Characins

CHARACINS

Characins are usually peaceful community fish from South Amercia and Africa. However, the Piranha is part of this family of fish, and they are extremely agressive carnivors. So not all characins are peaceful.

Tetras are probably the most popular of all tropical freshwater aquarium fishes. They are mostly all peacefull, and come in various sizes and colors. They are great for the community tank, or a tank dedicated to all one kind of tetra. I love the look of several dozen neons schooling together.

Tetras:

There are several different types of tetras. Some stay pretty small, others get up to 4 inches. They are my favorite type of fish, and most are just fine for the community tank.

cardinal Tetras

Neon Tetras: These tetras are one of the prettiest. They look very similar to the Cardinal Tetra shown above, but thier colored stripes are a bit thinner. They are a schooling fish and look best in large groups. They usually range from 1-1.5 inches in length and are silver with red and blue "neon" stripes on their sides. They are peacefull and don't nip other fish's fins. Breeding these fish is not too difficult. You need a five gallon tank with a lot of plants and very dim lighting. The water should be very soft PH of 6.5 and about 73-75 degrees farenheit. Add about two teaspoons af aquarium salt per gallon of water. When the female is ready to spawn, put the pair in the breeding tank. They should spawn in a few days. They will chase each other around the tank and the eggs will be scattered around the bottom. Once they have finished remove the pair. The eggs should hatch in a day or so. Keep the tank out of direct light. Once the fry are free swimming increase the amount of light slowly. Feed the fry smashed egg yolk or commercial fry food.

Buenos Aires Tetra Photo:Tropical Fish Centre

Buenos Airies Tetras: These fish can get up to 3 inches in length and are very hearty. They are a silver body color with red anal fins and tail. The tail is red with a black spot/stripe in the middle and aslo a black spot just behind the eye. They are schooling fish, so it is good to have a several of them if room permits.

Silver Dollar Tetra Richards Fish CenterPhoto courtesy of SchnapsAn Aquatic Source

Silver Dollar Tetras: The silver dollar is a very pretty fish. It has very silvery scales and somtimes has black speckles on its body and fins. It is a peaceful fish that is a herbivore. It will nibble your live plants. The have a thin body that is very round like a siver dollar, hence the name.

Bleeding Heart Tetras: Bleeding hearts are another very nice fish. They are silver with a bright red spot on each side in the center of thier body that give the appearance of a big red heart. They are best kept in groups of three or more, they do not like to be single. They get a bit bigger than most tetras. I had one that lived three years and was two inches long and one inch tall. It was a very cool fish.

I will be adding more on Tetras, and some pictures as soon as I can.

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