly say other than the odd hour for the first week when I bought them they chased each other around - I get nothing other than a chilled happy shoaling/individual at time, tank. Absolutely brilliant.