Tetra compatibility. Tetra aquarium fish. Tetra aquarium fish food

In this article I will look at a species of fish under the general name - tetra, belonging to the characin family. I'll tell you about popular varieties, the characteristics of each breed, the intricacies of keeping, compatibility with other types of fish, reproduction and other interesting facts.

They were discovered in the rivers and reservoirs of South America in the 30s of the 20th century.

Tetra fish are social creatures and live in schools, solitary individuals, wildlife, quite difficult to meet.

Such individuals are aggressive, timid and do not allow their relatives into their territory. It is necessary to take these factors into account if you decide to populate the aquarium with them.

Coloring

The color of these animals varies greatly. There are both modest and unsightly fish, as well as bright and luxurious ones, both monochrome and multi-colored. The differences between the sexes are clearly expressed in their colors - females are gray and unprepossessing, while males are bright and colorful. The severity of these features, in particular, depends on the quality of the habitat.

Dimensions

The size range of the fish is from 4 to 7 centimeters in length. On average, most species have a size of 5 to 6 centimeters.

Tetra is a small fish 5-6 cm long

Lifespan

The average lifespan of tetra fish is 5.5 years. But there are species with a long lifespan, up to 7 years.

Habitat

Tetras live, as a rule, in clean and transparent reservoirs, abundantly overgrown with dense vegetation, with high level oxygen content. They prefer dark places with plenty of food, consisting of a variety of insects and plants.

Popular varieties

Copper

They grow up to 5 cm in length. You need a temperature of 23-25 ​​°C, an acidity level of 6.5, a hardness level of 4-11 degrees. Before spawning, it is recommended to diversify the diet.

Lemon

Size – 4-5 centimeters. Temperature range 21-23 °C, with water hardness not higher than 15°, and acidity 6.0 - 7.0.

Royal

Up to 5 cm in size. Water temperature 23-27 °C, pH= 5.0 – 7.5, water hardness 25 dGH. Adapts well and is unpretentious in food. One of the best for keeping in a community aquarium.

Colombian

Grows up to 7 cm. Prefers temperatures from 24 to 28 °C, pH from 6 to 7, water hardness 5-15°. Recommended for beginner aquarists.

Bloody

The size of the fish is 3.5 cm. The temperature required is 22-26 degrees Celsius, pH = 5-7.8, hardness no more than 10-25 degrees. To maintain the red color, it is necessary to periodically feed daphnia, and, preferably, cyclops, and also use various additives.

Mirror

Fish size in aquarium conditions is 4 cm. The water is not too hot 22-25°C, water hardness dH 4-8°, water acidity pH 6.2-7.5. They do not like bright light, it is better to use dark soil.

Blue

It is better not to use large feed.

The size of the creature is 4-5 cm. The preferred aquarium temperature is 22–26°C, water hardness dH 4-10°, pH 6.2-7.5. They eat live, frozen and dry food. They like to eat from the surface of the water.

Conditions and care

Water must be with the following characteristics: water hardness - 17 dGH, water acidity pH=6.8-7, temperature in the range of 22-26 °C. The bottom of the aquarium is lined with sandy or dark soil and decorated with small stones; as many plants as possible are needed, but free space should be left for swimming. Low lighting is recommended, otherwise the fish will fade.

Careful filtration of the aquarium is necessary. Poor water purification will shorten the lifespan and sometimes lead to the death of fish. Water changes should occur once a week, up to 20% at a time. It is also advisable to saturate the reservoir with oxygen.

Feeding

Tetra fish are unpretentious in food; they are completely omnivorous fish. Tetras feed on plant, dry, frozen, and live food. In nature, they feed on tiny living creatures that live in rivers. It is necessary to feed in small portions; they feed from the surface of the water; they do not touch the food that settles to the bottom. Feeding at least twice a day.. They do not spoil ornamental plants placed in the aquarium and soil. So, be calm about the flora and landscape of the aquarium.

Breeding and reproduction

Tetras mature after 6-12 months of life. Reducing water hardness to 4 degrees encourages fish to spawn. In aquarium conditions, they lay eggs almost every month. After 3 or 5 days, the eggs will hatch into hatchlings that are able to swim and feed on their own. Feeding - 3 times a day, food - ciliates and nauplii of crustaceans.

Parental instincts in tetra fish are underdeveloped; very often adults eat their eggs and offspring, which is to a certain extent compensated by high fertility. Therefore, if your goal is to breed your pets, the eggs should be transferred to a separate tank with identical conditions.

Tetra fish are a popular and easy-to-care species of small, but at the same time beautiful and undemanding animals. If you don’t know what type of fish you should get as decorative pets or add to your existing ones, then the tetra will excellent option. Also recommended for beginners.

The first mention of the royal tetra occurred in 1911. And many years later, in 1959, Nematobrycon palmeri Eigenmann first appeared in European aquariums. The royal tetra is a resident water system San Juan River, located in Colombia.

