Tetras

[Jennet3 61]

Now that I know my water is soft enough to keep tetras, how many do you think I can keep (well) in what started off as an 80 litre tank. I am thinking there is probably only around 60 litres useable after substrate, plants etc.

 

[Back in the fold1]

@Innesfan

 

[anewbie]

depends on species - some are like 1/2 inch and some are like 3 inches or more. If you kept something like green neon tetra maybe 8 to 12; if wadi tetra (blue-berry - very very pretty); maybe 5. ember tetra maybe 12 or 14.... also a bit depends on what else you have in the aquarium and where in the water column those fishes like to stay. Also don't forget rasboras - lots of pretty rasboras from 1/2 inch to 2ish inch. There are the tiny chilie and the lovely kubotai among dozens of others.

Avoid those tetra that are true blackwater fishes like ruby tetra that really prefer very very soft water.

Some tetra i like a lot include:
cardinals,
morse code,
ember
green neon
wadi
tucano,
keri,
and maybe a dozen others.
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Some rasboras i like include
chili
kubotai
lambchop
celestial pearl
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I haven't kept as many rasbora as i still have 100's of tetra to explore....

 

[MattW23 139]

I second Embers. A great starting fish for me, but much better when kept in groups of 10+. Also, I strongly advise having floating plants with tetras. I saw a huge difference in behaviour (positive) when I added some to my tank. A suggestion by Byron which I will always thank him for.

 

[Innesfan22 6]

Ditto to what @anewbie says. "Tetras" are a vast group and can range in size from well under an inch to over 4 inches and depending on the species can exhibit a range of behaviors--schooling, shoaling, territorial etc. So the best answer will depend on what species you are considering.

 

[Jennet3 61]

Thank you all.
Have just done some quick research online and found one site which suggests :
Safe option of fish I inputted 12 - 14 fish / Medium stocking option of 16 - 18 fish. This also gave me the amount of water change weekly and then suggested other things that needed doing fortnightly and monthly.

Aquarium Stocking Calculator - Choosing and Keeping Tropical Fish

Calculates safe fish stocking levels based on tank size, filtration, and species bioload.

www.tropicalfishexpert.co.uk

 

[Jennet3 61]

The fish I have settled on getting are 6 Cardinal tetras and 6 Green neon tetra's. I will continue testing the water once I have fully cycled the tank to ensure it remains right for these fish. I have to say, I am a little bit sad about not getting guppies. Was quite looking forward to some of the new ones available now.

 

[anewbie]

I would not mix cardinals tetra and green neon tetra. If you are going to get two species i would try to be a bit more diverse.

 

[seangee1]

Both of those would be better as a single group of 12

 

[GaryE23 138]

You have chosen two very similar fish. I'd go with one or the other in a larger group, or 6 of one and 6 of another locally available tetra - black neons, glowlights, silvertips, - something on those lines for a little diversity.

 

[anewbie]

You have chosen two very similar fish. I'd go with one or the other in a larger group, or 6 of one and 6 of another locally available tetra - black neons, glowlights, silvertips, - something on those lines for a little diversity.

I would not go with either black neon or cardinals to be honest - while you did not provide the dimension of your aquarium i am going to presume it is a cube or 20 high (80 liter ~20 gallons). If this is true given the relative short width i would recommend 8 smaller green neon tetra (over cardinals) and perhaps 6 to 8 ember tetra which is approx 1/2 the size of a black neon or cardinal. More importantly ember tetra tend to be more stationary and do not require a lot of swimming room.

Green neon tetra behavior is a bit more random depending on what else is in the aquarium and how it is scaped. They can be quite active or quite tranquil and very shy.

 

[Jennet3 61]

Thank you for your responses.

Forgot you still do inches after UK was forced into cms. So tank is 80 litre, 23.5 long x 11.5 wide and 17 inches tall. I have some carpeting plants plus taller plants in there with rocks and a couple of hides. Planning on putting a little wood in there once I can get it to sink!

Have had another skim through the fish stocking calculator I linked above and it says that I could keep 10 neon green rasbora and
10 ember tetra safely together in my tank. I quite like the contrast in the fish given. What are your thoughts?

 

[anewbie]

Yea you have what is known as a 20 high in usa. Just be aware the 10 kubotai rasbora will school near the top and rarely go lower then the top 1/5 of the aquarium - they do provide a lot of motion - i would probably start with 8 esp if you are purchasing a local store and you can add more later if it doesn't feel crowded. I have 15 or so in a 40B which is much larger surface area.
--
10 ember is fine - they don't swim a lot but if you have plants they will hang near them from around the top 1/2 of the aquarium but not too high.
-
That will leave most of the bottom free and i would suggest maybe 10 pygmy cory esp if you have plants. While not colourful they can be interesting to watch.

 

[Jennet3 61]

The fish calculator I used warned me away from going for 15 of each fish above, due to getting to higher bioload, and said it would be safer to stick to lower in a newly set up tank. I have only just started cycling it today. Maybe I could add a few cory's later on, or who knows, I might have been bitten by the shrimp bug by then.

 

[MattW23 139]

You could go for half a group of tetras then wait for a few weeks before adding the finishing lot.