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Round red eye tetra

S

Simes

Member
Joined
29 Dec 2018
Messages
43
Location
Norfolk
hi. I’ve just visited my local aquatics centre and I really like the look of round red eye tetras. Is a 60l tank big enough to stock 6 of these with other fish and shrimp?
Cheers
 
Did you mean M. sanctaefilomenae? They can grow to 7cm and are a particularly active species. I personally wouldn't keep them in anything less than 90cm x 37.7cm x 30cm – 106 litres, as per Seriously Fish advice.
 
Yip that’s the fish. Ok I will stick to a smaller fish. This is my tank size -
Dimensions (LxWxH): 80 x 24.5 x 30cm

Perhaps stick to guppies
 
Is it mainly limited to small tetras for this size tank do you reckon?
I do like the look of those black neons. Are they easy to come buy in th uk?
 
The benefit of smaller fish is you can have more, a bigger group of smaller fish can have the same/more impact than a small group of big ones. The black neons are very readily available and shoal together nicely.
 
Cheers

I need a heater. Do people generally use under gravel heaters so they are hidden?
 
Hi
Heating cables in substrate are old school thing.Not sure someone on here uses them nowadays .
Some use inline heaters on the external canister filter hoses,some with small tanks heating mats and all the rest normal heaters hiden with plants if possible
Some take equipment out when doing photo shoot of the tanks too
Regards Konsa
 
Simes said:
I do like the look of those black neons.
Click to expand...

They are easy to keep and very hardy and can live for years. May even breed in a wel planted setup. (They did in mine.)

Even tho only 35mm in size they are pretty boisterous en bold fish.. Especialy when it comes to feeding or spotting possible food the race is on, they have fierce food aggresion. Also could intimidate more peacefull species and out compete them. Don't be surprised to see one jumping now and then during feeding time. If it's an open top tank, sinking food would be a safer option than floating flakes. One of the only small fish in this size hat can be fed with houseflies btw.. :rolleyes: They take on anything that moves and fits.



I guess that boisterous character also is why seriously fish recomands a minimum base dimension of 80 cm x 30 cm for a group of these fish.
 
Ah great little fish. My tank is topless. Perhaps some floating plants will prevent them jumping out
 
Simes said:
Perhaps some floating plants will prevent them jumping out
Click to expand...

They are not realy jumpers for the liking of jumping.. They just have a fierce food competition. Once you have them you'll see.. They are always the first and go completely bonkers to be there first. Shooting and speeding around like little rockets.. I once experienced something realy hillarious, a shame i hadn't the video camera on at that time. I fed some floating flakes powdered and one of them got so bonkers over it, trying to get in as much as possible as quick as possible, it went side ways at the surface shooting around like a little surfboard skipping over the water. It took less than a second to get from one side to the other. Once food is spotted they are lightning fast torpedo's, than even a 80 cm tank can be to small.. A matter of chance, one beeing unlucky making a sharp turn not to hit the glass, creating to much G and goes over the side. This can also happen if a mosquito lands on the water or a speck of dust, as soon as something hits the surface it triggers a race towards. Than floating vegitation helps as long as it lands on the vegitation, if it lands on the water they still spot it. If you want to see food disappear in 20 seconds, black Neon Tetra's are your fish..

I started with 11, now 5 years later only have 5 left and found 7 on the floor, makes 12, stiil got 1 that is born in this tank.

They are such agressive foragers, they easily outcompete same sized slower and more timide fish. Simply do not get a chance to get to the food or not daring to come close. I experienced this with temporary housing some sprankling Gourami in the same tank. They were no match for the black Neon Terta's and get completely outcompeted.

Thus choose the tank mates wisely.. :thumbup:

Their behaivor also can have positive effects... For example the <Ember Tetra>, a smaller cousin that is relatively shy and timide by nature and like to hide in plants. But since they both are family and have simmular hierarchical social behaivor, they school together and the shy Embers get pulled over the line to become more outgoing. Kinda seems like they feel more secure schooling together with Black neons. :)
 
That’s cool . Thanks for the information. My tank has no fish at present because it is new. I was going to put a few guppies in once cycled so that it was ‘lived in’ before introducing the black tetras. I imagine they will be out competed big time. I bet ember tetras and black tetras look really good
 
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