Its body length is 5.5 cm. A distinctive feature of the royal tetra is the absence of an adipose fin.

To distinguish fish by gender, you should consider the middle ray of the tail and overall size individuals. Female tetras are smaller in size than males. The abdomen of the female specimen is much rounder, and the body color is dull and inexpressive. The central ray of the tail fin of the male is longer than that of the female. It is believed that not all male royal tetras can bear offspring. That is why you should carefully select males for breeding these fish.

To successfully breed these fish, they should be placed in a separate aquarium. Females are kept separately for about 2 weeks. The water where the offspring will develop can be taken from the main aquarium, but at the same time adding peat extract to it. The suitable temperature for spawning is water +24 +26C.

The water in the spawning aquarium should not be too acidic or soft, otherwise the fry may develop dropsy. In general, breeding a royal tetra is not a difficult process. Scattered eggs turn into larvae within a day after being thrown. And five days later, fry emerge from it. The main food for tetra fry is, and the grown young are fed with pre-cut tubifex. They can also be given flies (Drosophila) as complementary food.

The container for keeping the royal tetra should be spacious. Diffused lighting is suitable. Small flocks of tetras look very beautiful against the background of the dark bottom of the aquarium. Small tetraform fish are ideal neighbors for Nematobrycon palmeri. Good food for an aquarium tetra is oatmeal or mosquito larvae.

Among all the tetra representatives in the aquarium, the most important male always appears, who leads the entire flock. He acts as a leader, which is probably why the royal tetra got its name. Similar male behavior can be observed in other species. aquarium fish. For example, in Nematobrycon lacortei, males behave in a similar way. But this type of fish is not very common among aquarists. And it is considered more popular the new kind small Inpaichthys kerri.

The king tetra comes in three subspecies: common (Palmeri), red-eyed and black (Nematobrycon amphiloxus). The black tetra is the rarest species, which does not yet have its own Russian name. Currently, active debate continues on this issue and some experts believe that Nematobrycon amphiloxus is a synonym of Nematobrycon palmeri. And other experts insist that this name belongs to a subspecies of the red-eyed tetra - Nematobrycon lacortei. The most popular fish is the Palmeri subspecies, but the red-eye is also a rare event in the world of aquarists.

A description of the complex and confusing situation among Russian ichthyologists regarding the black tetra species was well described in one of the American magazines “Tropical Fish Hobbyist”.

In one of the issues of the journal in 2000, an article was published explaining the formation of Nematobrycon amphiloxus.

It all started when a species of fish similar to N. palmeri caught in 1960 was identified as amphiloxus (black tetra). This happened because the ichthyologists of that time already knew about the existence of the new nematobrikon, but did not have the opportunity to see it in person. It was under this name that this fish was sold over the next ten years. It was only in 1971 that scientists Weitzman and Fink discovered the error and named the new species Nematobrycon lacortei.

After a more detailed study of representatives of palmeri and amphiloxus, scientists realized that the differences between these fish (except for color) are very insignificant. This is why they can be recognized as one species. Based on the fact that the name palmeri was the first to be introduced, it was decided to consider amphyloxus a synonym.

There is also ancient legend about characin fish. Which says that once in ancient times, different types of royal tetras (palmeri and amphiloxus) lived in rivers that were not connected to each other in Colombia. Nematobrycon amphiloxus was distinguished by a black stripe along its entire body. Years later, the rivers were connected using canals and the two types of tetras mixed with each other. As a result, viable hybrids of the royal tetra appeared. This legend explains the strange disappearance of the black nematobrikon in amateur circles.

Another scientist for whom the red-eyed tetra is named, Rosario LaCorte, studied wild-caught king tetras. They noticed that all the males had all the signs of full-fledged palmeri, and among the females representatives of both palmeri and amphyloxus were found. Through a process of selective breeding, Rosario restored the black variety of tetra. And it was she who was identified as Nematobrycon amphiloxus in 1914.

And since 1988, a new subspecies of the royal tetra, the “Black Palmeri,” began to appear in many European aquariums. Where she came from remains a mystery. In the article (Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus?) by Czech aquarist Jroslav Kadlec, the estimated dates of the appearance of black palmeri in Europe were given.

In the early nineties, Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus first came from Germany to the Czech Republic. But this type of royal tetra saw the light only at the ITERZOO exhibition in 1994. This species can be considered descendants of the black palmiera, bred by Rosario LaCorte. This fish came to our aquariums from Bulgaria in 2000. And it was successfully bred by the Bulgarian ichthyologist D. Penev.

According to the ichthyologist, breeding this species of kingfish was very, very difficult. These fish did not want to spawn, the eggs constantly disappeared. Adults were constantly sick various diseases intestines. This made it extremely difficult for them to swim. All this happened with Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus despite the fact that other fish of the characin family were kept in identical conditions and were absolutely healthy.

