There are different kinds of Tetra Fish. And each one has its own proper treatment. However, what’s here are just the basic care of your Tetra Fishes.
Choosing a Tank
In choosing a tank, you should be able to determine the ideal size of tank for a School of Tetra fish. You can use small tanks like a 5-gallon tank but a 10-gallon tank is recommended for this type of fish since they don’t grow bigger than 3 inches.
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Remember this rule of thumb, don’t over crowd your aquarium with fishes, else there will be a high competition of the food, and territory. I suggest that you start with 5-8 pcs of Tetra for a 10 gallon tank. It is not recommended that you will have only one Tetra since they live as a school of fish in natural environment. Just ensure that they will just have enough space to grow and enjoy their environment. Not overcrowded, and not too few.
Tank Decorations
It’s best to put plenty of plants because it will somehow block direct light to the tank since Tetra fish prefers lesser light in their tank than other fishes. But ensure that the fish still has plenty of ways to swim around and plenty of hiding places because it will make the fish feel more secure in your aquarium tank. A dark substrate will also be helpful in creating a less bright environment since it will not reflect the light from your lighting system.
Please, since our goal is to make nature aquarium, I am referring to the real live aquatic plants here. Don’t use plastic. Tetra are best to look at if they are in a natural environment.
Water Conditions
It is important that the water temperature is maintained between 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. A pH level of 5.5 to 7.5 is recommended since Tetra fish prefer moderately soft water and is slightly acidic.
In short, they are for freshwater aquarium and not for saltwater aquarium. Furthermore, you need to make sure that your substrate is not white sand nor crushed corals. They will emit calcium in the water which is not too healthy for your fish.
Maintenance
It is important to make your water as clean as possible but not 100% clean. You should only change about 40% of the total volume of water if you plan to change it weekly and 70% of the total volume of if you plan on changing it once every two weeks. This is to prevent damaging and killing beneficial organisms that lives in your aquarium with your fish.
Use heater if necessary and make sure that the water temperature is close enough to the ideal water temperature because huge shift of temperature can affect the fish and may cause stress.
Feeding Your Tetra
Tetra fish can eat vegetables, flake foods, tropical granules, frozen and dried foods, and live foods. You can give meat-based foods for most meals and vegetables occasionally. Please remember that do not feed the fish with vegetables such as peas since it may cause severe damage to the digestive tract of your fish.
We are not referring here to the raw vegetables alright??? It’s best to buy flake fish food than to experiment with untested food.
If you are a newbie, why not try taking care of Betta Fish? Get the guide here.
Nice write-up. What other fish would you suggest to keep with tetras?
Small Barbs, Mollies, Platy fish, Guppies any other fish that’s of the same size.
My water is cloudy and smelly…what can i do
Clean your filters and change water. After sometime, water in the aquarium does become smelly especially if it is not yet a mature tank and the environment inside is not balance. This is the beauty of nature aquariums. Your goal will be to make a balanced habitat inside the tank.
Hi, I bought three tetras, one pearl colored and two greens, and after about a month I found the pearl colored one will a bad fin and later died. I think the fish may have fought because they had not been in the same tank when I bought them. Could this have happened?
You cannot put them in one tank.