In an attempt to reproduce, Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus was fed with bloodworms, coretra, tubifex, live daphnia and cyclops, dry food, crumbs different types bread and even mashed green peas. And it was not possible to determine the cause of the fish diseases. Some of them periodically died, others recovered or began to get sick again.

One of the most experienced haracin fishermen in Moscow, O. A. Yakubov, changed the diet of the fish, offering only fresh plankton as food. But this experiment did not bring positive results. Of all the individuals, only one male remained alive, who nevertheless suffered from intestinal inflammation several times.

And only as a result of the mating of the last male Nematobrycon palmeri amphiloxus with a female common palmeri, offspring were born. The fact that all offspring are completely similar to their mother turned out to be regrettable. All six fish from the litter turned out to be males with signs of ordinary palmeri. But thanks to this experiment, it was possible to establish the close relationship of these two types of palmeri.

After some time, in a completely unexpected way, we managed to find a black female palmeri, which was immediately purchased for the last surviving male.
The most remarkable thing is the fact that black fish appeared from ordinary Palmeri parents. And black palmeri appeared through constant renewal of the flock at the expense of young individuals of the same flock.

From all this we can conclude that the appearance of black palmeri is quite possible in two ways, which will be a consequence of prolonged inbreeding (breeding) of fish. The option of crossing a simple palmeri with a black palmeri can be considered more realistic. And to say that the common palmeri is stronger and takes over amphiloxus. After some time, the black female was crossed again, this time all the offspring were black.

At the conclusion of the historical opus about the black royal tetra, one more story should be lifted. In the winter of 1996, an order was placed for South American palmeri from Colombia. More than 250 fish arrived in the cold conditions of our climate. All the fish from the batch, surprisingly, turned out to be black royal palmiers. Although at that moment they caused wild disappointment with their cloudy and unusual coloring for Moscow aquarists. It is still not known what type of tetra was imported in that shipment. Most likely, it was Amphiloxus and its hybrid cross with Lacorthea.

The coloring of the fish from the package was very strange and not typical. Due to poor conditions for acclimatization, the entire batch of royal palmeri that arrived from Colombia soon died.
The main difference between Nematobrycon amphiloxus and common palmeri is its color. The shape of their body and fins is identical. Amphiloxus has bright, black stripes along the entire body, starting from the head and ending with the tail. The abdominal part of the fish has several whitish stripes from the nape to the fin of the back.

The king tetra may change color periodically. The color of the fish depends on its life activity. IN mating season males are completely black. This is the blackest fish among all aquarium inhabitants. Even the black male Megalamphodus megalopterus is not as bright in color as the male king tetra during mating season.

Females can change their color when they want to hide from the male if they are not ready for the mating process. The most attractive thing they have at this moment is their golden eyes.

In a relaxed state, the fish have a black body with light outlines along the back and abdomen. The fins are usually gray or transparent.

Apart from eye color, the royal tetra has no other colors other than black and gray. Sometimes the nape area may be decorated with white scales, and the anal fin has a white edge. As the fry grows, it first develops one black stripe along its entire body, which increases over time and completely colors the tetra.

What about other royal tetras?

The most spectacular in terms of color is the common Nematobrycon palmeri. It is very popular among most aquarists. This type of tetra does not cause difficulties in the process of keeping and breeding.

Nematobrycon lacortei is a rarer subspecies of the royal tetra. There is not much information about it in a variety of publications for fans aquarium fish. It is believed that this species differs from palmeri only in its color. But the color scheme still has some differences.

Tetra Lakortei has more muted colors and blurred boundaries between them. Individuals of Nematobrycon lacortei are colored in warm yellowish-red tones, in contrast to palmeri, which have a cool blue-green color.

The head and gills have a reddish tint, which smoothly turns into a purple stripe on the body of the fish. And closer to the tail purple shade turns into jet black. A distinctive element of the coloration of lacortes is the shiny area of ​​the body from its middle part to the caudal peduncle. It can be seen especially well when the fish is illuminated from the side.

Upon detailed study, on the body and sides of the fish you can see the presence of almost all colors existing in nature. Perhaps this is why German aquarists gave Lacorteus another name (Regenbogentetra), which translates as rainbow tetra.
Each individual of this variety has its own unique pattern on its side. The appearance of this pattern can be compared to the uneven peeling of the mother-of-pearl surface of the scales, starting from the head to the tail itself. The male always proudly demonstrates his long anal fin, which has a reddish edging, to his opponent, stretching it forward. Female royal lacortas have a more modest coloration. Light, yellowish shades predominate on their body.

Nematobrycon lacortei is also called the red-eyed tetra. The fish actually received this name due to the presence of red eyes. But it is worth noting that among all the lacortes, only the eyes of the males are colored reddish-brown. The females of this species have the same eye color as other representatives of the royal tetra, green-yellow. Thanks to the red eyes, you can easily separate the fish by gender. Adults of all three varieties have the main differences in the tail area.

Palmeri has a clearly visible “trident” shape of the caudal fin. It is also commonly called the crown. The central ray of the palmeri is black, elongated and even slightly pointed. Nematobrycon amphiloxus has more modest caudal fin parameters. It lacks pigtails on the sides of the tail blades and the central part of the fin is much shorter. The tail of the male Nematobrycon amphiloxus is even less attractive than the others. It is practically not pointed and without pigtails. But it has a very thin and long central protrusion.

All three varieties of the royal tetra can interbreed without much difficulty. All this leads to the disappearance of the pure breed and prominent representatives each type. The colors of individuals mix over time, becoming less bright and attractive.

In an aquarium, you can often observe mating displays between males of one species and females of another species. The spawning process and lifestyle of all types of royal tetras are similar to each other.

Tetra fish are a candidate for the role of the first and unpretentious pet; they do not need a large aquarium and get along with peaceful views.

Tetras belong to the Characidae family. The average length of fish is 4 cm. Exceptions: royal look measuring 5.5 cm and the Colombian 6–7 cm. The body shape is slightly diamond-shaped and elongated. A small fin complements the large dorsal one. Color ranges from inconspicuous gray to multi-colored motley. Males are distinguished by their rich color and colorless tail.

Kinds

The following tetras are kept in domestic ponds:

Royal

Fish with a dark belly and translucent back, separated by a horizontal dark stripe. The stripe ends with a process in the center of the tail.

Gold

Scientific name Hemigrammus rodwayi. Fish with a characteristic golden color.

Diamond

The color is gray, in the light the scales of the fish sparkle, reminiscent of precious stones.

Fire or Amanda Tetras

There is a bright red stripe on the transparent side of these fish.

Reds

Confused with fiery ones. The head is yellowish, the color gradually turns red. There are three vertical stripes in the head area.

Colombian

The size of adult individuals is 7 cm. The tail is colored red, the abdomen is gray with a blue or green tint. There are fish with blue eyes.

Lemon

At good health body color is bright yellow. Fins with deep black and yellow borders. Another feature is the eyes with red rims.

Redspotted or rubrostigmas

A type of fish with a spot on its body resembling a heart. The eyes are reddish.

Black or thorns

The body of the fish is strongly flattened, the fins are wide. Two vertical dark stripes stand out.

Long-finned black

A form of the black tetra modified by selection. Distinguished by veil fins. Despite artificial breeding, it is hardy and unpretentious.

White

Another artificially bred variety of black tetra. The color is brilliant white, similar in shape to black.

Fireflies

A red-orange stripe runs through the transparent body. Attract more attention in dim lighting due to phosphorescent lines. They become brighter with age.

Copper

Copper-colored fish are more common in aquariums than other tetras. Darkening in the middle of the tail. They look luxurious against a dark background.

Glass

A fish with a white-transparent body and a red tail.

Cardinal

Affordable and common type. The lower part of the cardinal's abdomen is painted bright red, the upper part is neon blue.

Congo

Large and whimsical species. Rarely found in pet stores. They are not inferior in beauty to other characins.

IN natural environment Tetras live in large aggregations with other members of the characin family. At home in flocks of 8–10 individuals. For such an amount you will need a container of 60 liters. Active fish will happily swim through the water space. A healthy state depends on the intensity of the color. Fading occurs until the color disappears completely.

Water

The fish feel comfortable in slightly acidic, soft water, saturated with tannins. The temperature in the aquarium is 22–25 degrees. Change 15% of the fluid weekly. For supporting desired temperature A thermometer and thermostat are purchased. A filter and aerator are required.

Lighting

Lighting affects color saturation. The light should be diffused. In dim light, the scales and fins remain bright.

Priming

Fish need dark, medium-sized soil. Use sand or fine gravel.

Scenery

You cannot use stones and shells, as water parameters change. The presence of oak snags and shelters is welcome.

Plants

Tetra fish do not eat aquarium greens. Plants include both unpretentious and expensive, demanding options:

1. Riccia floating;
2. Java moss;
3. hornwort;
4. Cladophora globulus;
5. salvinia;
6. Vallisneria;
7. ferns.

Feeding

Fish are omnivores. Suitable food distributed over the surface of the water:

1. bloodworm;
2. Artemia;
3. dry food;
4. daphnia;
5. chopped broccoli and spinach;
6. cereals;
7. egg yolk powder.

Make your diet varied and balanced.

Compatibility with other fish

Tetras live with small peaceful fish:

1. guppy;
2. neons;
3. corridors;
4. zebrafish

Reproduction

Sexual maturity occurs at 6–11 months. Spawning occurs at any time of the year. A week before spawning, the female is separated from the male and fed with protein food. Parental instincts are not developed; parents eat eggs and fry. Plant offspring. The fish are prolific: up to 150 eggs are produced at a time.

Breeding is stimulated:

1. frequent water changes;
2. decrease in hardness;
3. temperature rise.

Fry

The fry appear 3–5 days after spawning. The babies will survive in clean water with weak aeration. Feed 3 times a day with powdered food. After a month, the fry begin to show color.

Results

Small fish are beautiful and have a number of advantages over large ones. Tetras are suitable as pets and leave no one indifferent.

Tetras are common name groups of fish belonging to the characins. Their closest relatives are piranhas, swordmouths and wedge-bellies. The homelands of these fish are slow-flowing rivers and streams heavily overgrown with aquatic vegetation that flow through rainforests Amazonia. The water in such reservoirs is soft, and the bottom is covered with fallen leaves. It is this family that includes such well-known species in the aquarium hobby as blue neon, ternezia, phantom and minor.

General characteristics and appearance

Although there are many varieties of tetras, all these types are similar to each other in both appearance, and according to the conditions of detention. The length of these fish rarely exceeds five centimeters, but more often they grow only four centimeters. All fish have an elongated and relatively tall body.

Also for all types of tetras characterized by the presence of an adipose fin- This is a small fin without bony rays, located behind the dorsal fin. All tetras have small teeth with which fish grab their prey - worms, larvae and insects that have fallen into the water. All fish of this family have bright color, as well as a pronounced gregarious lifestyle.

Choosing an aquarium

Since tetras are small fish, you don’t need giant containers to keep them, but you shouldn’t plant them in a three-liter jar either; the ideal choice would be an aquarium of 60–100 liters, in which you can place a flock of 15–20 fish. It is best to choose a rectangular shaped aquarium. Containers with curved glass are beautiful, but the sound waves reflected from the curved glass will negatively affect the lateral line of the fish, causing stress.

How to equip an aquarium

As already mentioned, tetras live in slow-flowing bodies of water, but the water in them is very clean and rich in tannins, so in order to recreate a piece of their homeland for fish in an aquarium, you will need:

1. Priming. It is advisable that it be dark; on light soil the fish do not look so bright, plus, light soil reflects light, which causes nervousness in the tetras.
2. Filter and aerator. You will need a filter to purify the water. They are internal and external. The external filter, despite its bulkiness, purifies water much better, while the internal filter also combines the function of an aerator, saturating the water with oxygen. If an external filter is installed, then the aerator will have to be purchased separately.
3. Thermostat and thermometer. Tetras are native to the equatorial climate zone therefore, the temperature in the aquarium should be between 24 and 27 degrees. A thermostat is used to maintain this temperature. In order to adjust the regulator, you need an alcohol thermometer, which is attached with a suction cup to the wall of the aquarium.
4. Driftwood plants. Large driftwood should be placed at the bottom of the aquarium, which will saturate the water with tannins; in addition, the home pond should be densely planted with plants in which the fish will find their shelter.

Don't put shells or rocks in the aquarium.. Tetras love soft, acidified water, but these items make it hard and alkaline, which is not in the best possible way will affect the health of the fish.

The water in the aquarium should be changed once a week, replacing 20% ​​of the volume at a time.

Selection of fish and compatibility

When choosing fish In the store you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Eyes. They should be clear, without spots or whitish deposits.
2. Fins. The fins of purchased tetras must be smooth, without visible damage and white fringe.
3. Scales. It should also be smooth, and in no case disheveled. You should discard fish that do not have enough scales on their bodies. In addition, there should be no white bumps or sores on the tetra's body.
4. Packing. Tetras are schooling fish, so you shouldn't buy just one or two. If we take it, then a dozen.

All tetras are absolutely peaceful fish and are completely compatible with each other, you should not put tetras with barbs, swordtails and labyrinths. Characins are timid, swordtails will constantly take food from them, and barbs and labyrinths are too aggressive and are quite capable of stripping tetras of their fins.

Feeding tetras

Tetras are absolutely omnivorous fish in nature they feed on small animals living in a body of water. In an aquarium, these fish can be given bloodworms, corretra, cyclops and brine shrimp. It is not recommended to feed them with tubifex: firstly, the tubifex is very fatty, which can cause the appearance of fatty deposits on the internal organs fish, and secondly, the tubifex, being a filter feeder, contains a bunch of pathogenic bacteria and dangerous substances.

In addition, tetras You can give scalded rolled oats from time to time and crumbs white bread. The fish also happily eat feed in the form of flakes or small granules, which can be bought at any pet store. Tetras should be fed small portions twice a day. It is important that all food is eaten without any residue within three to four minutes.

Breeding

All tetras are spawning fish. Fish become sexually mature at the age of 6-11 months. At this age, individuals ready for reproduction find a mate for themselves. Before spawning, the spawners are placed in another aquarium for 5–7 days, while the males are separated from the females. All these days, the tetras are intensively fed with bloodworms and brine shrimp, then the fish are planted together.

The impetus for spawning is Reducing water hardness to four degrees. The fish spawn in thickets of small-leaved floating vegetation. After spawning, the parents are immediately returned to the general aquarium, otherwise they may eat their eggs. Unfertilized eggs become white and they should be removed from the aquarium.

After 3–5 days, the eggs hatch into fry, which can immediately swim and feed. They need to be fed every three hours; “live dust” - ciliates and nauplii of crustaceans - is used as food.

That's all that an aquarist who decides to get a tetra needs to know.

Tetras, several species of brightly and variably colored aquarium fish of the characin family. In natural conditions they live in the rivers of Central and South America.
The name was given in honor of the now disbanded genus Tetragonopterus, which united many members of the family.

Currently, many fish from the genera Chemigrammus, Hifessobricon and some others are called tetras. The term “tetras” itself, having lost its scientific meaning, is retained as a convenient, generally accepted name.

Tetra mirror, make-up

Small fish. The body length in an aquarium rarely reaches 4 cm. The body is wide, tapering towards the caudal fin, flattened laterally. The front part of the body is silvery, with a luminous golden spot. The back is reddish-brown, with a silvery coating. Behind dorsal fin there is a big black spot irregular shape. There is a black transverse stripe in front of the spot. The pectoral and ventral fins are reddish. There are silvery-white spots along the edge of the dorsal fin. The male is smaller and slimmer than the female, brighter in color, the anal fin with a silver-white edge (in the female only the tip of the anal fin is white). Sex differences are especially strong during the spawning period.

It is not demanding on the volume of the aquarium. A flock of ten to fifteen individuals can be kept in an aquarium with a volume of about ten liters, with a length of at least 30 cm. The soil is dark, made of sand, gravel or large stones. Hardness of water of great importance does not have. They feel good at hardness up to 20 degrees. The optimal water hardness is up to 10-12 degrees. The active reaction of water is neutral or slightly acidic (pH = 6.5-7).
Plants (cryptocoryne, echinodorus, Java moss, Thai fern, pinnate, vallisneria, elodea, hornwort) are planted in the aquarium in dense thickets, leaving some areas free for swimming.

Once a month, a tenth of the water is replaced with fresh, settled water. It is better to spread out the replacement over several days, adding fresh water to the aquarium in small portions.
Temperature for keeping - 20-25 °C. In addition to an electric heater, it is advisable to have a thermostat in the aquarium to maintain a stable water temperature.
To prevent the fish from accidentally jumping out of the aquarium, it is covered with a cover glass.

Diet. Omnivore. Live food of small species - bloodworms, tubifex, cyclops, brine shrimp, daphnia. Plant food - crushed duckweed, pinnate, dandelion and lettuce leaves, spinach. Dry food, crushed oatmeal, white bread crumbs.

Medium aggressive fish. Can be kept with tetra von rio, bloody tetra, neon, sumatranus, fire barbs, rasboras, swordtails, mollies, platies.
The fish is sensitive to temperature changes. A minor cold can lead to saprolegnia infection.

Tetra regal, Tetra imperial, Nematobrikon palmeri, palmeri

One of the most beautiful aquarium fish. A medium-sized fish, usually no more than 5.5 cm. The maximum body length is 7 cm. The main body color is silver-yellow with a bluish or greenish sheen. A wide longitudinal blue-black stripe stretches across the entire body under the lateral line, extending onto the head on one side and onto the caudal fin on the other. The fins are transparent, yellowish. The caudal fin is in the form of a trident, formed by elongated outer and central rays. The eyes are large, expressive, emerald green. The male is larger and brighter than the female, with an elongated dorsal fin and with the middle bows of the caudal fin elongated in the form of a braid.

A characteristic feature of the behavior of the royal tetra is swimming upside down, with a body tilt of 45°C.

It is unpretentious to living conditions. Can be kept in small aquariums with a length of at least 40 cm. School keeping is possible only in spacious aquariums, as males compete for territory. A soil of dark sand, gravel or pebbles is placed at the bottom of the aquarium. Additionally, the aquarium can be decorated with large stones without sharp edges.
To keep royal tetras, you need soft (hardness up to eight degrees), neutral or slightly acidic water, preferably peat. The water temperature for keeping is 23-28 °C. They can live at low temperatures (up to 18 °C), so water heating is usually not required.

They prefer aquariums densely planted with plants, with free areas. The best plants for aquariums with royal tetras - Cryptocorynes, Echinodorus, Aponogeton curly, Alternanthera sessile, Vallisneria, Elodea, Thai fern, Nymphea, Ludwigia. Duckweed, salvinia, and seaweed fern are placed on the surface of the water. Lighting in the aquarium is preferably overhead, diffused. Once every two weeks, replace the twentieth part of the water with fresh, settled water. The aquarium is cleaned as needed, usually at least twice a month. To prevent the fish from jumping out of the water, the aquarium must be covered with a cover glass.

Diet. They eat any live food - bloodworms, tubifex, daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimp. Dry food - daphnia, cyclops, gammarus, as well as oat flakes ground into powder.
Peaceful fish, only males fight with each other. Neighbors in the aquarium can be neon, tetra-fonrio, mirror tetra, bloody tetra, rasboras, sumatranus, fire barbs, swordtails, platies, ornatus, pulcheras, lanterns, costelos and other peaceful fish with similar requirements for living conditions.
The fish is not difficult to keep and rarely gets sick.

Tetra minor, minor

A small fish with a body length of up to 4 cm. The body is high, tapering towards the tail. The main color is orange, ruby ​​red or single. An albino form has been bred, dark pink in color with red eyes. The dorsal fin is almost completely black. The male is slimmer than the female, with a white stripe on the anal fin (the female has only a small dot). Before spawning, the female is easily distinguished from the male by her rounded abdomen.
The aquarium can be small in volume; for a couple of minors, an aquarium with a volume of about 10 liters is enough. The soil is dark sand or gravel. Plants (cryptocorynes, echinodorus, Java moss, Thai fern) are planted densely, leaving some areas free. The water needed is soft (up to 8 degrees), slightly acidic (pH = 6.5-6.8), preferably with the addition of peat decoction. The optimal temperature for keeping is 22–24 °C. Once a month, replace a quarter of the water with fresh, well-settled water. It is advisable to cover the aquarium with a cover glass. The aquarium is cleaned once a week.

Diet

Live food - bloodworms, cyclops, daphnia, brine shrimp. Dry - daphnia, cyclops and gammarus. The diet of minors must include plant foods - tender aquatic plants (duckweed, pinnate), dandelion and lettuce leaves, spinach.
A peaceful fish, it can be kept in common aquariums with any other peaceful fish, except veil-shaped fish. The best aquarium mates for the minor: sumatranus, fire barb, bloody tetra, erythrosonus, mirror tetra, tetra von rio, pulcher, flashlight, copper tetra, costelos, coin, neons, rasbora clinopyx, ornathus.
The fish is quite unpretentious; if the conditions of keeping and good feeding are observed, it rarely gets sick. Particular attention must be paid to the purity of water. In old, dirty water, blood tetras suffer from tuberculosis.

Tetra glass

In nature they reach a length of 7 cm, in an aquarium the maximum body length is 6 cm, usually no more than 5 cm. The body is elongated, laterally flattened, transparent. The abdomen is silvery, shiny, all fins, except the caudal fin, are transparent, colorless, the male is smaller and slimmer than the female, with a bright red caudal fin and a black streak on the anal fin. In the female, the coloring of the caudal fin is less intense.
A flock of ten fish is kept in an aquarium with a volume of at least 20 liters and a length of at least 40 cm. The soil is dark. The aquarium is densely planted with plants - cryptocorynes, echinodorus, Java moss, Thai fern, hygrophila, cabomba, ludwigia, pinnate. Chemical composition water doesn't matter much. Hardness can be up to 15 degrees. The active reaction of water is from slightly acidic (pH = 6.5) to slightly alkaline (pH = 7.5). Typically, these requirements are met by tap water, which must first be left standing for a week in a wide open container.

The temperature can range from 22 to 26 degrees, but without sharp fluctuations. It is advisable to have a heater with a thermostat in the aquarium. The aquarium must be equipped with devices for aeration and water filtration. The aquarium must be covered with a cover glass. Once a week they clean the aquarium and replace a tenth of the water with fresh, settled water. The lighting is bright, overhead.
Diet. Live food - bloodworms, tubifex, cyclops, daphnia, brine shrimp, enchytraeus, fruit flies. Dry daphnia, cyclops, and gammarus are used as temporary substitutes.
It is better to keep it separately in a species aquarium. Neighbors in a common aquarium can be neons, erythrozonus, copper tetras, tetra von rio, king tetra, Taieria boelkei.
When kept in very soft and acidic water, tetras become sick, become faded, and lose transparency.

Tetraodon cutcutia

Medium, sometimes large-sized fish unusual looking. In an aquarium, as a rule, it does not exceed 12 cm in length, the maximum length is 15 cm. The body is ovoid. The skin is bare. Pelvic fins are absent. The pectorals are small and transparent. The color of the fish is gray-brown or olive, with numerous spots with jagged edges. The abdomen is dirty white. The head is large, with protruding eyes. In case of danger, tetraodon swallows water or air and increases in size, acquiring a spherical shape. The male is larger than the female and has a more intense body color.

An aquarium with a volume of about 30 liters is sufficient to keep tetraodons. Dark gravel or pebbles are placed on the bottom of the aquarium, and large
Tetraodon kutkutia stone caves (clay can be used as a cave flower pot). The aquarium is planted moderately various plants— cryptocorynes, aponogetons, limnophils. Riccia, floating salvinia, and pistia are placed on the surface of the water.

They feel good at temperatures from 22 to 30 °C, the optimal temperature is 24-28 °C. The water should be hard, neutral or slightly alkaline (pH = 7-8). It is advisable to add table salt to the water at the rate of 1 teaspoon of salt per 10 liters of water. The aquarium is provided with good filtration and aeration of water. Clean the bottom from dirt in a timely manner. It is advisable to replace a tenth of the water daily with fresh water, with the same parameters of hardness, pH and temperature. It is not recommended to change large volumes of water at once, as this can lead to sudden changes in conditions.

Diet

Animal-eating species. The basis of the diet in nature is mollusks. Tetraodons easily cope with shellfish shells, crushing them with their powerful jaws. These fish can be used to combat snails that have multiplied excessively in the aquarium. In addition to mollusks, tetraodons can be fed with any not very small live food - bloodworms, tubifex, earthworms, small sedentary fish.
Tetraodons are very aggressive fish; they often engage in deadly fights both among themselves and with fish of other species. It is best to keep them separately in a species aquarium. In a general aquarium, tetraodons can only be kept with very active fish - zebrafish, barbs, gouramis, laliuses, etc.
If the conditions of detention and good nutrition are observed, they practically do not get sick.

Tetra roach, Tetragonopterus

Large aquarium fish. In aquariums the maximum length adult- 7 cm. The body is elongated, flattened laterally. The main body color is silver, the back is yellowish. At the base of the caudal fin there is a black diamond-shaped spot. A silvery-white stripe stretches from the head to the diamond-shaped spot. Pectoral fins colorless, the remaining fins are yellowish or reddish.

Breeders have bred a golden form of Tetragonopterus, which is an albino of the original form. The main body color is orange, the abdomen is silvery-white, there is no diamond-shaped black spot characteristic of the original shape, and the eyes are reddish. The fins are orange. The male is smaller and slimmer than the female, brighter in color, and the dorsal and anal fins are somewhat longer and sharper.

A pair of tetragonopterus is kept in an aquarium with a volume of 15–20 liters and a length of at least 40 cm. The soil is dark coarse gravel. The chemical composition of the water is not very important, but the pH is desirable to be closer to neutral. It is better to choose hard-leaved aquarium plants - hornwort, pinnate, as well as bolbitis, microzorium, Java moss. Plants with soft, tender leaves are unsuitable for tetragonopterus, since the latter eat them with pleasure. Plants are planted densely in the aquarium, leaving free space.

Quite a cold-resistant species. Temperature for keeping - from 18 to 24 °C. Withstands significant temperature drops, down to 12 °C. Sensitive to lack of oxygen; to avoid oxygen starvation, it is necessary to equip the aquarium with an aerator.

Once a week it is necessary to clean the aquarium and replace one tenth of the water with fresh water, adding the latter in small portions.
The golden form of Tetragonopterus is a more capricious fish. It should be kept in a warmer aquarium with a temperature of 22-25 ° C. Aeration of water is required. Lighting for both forms is overhead, diffused.

Diet

Unpretentious to food. Eats any live food, dry food. Vegetable supplements in the form of finely chopped lettuce, spinach, white cabbage, and aquatic plants with tender leaves (elodea and others).
It is not recommended to keep it with sedentary and veiled fish. Tetragonopterus sometimes behave aggressively; neighbors in the aquarium may be large fish with similar temperament and requirements for living conditions. In good conditions, he practically does not get sick.

Tetra von rio, tetra fiery

A small fish with a body length of up to 4.5 cm. The body is slightly flattened on the sides. The main body color is silver. In reflected light it burns with a bright fire. Behind the gill covers there are three transverse dark stripes. The back of the body is reddish. The fins are red. Males differ from females in their smaller body size, slenderness, the presence of a black edging on the anal fin, and brighter body color.
It is not demanding on the volume of the aquarium. A pair can be kept in a small 10-liter aquarium, and a group of ten individuals can be kept in a 20-liter elongated aquarium. A very unpretentious fish. Feels good in water with a hardness of up to 20 degrees, neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

The water should always be clear. You can install a filter. The optimal water temperature for keeping is 20-25 °C. Additional heating of water with a heater is usually not required. The fish can withstand temperatures as low as 16 °C. Certain places in the aquarium are densely planted with cryptocorynes, echinodorus, curly aponogeton, Java moss, Thai fern, Vallisneria, hygrophila, and elodea. The top of the aquarium is covered with a cover glass.

Diet

Omnivore. Live food - small bloodworms, tubifex, cyclops, daphnia, brine shrimp. Plant foods - lettuce, dandelion, spinach, duckweed, cirrus, as well as dry food, crushed oatmeal, white bread crumbs.
Peaceful, shy fish. The school is kept in a species aquarium or in a common aquarium with other small peaceful fish - neons, erythrozonus, fire barbs, sumatranus, rasboras, other tetras, pecilobricones and others.
Good conditions maintenance, proper nutrition and compliance with general hygiene requirements ensure the long life of Tetra von Rio in aquariums.